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What is a service associate and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
introduction image

A service associate works in various industries, including retail, hospitality, and healthcare. Their primary responsibility is to provide excellent customer service to clients, guests, or patients. They assist customers with their needs, answer questions, and resolve any issues they may have. Service associates also handle tasks such as processing transactions, managing inventory, and maintaining a clean and organized workspace. They must have excellent communication skills and a friendly demeanor.

ScoreService AssociateUS Average
Salary
3.0

Avg. Salary $38,712

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
5.9

Growth Rate -4%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
9.6
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.66%

Asian 7.02%

Black or African American 12.41%

Hispanic or Latino 19.97%

Unknown 5.50%

White 54.44%

Gender

female 59.25%

male 40.75%

Age - 39
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39
Stress Level
5.9

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
6.6

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
6.5

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Service Associate?

Pros

  • Chance to develop communication and problem-solving skills

  • Chance to work flexible hours

  • Opportunity to learn about a variety of products and services

  • Possibility of receiving discounts on company products/services

  • Often a relatively fast-paced work environment

Cons

  • Long hours, including weekends and holidays

  • Dealing with difficult or unhappy customers can be stressful

  • Pay can be low,

  • May be required to stand for long periods of time

  • High turnover rate in the industry

Service Associate career paths

Key steps to become a service associate

  1. Explore service associate education requirements

    Most common service associate degrees

    Bachelor's

    51.8 %

    Associate

    18.1 %

    High School Diploma

    16.7 %

  2. Start to develop specific service associate skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Sales Floor19.22%
    Patients11.27%
    Quality Customer Service11.14%
    Basic Math10.08%
    Customer Service4.33%
    Show more

  3. Complete relevant service associate training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New service associates learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a service associate based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real service associate resumes.

  4. Research service associate duties and responsibilities

    • Develop skills in QuickBooks to manage money and invoices.
    • Manage various senior level logistics operations, develop and implement supply chain policies and procedures.
    • Educate veterans and the college community on veteran's benefits and academic requirements need to accomplish academic goals.
    • Cover a very large floor and improve customer service ratings through overall facility cleanliness.

  5. Prepare your service associate resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your service associate resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a service associate resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Service Associate Resume templates

    Build a professional Service Associate resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Service Associate resume.
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  6. Apply for service associate jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a service associate job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Service Associate Job

Zippi

Are you a Service Associate?

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Average service associate salary

The average Service Associate salary in the United States is $38,712 per year or $19 per hour. Service associate salaries range between $23,000 and $63,000 per year.

Average Service Associate Salary
$38,712 Yearly
$18.61 hourly
More service associate salary info

What Am I Worth?

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How do service associates rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Service Associate reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2022
Pros

I got to do a variety of tasks daily. Got treated with respect from management and other coworkers.

Cons

Sometimes I had to finish up job tasks that were assigned to others that were not completed.

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A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2019
Cons

not being able to communicate with a customer

Pros

The people and helping them solve their problems, also being first to help the customers.

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A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2019
Cons

Sometime me having to remember my trauma

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Service Associate FAQs

Have more questions? See all answers to common office and administrative questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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