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The differences between stockers and associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an associate has an average salary of $69,556, which is higher than the $29,936 average annual salary of a stocker.
The top three skills for a stocker include pallets, strong customer service and stock merchandise. The most important skills for an associate are customer service, sales floor, and patients.
| Stocker | Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $29,936 | $69,556 |
| Hourly rate | $14.39 | $33.44 |
| Growth rate | 1% | - |
| Number of jobs | 192,276 | 569,041 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 38 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Stockers are responsible for displaying items for sale in the store. They manage the shelves and ensure that items are on display at all times. Aside from that, stockers also assist in managing the inventory. Since they mostly work on the operations floor, they know which items are getting sold faster. As such, they should be able to prompt inventory managers should stocks run low. They are also in charge of putting up promotional materials and removing them once the promotions are over. Stockers should also be familiar with the items sold in the store since customers are likely to approach them for questions that they may have.
Associates are typically entry-level positions for employees who are taking on their first job or organizational role. They are assigned to teams or departments that are related to their skills or educational background. They usually start with smaller tasks that may not seem as impactful but are still essential to the department. Associates are trained by more tenured team members on the ins and outs of the department and the organization. As they grow with the organization, they are given more responsibilities that directly impact the results of the department's initiatives as they work towards their goals.
Stockers and associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Stocker | Associate | |
| Average salary | $29,936 | $69,556 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $36,000 | Between $34,000 And $140,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | New York |
| Best paying company | Costco Wholesale | Simpson Thacher & Bartlett |
| Best paying industry | Retail | - |
There are a few differences between a stocker and an associate in terms of educational background:
| Stocker | Associate | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between stockers' and associates' demographics:
| Stocker | Associate | |
| Average age | 38 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 74.8% Female, 25.2% | Male, 50.4% Female, 49.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 6.4% White, 57.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 8.3% White, 57.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 7% |