Store worker vs store sales associate

The differences between store workers and store 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 $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 store sales associate are sales floor, POS, and product knowledge.

Store worker vs store sales associate overview

	Store Worker	Store Sales Associate
Yearly salary	$26,528	$30,284
Hourly rate	$12.75	$14.56
Growth rate	6%	-
Number of jobs	60,185	524,877
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age	40	43
Years of experience	-	6

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 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.

Store worker vs store sales associate salary

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

	Store Worker	Store Sales Associate
Average salary	$26,528	$30,284
Salary range	Between $17,000 And $39,000	Between $23,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Elizabeth, NJ
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	New Jersey
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	Rooms To Go
Best paying industry	Retail	Hospitality

Differences between store worker and store sales associate education

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

	Store Worker	Store Sales Associate
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	SUNY College of Technology at Delhi

Store worker vs store sales associate demographics

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

	Store Worker	Store Sales Associate
Average age	40	43
Gender ratio	Male, 59.3% Female, 40.7%	Male, 40.7% Female, 59.3%
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, 8.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 6.9% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	5%	9%

Differences between store worker and store sales 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.

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.

Store worker vs store sales 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 store sales associate skills

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

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Transportation Industry
Store Worker
Store Worker vs Store Sales Associate

Updated January 8, 2025

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