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Sales associate/manager vs senior sales associate

The differences between sales associate/managers and senior sales associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a senior sales associate has an average salary of $53,906, which is higher than the $41,412 average annual salary of a sales associate/manager.

The top three skills for a sales associate/manager include customer service, sales floor and strong customer service. The most important skills for a senior sales associate are customer service, product knowledge, and phone calls.

Sales associate/manager vs senior sales associate overview

Sales Associate/ManagerSenior Sales Associate
Yearly salary$41,412$53,906
Hourly rate$19.91$25.92
Growth rate5%-
Number of jobs318,977420,823
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 44%Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Average age4341
Years of experience6-

What does a sales associate/manager do?

As the name entails, sales associates or associate managers are responsible for helping the store manager organize and run the retail stores. Their roles and responsibilities include ensuring that the store's goals are met by the sales team, hiring and training sales staff, and monitoring inventory. They are also expected to analyze consumer behavior, look for competitive products in the market, and communicate and evaluate clients' needs. To be qualified for this position, you should have experience as an assistant manager, organizational and leadership skills, and proficiency in MS Office.

What does a senior sales associate do?

A senior sales associate is responsible for overseeing the operations in a retail establishment's sales floor. They reach out to customers and respond to inquiries, help them obtain the product they are looking for, or recommend other goods should it be necessary. As a senior sales associate, they are in charge of mentoring less experienced colleagues and shaping them into more competent workforce members. They must also implement sales policies and regulations, devise strategies to reach sales targets, find new opportunities to strengthen client base, produce reports, and maintain inventory.

Sales associate/manager vs senior sales associate salary

Sales associate/managers and senior sales associates have different pay scales, as shown below.

Sales Associate/ManagerSenior Sales Associate
Average salary$41,412$53,906
Salary rangeBetween $30,000 And $55,000Between $22,000 And $128,000
Highest paying CitySalem, VASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateMassachusettsCalifornia
Best paying companyGoogleGoldman Sachs
Best paying industryManufacturingPharmaceutical

Differences between sales associate/manager and senior sales associate education

There are a few differences between a sales associate/manager and a senior sales associate in terms of educational background:

Sales Associate/ManagerSenior Sales Associate
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 44%Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeSUNY College of Technology at Delhi-

Sales associate/manager vs senior sales associate demographics

Here are the differences between sales associate/managers' and senior sales associates' demographics:

Sales Associate/ManagerSenior Sales Associate
Average age4341
Gender ratioMale, 44.2% Female, 55.8%Male, 46.3% Female, 53.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 7.0% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 19.8% Asian, 7.4% White, 56.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage9%7%

Differences between sales associate/manager and senior sales associate duties and responsibilities

Sales associate/manager example responsibilities.

  • Partner in managing operations of multiple retail outlets, including hiring, performance management, scheduling, and merchandising management.
  • Execute marketing and visual merchandising initiatives and organize POS merchandise display.
  • Partner in managing operations of multiple retail outlets, including hiring, performance management, scheduling, and merchandising management.
  • Start as a part time associate and are promoted to full time Keyholder within 90 days.

Senior sales associate example responsibilities.

  • Manage organizational standards, cleanliness of store and safety procedures/policies; manage and maintain store appearance, provide exceptional customer service.
  • Operate POS and administrative computer systems.
  • Receive new product and incorporate it into current inventory via POS inventory management system.
  • Maintain retail garden center through daily cleanliness and product up-keep and display including pruning/dead-heading product.
  • Partner in managing operations of multiple retail outlets, including hiring, performance management, scheduling, and merchandising management.
  • Demonstrate strong leadership, communication and supervisory skills by providing coaching and feedback to maximize individual and store performance.

Sales associate/manager vs senior sales associate skills

Common sales associate/manager skills
  • Customer Service, 34%
  • Sales Floor, 13%
  • Strong Customer Service, 9%
  • Retail Sales, 4%
  • Payroll, 4%
  • Product Knowledge, 4%
Common senior sales associate skills
  • Customer Service, 17%
  • Product Knowledge, 10%
  • Phone Calls, 9%
  • Customer Satisfaction, 8%
  • Cleanliness, 6%
  • PowerPoint, 6%