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Sales clerk vs sales associate and customer service

The differences between sales clerks and sales associate and customer services can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a sales associate and customer service has an average salary of $28,654, 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 sales associate and customer service are customer service, plumbing, and sales associates.

Sales clerk vs sales associate and customer service overview

Sales ClerkSales Associate And Customer Service
Yearly salary$25,739$28,654
Hourly rate$12.37$13.78
Growth rate--4%
Number of jobs372,651298,588
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 34%High School Diploma, 34%
Average age4140
Years of experience-12

What does a sales clerk do?

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.

What does a sales associate and customer service do?

Sales and customer service associates are employees who are responsible for closing out sales deals and attending to customer needs. They are in charge of selling company goods and services to potential clients, often citing the common needs of prospective clients to ensure sales. They also handle customer inquiries and complaints and try their best to mitigate any problems that would arise. They are expected to be experts on company products to ensure that they can provide the best service to customers. Sales and customer service associates should have strong interpersonal skills, customer service skills, and communication skills.

Sales clerk vs sales associate and customer service salary

Sales clerks and sales associate and customer services have different pay scales, as shown below.

Sales ClerkSales Associate And Customer Service
Average salary$25,739$28,654
Salary rangeBetween $16,000 And $39,000Between $21,000 And $38,000
Highest paying CityWashington, DCBellevue, WA
Highest paying stateNew YorkConnecticut
Best paying companyHawaii Pacific HealthGEICO
Best paying industryEnergyManufacturing

Differences between sales clerk and sales associate and customer service education

There are a few differences between a sales clerk and a sales associate and customer service in terms of educational background:

Sales ClerkSales Associate And Customer Service
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 34%High School Diploma, 34%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Sales clerk vs sales associate and customer service demographics

Here are the differences between sales clerks' and sales associate and customer services' demographics:

Sales ClerkSales Associate And Customer Service
Average age4140
Gender ratioMale, 35.3% Female, 64.7%Male, 39.8% Female, 60.2%
Race ratioBlack 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, 10.9% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 22.0% Asian, 6.4% White, 54.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage7%7%

Differences between sales clerk and sales associate and customer service duties and responsibilities

Sales clerk example responsibilities.

  • Supervise women's department, manage jewelry department, assist customers on finalizing purchases
  • Process monetary transactions POS system.
  • Follow POS procedures daily and complete appropriate paperwork.
  • Prepare quality food products, process accurate register transactions, maintain general appearance and cleanliness of store premises.
  • Improve customer solicitation pitch to increase Kohl's credit card application solicitations.

Sales associate and customer service example responsibilities.

  • Manage call center productivity levels by maintaining CSR schedule adherence.
  • Manage cash balances and inventory stock accurately; ensure cleanliness of all work stations and guarantee excellent customer service.
  • Investigate, analyze, and troubleshoot any issues with a particular delivery.
  • Elicit and record customer information and inquiries via customer relationship management (CRM) software.
  • Move to the CSR position selling and leasing name brand products at a guarantee low price.
  • Provide technical support, and troubleshoot online-base ordering system.
  • Show more

Sales clerk vs sales associate and customer service skills

Common sales clerk skills
  • Customer Service, 26%
  • Stock Shelves, 9%
  • Sales Floor, 8%
  • Retail Sales, 6%
  • Product Knowledge, 5%
  • POS, 5%
Common sales associate and customer service skills
  • Customer Service, 21%
  • Plumbing, 20%
  • Sales Associates, 19%
  • Phone Calls, 11%
  • Booking, 9%
  • Math, 8%