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The differences between shop managers and sales associate/managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a shop manager and a sales associate/manager. Additionally, a sales associate/manager has an average salary of $41,412, which is higher than the $36,580 average annual salary of a shop manager.
The top three skills for a shop manager include customer service, taking care and work ethic. The most important skills for a sales associate/manager are customer service, sales floor, and strong customer service.
| Shop Manager | Sales Associate/Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $36,580 | $41,412 |
| Hourly rate | $17.59 | $19.91 |
| Growth rate | - | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 83,627 | 318,977 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
As the name entails, shop managers manage an establishment's day-to-day operations, ensuring it runs effectively and smoothly. Their responsibilities include making business strategies, developing promotional materials, and ensuring that sales teams are motivated. As the shop manager, you will also oversee the store's organizational and operational standards, undertake administrative tasks, and monitor inventory levels. The requirements to become a store manager include having a high school diploma, at least three years of work experience in the retail industry, and leadership skills.
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.
Shop managers and sales associate/managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Shop Manager | Sales Associate/Manager | |
| Average salary | $36,580 | $41,412 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $52,000 | Between $30,000 And $55,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Salem, VA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Rivian | |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a shop manager and a sales associate/manager in terms of educational background:
| Shop Manager | Sales Associate/Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | SUNY College of Technology at Delhi | SUNY College of Technology at Delhi |
Here are the differences between shop managers' and sales associate/managers' demographics:
| Shop Manager | Sales Associate/Manager | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 78.2% Female, 21.8% | Male, 44.2% Female, 55.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 6.9% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | 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 Percentage | 9% | 9% |