Sales management trainee vs sales associate

The differences between sales management trainees and sales associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a sales management trainee has an average salary of $47,400, which is higher than the $32,167 average annual salary of a sales associate.

The top three skills for a sales management trainee include business development, business sales and enterprise management. The most important skills for a sales associate are customer service, sales floor, and cash handling.

Sales management trainee vs sales associate overview

	Sales Management Trainee	Sales Associate
Yearly salary	$47,400	$32,167
Hourly rate	$22.79	$15.46
Growth rate	5%	-
Number of jobs	290,692	579,849
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 82%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age	43	41
Years of experience	6	-

What does a sales management trainee do?

Typically, sales management trainees are recruited at the entry-level, where they learn to manage sales. The trainees assist with tasks associated with sales management. They work under the supervision of executives and managers in business enterprises. They are equipped with the knowledge to become managers in the fields of sales, operations, and marketing. Among the necessary skills for this job include management skills, problem-solving, leadership, communication skills, attention to detail, time management, and organizational awareness.

What does a sales associate do?

Sales associates are responsible for promoting the company's goods or services. They are expected to provide exceptional customer service to prospective buyers. They should be familiar with all features of the company's products or services so that they can answer the customers' inquiries. Sales associates also assist customers in processing their checkouts, refunds, returns, and other needs. They should be customer-oriented, and they should have great communication skills. They should know how to sell their products or services to customers. They are considered the company's representatives on the ground.

Sales management trainee vs sales associate salary

Sales management trainees and sales associates have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Sales Management Trainee	Sales Associate
Average salary	$47,400	$32,167
Salary range	Between $38,000 And $58,000	Between $21,000 And $47,000
Highest paying City	Newark, NJ	New York, NY
Highest paying state	New Jersey	New York
Best paying company	Cisco	Barclays
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Manufacturing

Differences between sales management trainee and sales associate education

There are a few differences between a sales management trainee and a sales associate in terms of educational background:

	Sales Management Trainee	Sales Associate
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 82%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	-

Sales management trainee vs sales associate demographics

Here are the differences between sales management trainees' and sales associates' demographics:

	Sales Management Trainee	Sales Associate
Average age	43	41
Gender ratio	Male, 71.3% Female, 28.7%	Male, 38.4% Female, 61.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 7.2% White, 62.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 21.4% Asian, 6.9% White, 55.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	9%	7%

Differences between sales management trainee and sales associate duties and responsibilities

Sales management trainee example responsibilities.

Monitor and manage payroll and controllable expenses within company guidelines.
Manage customer database, product updates/upgrades, accounts payable/receivable, and payroll.
Assist management team in daily facility operations that include managing performance of associates and inventory shrink management.
Inform on how to navigate through Salesforce.
Identify prospective clients and assist clients using CRM software.
Perform, multiple, complex CRM and customer maintenance activities.

Sales associate example responsibilities.

Supervise women's department, manage jewelry department, assist customers on finalizing purchases
Gain experience with credit cards, mathematics, as well as customer service.
Utilize forklift, order picker reach truck, electric ladder, or roll ladders to transfer merchandise to the sales floor.
Create Facebook page for Ohco Import/Export division.
Increase sales by upselling products and follow up sales calls.
Assist customers with the purchase of the perfect piece of jewelry

Sales management trainee vs sales associate skills

Common sales management trainee skills

Business Development, 21%
Business Sales, 10%
Enterprise Management, 10%
Management Training, 8%
Store Management, 8%
World Class, 7%

Common sales associate skills

Customer Service, 15%
Sales Floor, 13%
Cash Handling, 9%
Retail Sales, 9%
Loss Prevention, 7%
Basic Math, 5%

Sales Management Trainee vs. similar jobs

Sales Management Trainee related careers

Sales Management Trainee related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Sales Industry
Sales Management Trainee
Sales Management Trainee vs Sales Associate

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse sales jobs