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Shop worker vs sales clerk

The differences between shop workers and sales clerks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a shop worker has an average salary of $31,850, which is higher than the $25,739 average annual salary of a sales clerk.

The top three skills for a shop worker include tape measure, safety procedures and in-shop. The most important skills for a sales clerk are customer service, stock shelves, and sales floor.

Shop worker vs sales clerk overview

Shop WorkerSales Clerk
Yearly salary$31,850$25,739
Hourly rate$15.31$12.37
Growth rate--
Number of jobs73,161372,651
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 37%Bachelor's Degree, 34%
Average age4341
Years of experience--

What does a shop worker do?

A shop worker may work in a wholesale or retail shop to provide customer service. They welcome guests, maintain their store's cleanliness, and ensure stock levels are maintained. They may also be responsible for ringing customers up.

What does a sales clerk do?

A sales clerk is responsible for assisting customers in purchasing products, responding to customer inquiries, and providing product recommendations. Sales clerks require excellent customer service and communication skills to offer the best services to the customers and maintain good customer feedback for the business. They also check inventories, request supplies as needed, and organize product displays on the appropriate shelves. A sales clerk must have strong verbal communication skills to manage customer concerns and excellent time-management skills to perform tasks within the fast-paced work environment.

Shop worker vs sales clerk salary

Shop workers and sales clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.

Shop WorkerSales Clerk
Average salary$31,850$25,739
Salary rangeBetween $24,000 And $41,000Between $16,000 And $39,000
Highest paying CityEverett, WAWashington, DC
Highest paying stateWashingtonNew York
Best paying companyShiptHawaii Pacific Health
Best paying industryManufacturingEnergy

Differences between shop worker and sales clerk education

There are a few differences between a shop worker and a sales clerk in terms of educational background:

Shop WorkerSales Clerk
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 37%Bachelor's Degree, 34%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Shop worker vs sales clerk demographics

Here are the differences between shop workers' and sales clerks' demographics:

Shop WorkerSales Clerk
Average age4341
Gender ratioMale, 76.5% Female, 23.5%Male, 35.3% Female, 64.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 6.9% White, 62.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.7% Asian, 6.8% White, 57.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage5%7%

Differences between shop worker and sales clerk duties and responsibilities

Shop worker example responsibilities.

  • Used calipers and gauges to make sure parts are within specs.
  • Record transactions in POS system from both in shop and drive thru orders.
  • Used FeatureCAM to prepare parts modele by students to be CNC mill with greater precision than if machine manually.
  • Transform the blueprint or sketch from a design into a useable product by cutting, shaping and assembling steel.
  • Assist shop manager in making of jigs, cut lists, and machining plans to ensure productivity and quality control.
  • Operate various machines such as drill presses, table saws, CNC routers and forklifts, safely in a busy warehouse.
  • Show more

Sales clerk example responsibilities.

  • Supervise women's department, manage jewelry department, assist customers on finalizing purchases
  • Process monetary transactions POS system.
  • Follow POS procedures daily and complete appropriate paperwork.
  • Prepare quality food products, process accurate register transactions, maintain general appearance and cleanliness of store premises.
  • Improve customer solicitation pitch to increase Kohl's credit card application solicitations.

Shop worker vs sales clerk skills

Common shop worker skills
  • Tape Measure, 9%
  • Safety Procedures, 8%
  • In-Shop, 6%
  • Delivery Orders, 6%
  • Pro Shop, 5%
  • Food Preparation, 5%
Common sales clerk skills
  • Customer Service, 26%
  • Stock Shelves, 9%
  • Sales Floor, 8%
  • Retail Sales, 6%
  • Product Knowledge, 5%
  • POS, 5%

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