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The differences between store assistants and sales associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a store assistant has an average salary of $32,372, which is higher than the $32,167 average annual salary of a sales associate.
The top three skills for a store assistant include payroll, retail sales and customer service. The most important skills for a sales associate are customer service, sales floor, and cash handling.
| Store Assistant | Sales Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $32,372 | $32,167 |
| Hourly rate | $15.56 | $15.46 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 511,874 | 579,849 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | - |
As the name entails, a store assistant helps the store supervisor or manager. You will typically perform various tasks that include processing inventory and replenishing items when they get low, assisting stock clerks in receiving and processing shipments, and performing tasks related to store opening and closing. Additionally, you are expected to provide customer service, including handling customer complaints and facilitating transactions utilizing point of sale software. A store assistant also checks for any product breakage or damage.
Sales associates are responsible for promoting the company's goods or services. They are expected to provide exceptional customer service to prospective buyers. They should be familiar with all features of the company's products or services so that they can answer the customers' inquiries. Sales associates also assist customers in processing their checkouts, refunds, returns, and other needs. They should be customer-oriented, and they should have great communication skills. They should know how to sell their products or services to customers. They are considered the company's representatives on the ground.
Store assistants and sales associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Store Assistant | Sales Associate | |
| Average salary | $32,372 | $32,167 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $41,000 | Between $21,000 And $47,000 |
| Highest paying City | Jacksonville, NC | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | New York |
| Best paying company | Busch's Fresh Food Market | Barclays |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a store assistant and a sales associate in terms of educational background:
| Store Assistant | Sales Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | SUNY College of Technology at Delhi | - |
Here are the differences between store assistants' and sales associates' demographics:
| Store Assistant | Sales Associate | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.0% Female, 53.0% | Male, 38.4% Female, 61.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 6.9% White, 61.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 21.4% Asian, 6.9% White, 55.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 7% |