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The differences between support associates and associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an associate has an average salary of $69,556, which is higher than the $47,039 average annual salary of a support associate.
The top three skills for a support associate include sales floor, computer system and POS. The most important skills for an associate are customer service, sales floor, and patients.
| Support Associate | Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $47,039 | $69,556 |
| Hourly rate | $22.61 | $33.44 |
| Growth rate | 10% | - |
| Number of jobs | 100,892 | 569,041 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | - |
The primary role of sales support associates is to help sales staff and customers during the sales process. A sales support associate also performs other tasks that include maintaining positive customer relations, responding to customers' requests for quotes, information, and specifications, and, initiating contact with prospective customers. They are also responsible for coordinating proposals, sales literature production, and presentations. Requirements for this position include a high school diploma or general education development, administrative and communication skills, and organizational skills.
Associates are typically entry-level positions for employees who are taking on their first job or organizational role. They are assigned to teams or departments that are related to their skills or educational background. They usually start with smaller tasks that may not seem as impactful but are still essential to the department. Associates are trained by more tenured team members on the ins and outs of the department and the organization. As they grow with the organization, they are given more responsibilities that directly impact the results of the department's initiatives as they work towards their goals.
Support associates and associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Support Associate | Associate | |
| Average salary | $47,039 | $69,556 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $83,000 | Between $34,000 And $140,000 |
| Highest paying City | Jersey City, NJ | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New York |
| Best paying company | Apollo Global Management | Simpson Thacher & Bartlett |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a support associate and an associate in terms of educational background:
| Support Associate | Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | - |
Here are the differences between support associates' and associates' demographics:
| Support Associate | Associate | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 36.7% Female, 63.3% | Male, 50.4% Female, 49.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 10.6% White, 56.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 8.3% White, 57.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 7% |