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The differences between store associates and cashiers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a store associate has an average salary of $29,543, which is higher than the $28,144 average annual salary of a cashier.
The top three skills for a store associate include sales floor, retail store and inventory management. The most important skills for a cashier are front end, cash handling, and basic math.
| Store Associate | Cashier | |
| Yearly salary | $29,543 | $28,144 |
| Hourly rate | $14.20 | $13.53 |
| Growth rate | - | -10% |
| Number of jobs | 495,423 | 456,110 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.2 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 35% | High School Diploma, 45% |
| Average age | 41 | 34 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A store associate is responsible for assisting customers with the products they need and recommending alternative goods that would fit their budget. Sales associates also market promotional offers and provide product descriptions to the customer. They also monitor inventories, stock supplies on the appropriate shelves, and ensure the cleanliness and orderliness of the store. Store associates also perform other administrative tasks as needed, such as creating sales reports, assisting in the counter, and helping customers on carrying their items.
A cashier is one of the most visible positions in the retail industry. Cashiers are the last direct point of contact with customers and play a key role in service, retail, and wholesale establishments. They leave a long-lasting impression, which helps encourage the customers to go back. The most common tasks for cashiers are to scan items, conduct price checks, and collect payments. They may deal with a great amount of money on a daily basis, so this position requires them to be honest, reliable, and trustworthy employees. They also need to have great skills in customer service as they may handle customer complaints from time to time, assist in answering questions, and process refunds or exchanges.
Store associates and cashiers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Store Associate | Cashier | |
| Average salary | $29,543 | $28,144 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $36,000 | Between $21,000 And $36,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New York | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Pro Football Hall of Fame | Deloitte |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Retail |
There are a few differences between a store associate and a cashier in terms of educational background:
| Store Associate | Cashier | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 35% | High School Diploma, 45% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between store associates' and cashiers' demographics:
| Store Associate | Cashier | |
| Average age | 41 | 34 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 48.8% Female, 51.2% | Male, 27.1% Female, 72.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 20.0% Asian, 6.6% White, 56.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.7% Asian, 7.5% White, 55.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 5% |