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The differences between sales clerks and general sales associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a general sales associate has an average salary of $29,328, which is higher than the $25,739 average annual salary of a sales clerk.
The top three skills for a sales clerk include customer service, stock shelves and sales floor. The most important skills for a general sales associate are POS, work ethic, and food preparation.
| Sales Clerk | General Sales Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $25,739 | $29,328 |
| Hourly rate | $12.37 | $14.10 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 372,651 | 383,009 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 34% | Bachelor's Degree, 36% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A sales clerk is responsible for assisting customers in purchasing products, responding to customer inquiries, and providing product recommendations. Sales clerks require excellent customer service and communication skills to offer the best services to the customers and maintain good customer feedback for the business. They also check inventories, request supplies as needed, and organize product displays on the appropriate shelves. A sales clerk must have strong verbal communication skills to manage customer concerns and excellent time-management skills to perform tasks within the fast-paced work environment.
The job of a general sales associate is to provide great customer service and increase the revenue of a business. They sell products and services and help customers find the right product. Depending on the retail store, their responsibilities may involve organizing store shelves, answering customers' questions, ringing up purchases, operating the cash register, and greeting customers. They may also be expected to take full charge of the managing of all financial transactions and balancing drawers.
Sales clerks and general sales associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Sales Clerk | General Sales Associate | |
| Average salary | $25,739 | $29,328 |
| Salary range | Between $16,000 And $39,000 | Between $21,000 And $39,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New York | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Hawaii Pacific Health | Kaufman Dolowich & Voluck |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a sales clerk and a general sales associate in terms of educational background:
| Sales Clerk | General Sales Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 34% | Bachelor's Degree, 36% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between sales clerks' and general sales associates' demographics:
| Sales Clerk | General Sales Associate | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 35.3% Female, 64.7% | Male, 60.2% Female, 39.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.7% Asian, 6.8% White, 57.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 7.2% White, 58.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |