Store worker vs freight associate

The differences between store workers and freight associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a freight associate has an average salary of $32,103, which is higher than the $26,528 average annual salary of a store worker.

The top three skills for a store worker include safety rules, strong work ethic and customer service. The most important skills for a freight associate are sales floor, cleanliness, and customer service.

Store worker vs freight associate overview

	Store Worker	Freight Associate
Yearly salary	$26,528	$32,103
Hourly rate	$12.75	$15.43
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	60,185	6,477
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 35%	High School Diploma, 40%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	-	-

What does a store worker do?

A store worker maintains the daily material concerns of a store. They show hospitality to customers and provide assistance in finding products. They also maintain their store by stocking the shelves, maintaining organization, and cleaning. They may also be responsible for ringing up purchases.

What does a freight associate do?

The typical tasks of a freight associate include stocking merchandise on shelves, organizing the sales floor, and providing excellent customer service. Freight associates load and unload trucks and transfer the items from the receiving area to the store. Some of them may operate heavy equipment like forklifts. They may work on the critical functions of equipment for proper maintenance. Also, they maintain the cleanliness of the sales floor and the work area on a regular basis.

Store worker vs freight associate salary

Store workers and freight associates have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Store Worker	Freight Associate
Average salary	$26,528	$32,103
Salary range	Between $17,000 And $39,000	Between $26,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	-
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	-
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	-
Best paying industry	Retail	-

Differences between store worker and freight associate education

There are a few differences between a store worker and a freight associate in terms of educational background:

	Store Worker	Freight Associate
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 35%	High School Diploma, 40%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Store worker vs freight associate demographics

Here are the differences between store workers' and freight associates' demographics:

	Store Worker	Freight Associate
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 59.3% Female, 40.7%	Male, 75.0% Female, 25.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 13.6% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 20.3% Asian, 5.9% White, 53.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%	Black or African American, 13.0% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 20.2% Asian, 6.0% White, 54.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between store worker and freight associate duties and responsibilities

Store worker example responsibilities.

Utilize the POS system for accurate inventory.
Perform first-in, first-out (FIFO) procedures in merchandise storing coolers.
Use cardboard baler, electric hydraulic/hand-operate pallet jacks, weigh scale, POS.
Process debit, credit, checks, WIC, and food stamp transactions.
Ensure product are properly store using FIFO method to prevent loss to the government.
Reconcile cash, checks, money orders, WIC, ATM debits and credit card transactions.

Freight associate example responsibilities.

Operate a wide variety of lift equipment.
Work at the MSP airport sorting and loading air containers to assure proper delivery.
Job duties include receiving and unloading freight, pulling pallets to the floor after separating.
Specialize in use of RF equipment to determine sign needs by fixture for particular ad events.
Stack empty CHEP pallets in racks and regular pallets on dock floor at end of shift.
Perform inventory duties with the RF hand scanner, which include research, outs, and rigs.

Store worker vs freight associate skills

Common store worker skills

Safety Rules, 17%
Strong Work Ethic, 17%
Customer Service, 16%
Stock Shelves, 12%
Basic Math, 9%
Commissary, 5%

Common freight associate skills

Sales Floor, 42%
Cleanliness, 42%
Customer Service, 5%
Sort Merchandise, 3%
Store Merchandise, 2%
Math, 1%

Store Worker vs. similar jobs

Store Worker related careers

Store Worker related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Transportation Industry
Store Worker
Store Worker vs Freight Associate

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse transportation jobs