How to hire a sales support associate

How to hire a sales support associate, step by step

Here's a step-by-step sales support associate hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a sales support associate job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new sales support associate
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a sales support associate do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the sales support associate you need to hire. Certain sales support associate roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A sales support associate's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, sales support associates from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of sales support associate salaries for various roles:

   Type of Sales Support Associate	Description	Hourly rate
   Sales Support Associate	Wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers to businesses, government agencies, and other organizations. They contact customers, explain product features, answer any questions that their customers may have, and negotiate prices.	$12-22
   Sales Support Representative	A sales support representative is responsible for assisting the complex operations of sales departments, performing administrative duties under the supervision of a direct manager. Sales support representatives' tasks include acknowledging and encoding customers' orders in the system, processing payments, responding to the customers' inquiries and concerns about the products, writing sales reports, and updating the customer of the shipment details... Show more	$14-23

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Sales Floor
   • Back Room
   • Math
   • Sales Support
   • Customer Service
   • Sales Service
   • Develop Leads
   • Process Merchandise
   • Customer Issues
   • POS
   • Excellent Interpersonal
   • PowerPoint
   • Loss Prevention
   • Sales Process

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Contribute to marketing business online and manage Facebook page.
   • Cross trained on POS function and inventory management
   • Assist patients with Critical/Triage calls; document necessary symptoms for medical assistants to determine what medical intervention is necessary.
   • Work with A/R on short payments and credit/debit discrepancies.
   • Identify and prioritize account opportunities and upselling value add services.
   • Process new service for external customers and initiate upselling opportunities for additional products and services.

   More sales support associate duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your sales support associate job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A sales support associate salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a sales support associate in Utah may be lower than in Massachusetts, and an entry-level sales support associate usually earns less than a senior-level sales support associate. Additionally, a sales support associate with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average sales support associate salary

   $16.56hourly

   $34,454 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level sales support associate salary

   $25,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 18, 2026

   Average sales support associate salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$44,186	$21
   2	Texas	$42,732	$21
   3	New Hampshire	$42,542	$20
   4	New York	$41,247	$20
   5	California	$40,879	$20
   6	Colorado	$40,811	$20
   7	Arizona	$39,649	$19
   8	Ohio	$38,455	$18
   9	Illinois	$37,878	$18
   10	Virginia	$36,111	$17
   11	Minnesota	$35,838	$17
   12	Kansas	$35,772	$17
   13	North Carolina	$35,739	$17
   14	Maryland	$35,046	$17
   15	Georgia	$34,657	$17
   16	Florida	$34,598	$17
   17	Pennsylvania	$34,511	$17
   18	South Carolina	$33,957	$16
   19	Tennessee	$33,304	$16
   20	Indiana	$32,421	$16

   Average sales support associate salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Goldman Sachs	$96,219	$46.26	2
   2	MSCI	$91,186	$43.84	14
   3	Northern Trust	$82,615	$39.72
   4	BlackRock	$81,979	$39.41	6
   5	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$80,394	$38.65	164
   6	Deutsche Bank	$69,981	$33.64	8
   7	World Fuel Services	$64,840	$31.17	1
   8	Control Risks	$61,843	$29.73
   9	UST Global	$54,067	$25.99
   10	Amd	$48,340	$23.24	4
   11	San Francisco	$45,754	$22.00
   12	Fortive	$42,051	$20.22	10
   13	Orthofix	$41,430	$19.92
   14	Fisher Investments	$40,934	$19.68	1
   15	Globus Medical	$39,794	$19.13
   16	Sprague Operating Resources	$39,045	$18.77	2
   17	Wolters Kluwer	$38,935	$18.72	149
   18	McKesson	$38,499	$18.51	9
   19	Insight Investments	$38,405	$18.46	2
   20	MetLife	$38,303	$18.41	5

4. Writing a sales support associate job description

   A good sales support associate job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a sales support associate job description:

   Sales support associate job description example

   BBW Sales Support-Weatherford Shopping Center - (03E3U) Description Who we are
   With an inclusive retail environment that is fueled by passionate associates, Bath & Body Works is one of the most creative, dynamic and profitable fashion retailers in the industry. We are a $6.4 billion retail brand - and growing - with 10+ years of back-to-back growth and unlimited potential. We are the world's leading fragrance retail brand for body and home, delivered through fashion, trend and newness with products that are globally inspired.
   The opportunity
   We're hiring for you to join our team as a sales support associate in our stores. In this role, you will be the face of Bath & Body Works - understanding our customers' needs and helping them find the best products for themselves and others. Our associates are dedicated to delivering exceptional and consistent customer experiences that positively impact sales growth in their store, and contribute to a positive, high-energy environment. As an associate, you will:
   • Deliver a friendly and efficient cash wrap experience, while reinforcing the customer's purchase and capturing the customer's phone number/email address
   • Recover merchandise on the sales floor and replenish merchandise to brand standards
   • Support product replenishment activities that keep the store full and abundant, including processing merchandise and maintaining the back room
   • Assist with floorset execution, window changes, visual presentation and marketing placement as needed
   • Abide by our values, policies, procedures and safety messages
   What you can expect from us
   • A merchandise discount of 30% at Bath & Body Works
   • Mental health and well-being services and resources at no cost to you
   • An opportunity to save in the BBW 401(k) after you've been with us for a year and worked 1000 hours
   • A fun, rewarding experience where you can be you … because we believe in making the world a brighter, happier place through fragrance, and that diversity, equity and inclusion make us stronger Qualifications What you'll contribute to the team
   • Demonstrated sales and customer service results in a fast-paced environment
   • Availability for varied weekly shifts including weekend, closing and peak hour shifts
   • Effective communication skills, being open to feedback and the ability to act on it
   We are an equal opportunity employer. We do not make employment decisions based on an individual's race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information or any other legally protected status, and we comply with all laws concerning non-discriminatory employment practices. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for associates and job applicants with disabilities. We only hire individuals authorized for employment in the United States. Primary Location: United States-Texas-WeatherfordWork Locations: 075759/02487/Weatherford Shopping Center 225 Adams Drive Weatherford 76086Job: FieldOrganization: BBW StoreSchedule: RegularShift: StandardEmployee Status: Individual ContributorJob Type: Part-time Job Level: Day JobJob Posting: Oct 10, 2022, 8:01:10 PM

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right sales support associate for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your sales support associate job on Zippia to find and recruit sales support associate candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as salesjobs, salesheads, allretailjobs.com, sales trax.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with sales support associate candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new sales support associate

   Once you have selected a candidate for the sales support associate position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new sales support associate first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a sales support associate?