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Sales support supervisor vs sales associate/manager

The differences between sales support supervisors and sales associate/managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a sales support supervisor, becoming a sales associate/manager takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a sales support supervisor has an average salary of $63,148, which is higher than the $41,412 average annual salary of a sales associate/manager.

The top three skills for a sales support supervisor include customer service, support supervisors and performance management. The most important skills for a sales associate/manager are customer service, sales floor, and strong customer service.

Sales support supervisor vs sales associate/manager overview

Sales Support SupervisorSales Associate/Manager
Yearly salary$63,148$41,412
Hourly rate$30.36$19.91
Growth rate5%5%
Number of jobs130,140318,977
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 57%Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Average age4643
Years of experience86

What does a sales support supervisor do?

A sales support supervisor oversees all sales support team activities by optimizing all business processes related to client interaction. As a team player, a sales support supervisor also works with the sales support team to monitor and improve customer interaction and customer service. Their duties and responsibilities include organizing and preparing the team to improve the effectiveness and providing timely reports for the top management.

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.

Sales support supervisor vs sales associate/manager salary

Sales support supervisors and sales associate/managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Sales Support SupervisorSales Associate/Manager
Average salary$63,148$41,412
Salary rangeBetween $47,000 And $84,000Between $30,000 And $55,000
Highest paying City-Salem, VA
Highest paying state-Massachusetts
Best paying company-Google
Best paying industry-Manufacturing

Differences between sales support supervisor and sales associate/manager education

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

Sales Support SupervisorSales Associate/Manager
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 57%Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaSUNY College of Technology at Delhi

Sales support supervisor vs sales associate/manager demographics

Here are the differences between sales support supervisors' and sales associate/managers' demographics:

Sales Support SupervisorSales Associate/Manager
Average age4643
Gender ratioMale, 47.3% Female, 52.7%Male, 44.2% Female, 55.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 6.1% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black 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%
LGBT Percentage6%9%

Differences between sales support supervisor and sales associate/manager duties and responsibilities

Sales support supervisor example responsibilities.

  • Create and lead staff development sessions on solution selling techniques/running effective promotions/POS execution/trade math.
  • Maintain detailed accountability of valuable jewelry, handle new merchandise, and maintain employee focus on departmental organization and cleanliness.
  • Describe product to customers and accurately explain details about DirecTV services.

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.

Sales support supervisor vs sales associate/manager skills

Common sales support supervisor skills
  • Customer Service, 16%
  • Support Supervisors, 7%
  • Performance Management, 7%
  • CRM, 7%
  • Sales Floor, 5%
  • Performance Reviews, 5%
Common sales associate/manager skills
  • Customer Service, 34%
  • Sales Floor, 13%
  • Strong Customer Service, 9%
  • Retail Sales, 4%
  • Payroll, 4%
  • Product Knowledge, 4%