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The differences between store associates and customer service associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a customer service associate has an average salary of $31,709, which is higher than the $29,543 average annual salary of a store associate.
The top three skills for a store associate include sales floor, retail store and inventory management. The most important skills for a customer service associate are patients, sales floor, and plumbing.
| Store Associate | Customer Service Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $29,543 | $31,709 |
| Hourly rate | $14.20 | $15.24 |
| Growth rate | - | -4% |
| Number of jobs | 495,423 | 380,943 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 35% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Average age | 41 | 40 |
| Years of experience | - | 12 |
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.
Customer service associates are representatives of the company who are responsible for solving customer concerns. They provide exceptional service to clients to ensure that their problems are solved and that the relationship between the client and the company remains strong. Customer service associates are in-charge of processing transactions, maintaining a good working relationship between the client and the company, ensuring that the client remains loyal to the company, and working on the requests of the client. Through all of this, customer service associates must keep any information they may encounter confidential. They should also have time management skills, problem-solving skills, and customer service skills.
Store associates and customer service associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Store Associate | Customer Service Associate | |
| Average salary | $29,543 | $31,709 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $36,000 | Between $24,000 And $40,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | Pro Football Hall of Fame | Fidelity Investments |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Finance |
There are a few differences between a store associate and a customer service associate in terms of educational background:
| Store Associate | Customer Service Associate | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 35% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between store associates' and customer service associates' demographics:
| Store Associate | Customer Service Associate | |
| Average age | 41 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 48.8% Female, 51.2% | Male, 38.4% Female, 61.6% |
| 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, 11.8% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 19.5% Asian, 6.6% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |