Store sales associate vs general sales associate

The differences between store sales associates and general sales associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a store sales associate has an average salary of $30,284, which is higher than the $29,328 average annual salary of a general sales associate.

The top three skills for a store sales associate include sales floor, POS and product knowledge. The most important skills for a general sales associate are POS, work ethic, and food preparation.

Store sales associate vs general sales associate overview

	Store Sales Associate	General Sales Associate
Yearly salary	$30,284	$29,328
Hourly rate	$14.56	$14.10
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	524,877	383,009
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 47%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age	43	41
Years of experience	6	-

What does a store sales associate do?

A store sales associate is responsible for assisting store customers, directing them to the correct area of their needs, and responding to their inquiries and concerns regarding a product. Store sales associates also support the store's promotional campaigns, selling goods and services to the customers by demonstrating the product and its benefits. They keep the store premises clean and tidy to avoid any potential hazards during operations. A store sales associate must have excellent communication skills, especially on resolving customer complaints, processing replacements, and issuing refunds.

What does a general sales associate do?

The job of a general sales associate is to provide great customer service and increase the revenue of a business. They sell products and services and help customers find the right product. Depending on the retail store, their responsibilities may involve organizing store shelves, answering customers' questions, ringing up purchases, operating the cash register, and greeting customers. They may also be expected to take full charge of the managing of all financial transactions and balancing drawers.

Store sales associate vs general sales associate salary

Store sales associates and general sales associates have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Store Sales Associate	General Sales Associate
Average salary	$30,284	$29,328
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $39,000	Between $21,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	Elizabeth, NJ	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Hawaii
Best paying company	Rooms To Go	Kaufman Dolowich & Voluck
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Automotive

Differences between store sales associate and general sales associate education

There are a few differences between a store sales associate and a general sales associate in terms of educational background:

	Store Sales Associate	General Sales Associate
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 47%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	SUNY College of Technology at Delhi	-

Store sales associate vs general sales associate demographics

Here are the differences between store sales associates' and general sales associates' demographics:

	Store Sales Associate	General Sales Associate
Average age	43	41
Gender ratio	Male, 40.7% Female, 59.3%	Male, 60.2% Female, 39.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 6.9% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 7.2% White, 58.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	9%	7%

Differences between store sales associate and general sales associate duties and responsibilities

Store sales associate example responsibilities.

Manage to sales KPI's (including sales and expense budget numbers), assuring efficient and effective use of resources.
Earn management trust by serving as keyholder, responsibly opening and closing the store.
Audit all jewelry counts daily, banking deposit log, cashier logs, sales logs.
Utilize the company's POS system to cash customers out or administer returns to the store.
Work as a sales associate and keyholder throughout the summer and a bit of the school year.
Help customers choose jewelry, pierce ears, open and close out register, set up displays.

General sales associate example responsibilities.

Supervise women's department, manage jewelry department, assist customers on finalizing purchases
Exhibit rudimentary math skills and advance communication skills when efficiently cashiering in a fast pace environment.
Perform minor repairs on Kohl's jewelry like changing watch batteries and removing watch links.

Store sales associate vs general sales associate skills

Common store sales associate skills

Sales Floor, 20%
POS, 10%
Product Knowledge, 10%
Store Sales, 8%
Customer Service, 6%
Stock Room, 5%

Common general sales associate skills

POS, 15%
Work Ethic, 14%
Food Preparation, 11%
PowerPoint, 10%
Customer Service, 10%
Lead Generation, 9%

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Store Sales Associate
Store Sales Associate vs General Sales Associate

Updated January 8, 2025

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