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The differences between store sales associates and sales specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a store sales associate, becoming a sales specialist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a sales specialist has an average salary of $53,004, which is higher than the $30,284 average annual salary of a store sales associate.
The top three skills for a store sales associate include sales floor, POS and product knowledge. The most important skills for a sales specialist are building relationships, customer complaints, and customer orders.
| Store Sales Associate | Sales Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $30,284 | $53,004 |
| Hourly rate | $14.56 | $25.48 |
| Growth rate | - | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 524,877 | 324,069 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 43 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
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.
A sales specialist is responsible for offering the best goods and services to customers in order to boost the company's sales. Sales specialists also promote strategies and solutions to contribute to the company's growth and profitability. A sales specialist must have extensive knowledge of the current market trends and the best sales skills to perform marketing tasks. Sales specialists should have excellent communication and customer service skills to assist existing and potential clients with their inquiries and concerns.
Store sales associates and sales specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Store Sales Associate | Sales Specialist | |
| Average salary | $30,284 | $53,004 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $39,000 | Between $30,000 And $91,000 |
| Highest paying City | Elizabeth, NJ | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Rooms To Go | VMware |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | - |
There are a few differences between a store sales associate and a sales specialist in terms of educational background:
| Store Sales Associate | Sales Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | SUNY College of Technology at Delhi | SUNY College of Technology at Alfred |
Here are the differences between store sales associates' and sales specialists' demographics:
| Store Sales Associate | Sales Specialist | |
| Average age | 43 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 40.7% Female, 59.3% | Male, 55.1% Female, 44.9% |
| 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, 3.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 5.1% White, 72.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 6% |