The salary and earning of a retail sales associate is largely dependent on the kind of employer, the industry that they work in the geographical location, the years of experience and the skills and abilities that they pick up on the job.

• The average salary of a retail sales associate inclusive of overtime, commission, bonus and profit sharing is in the range between $ 15,468 and $ 30,616.

• Years of Experience

• Experience of less than one year the salary range is between $ 11,635 and $ 45,958 and the hourly wage range is between $ 7.20 and $ 10.01.
• Experience between one to four years the salary range is between $ 14,589 and $ 45,615 and the hourly wage range is between $ 7.34 and $ 11.35
• Experience between five to nine years the salary range is between $ 17,380 and $ 51,369 and the hourly wage range is between $ 7.71 and $ 13.65.
• Experience between ten to nineteen years the salary range is between $ 18,578 and $ 71,333 and the hourly wage range is between $ 7.86 and $ 15.67.
• Experience of more than twenty years the salary range is between $ 17,345 and $ 70,772 and the hourly wage range is between $7.69 and $ 16.16.

• Employer Name
  • Verizon Wireless pays their retail sales associate an annual salary in the range between $ 23,068 and 53,605 and the hourly wage range is between $8.65 and $ 14.40.
  • Macy’s, Inc. pays their retail sales associate an annual salary in the range between $ 17,415 and $ 27,000 and the hourly wage range is between $7.32 and $ 10.87.
  • Radio Shack Corp. pays their retail sales associate an annual salary in the range between $ 13,500 and $ 19,600 and the hourly wage range is between $7.10 and $ 8.75.
  • Nordstrom, Inc. pays their retail sales associate an annual salary in the range between $ 18,000 and $ 45,000 and the hourly wage range is between $9.15 and $ 16.23.
  • Sears Holdings Corporation pays their retail sales associatean annual salary in the range between $ 15,000 and $ 40,000 and the hourly wage range is between $5.99 and $ 10.32.
  • Saks Fifth Avenue pays their retail sales associate an annual salary in the range between $ 27,000 and $ 70,000.

• Industry
  • Retail consumer electronics industry pay their retail sales associate an annual salary range between $ 14,705, and $ 48,784.
  • Retail industry pay their retail sales associate an annual salary range between $ 16,483 and $ 6,977.
  • Furniture, home furnishings industry pays their retail sales associate an annual salary range between $ 17,680 and $ 61,042.
  • Wireless Technology industry pay their retail sales associate an annual salary range between $ 18,315 and $ 45,958.
  • Retail, department stores industry pays their retail sales associate an annual salary range between $ 12,164 and $ 48,722.
  • Fine jewellery industry pay their retail sales associate an annual salary range between $ 24,566 and $ 50,000.
  • Auto/car dealership industry pays their retail sales associate an annual salary range between $ 22,800 and 96,000.

retail sales associate get all the benefits and perk that are prevalent in the industry as well as general health benefits of medical, dental and vision.

There are more females than males in this profession and the females outstrip the males by a ratio of 61% to 39% and the hourly wage rate received by a female is in the range between $ 7.88 and $ 10.19 and their male counterparts get in the range between $ 8.09 and $ 10.07.

Skill and Abilities Required for the Job

The job of an sales associate is a people’s and service oriented job which requires good skills for selling products.

• Thorough knowledge of the product that a sales associate is selling is of the utmost necessity. They should have an interest to know more about the product and also of the competitor’s product.
• Must have a genuine liking for people and must be able to interact with them in a friendly and courteous manner.
• Must have lots of patience and a kind of professionalism in selling the products that they are entrusted with.
• Must have good communication skills for interacting with both customers as well as co-workers.
• Must have the ability to be a team player and be able to meet targets and assignments given.
• Knowing more than one language is definitely a plus point when selling products.
• Knowledge of computers and the ability to work with software designed for inventory management and billing systems would be an advantage.
• Must have reasonable physical strength to move merchandise about as well as stand for long hours.
• Must be willing to work all hours and especially weekends and holidays.

Duties and Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities of a retail sales associate are manifold and depends on the kind of place that they work in. Below are given certain general duties that a retail sales associate would have to perform in their day to day work.

• Attending to a customer, greeting them, making them comfortable and building a strong loyal clientele for the place that they work in.
• They should know what merchandise is available on the floor where they work and help the customer in locating the item. If it’s not available, then make it available to the customer within a reasonable period of time.
• They should guide the customer to the counter for what the customer is looking for and if the customer is a little confused about the article to be purchased, then help them out by making some suggestions and helping them to make up their mind.
• Inform the customer about the warranty and other details of the product.
• Manage the cash register and make the sales invoices
• Accept cash, credit or debit card, coupons, vouchers etc.
• Give the receipt and bag the item.
• Maintenance of records pertaining to the sales.
• Arrange the delivery or mailing of merchandise to the customers.
• Be aware of all the promotions and advertisement on a daily basis.
• Be of help in moving the merchandise, arranging the display and also in the housekeeping jobs.
• Be of help in keeping an inventory of stocks, marking price tags and help in the processing and restocking of the merchandise.
• Be of help in the year end stock taking and regular cycle count.
• Meet the sales target set by the team leader in the time allotted and be able to do all the tasks assigned by the sales manager.
• Must attend the sales training activities and other programs arranged by the management.
• Undertake any other tasks from time to time as assigned by the management.

Certification and Licensure

A license is not required to operate as a sales associate but you can gain a certification to show competence and skills that are required in the field.

• The National Professional Certification in Sales is an industry driven and endorsed by the retail industry which helps employers find competent and qualified sales professionals.
  • This certification was intended to give the candidates knowhow of core sales duties for entry level through first line supervisory position which is required by the sales and service industries. Anyone interested in making a career in retail and other saes related jobs can pursue this certification.
  • To sit for this certification one is required to first undergo a 75 questions online assessment certification in National Professional Certification in Customer service and this assessment must be proctored.

Educational Requirement

There is not much of formal education that is required for this job. Young people in school during their school vacations also take up this job. The training for this job is provided after the person joins the sales team.

• Employers prefer that the applicant is at least a high school or equivalent diploma holder.
• A bachelor’s degree could be a requirement if the candidate wants to advance to management trainee position, particularly in bigger retail establishments.
• Most sales associates receive on the job training which can last from a few days to a few weeks or months.
• This training is imparted by a senior experienced employee in a smaller store while in larger establishments the training is more formal and could spread over several days.
• The basis of most training is on security, customer service, policies and procedures and handling of cash registers.
• Depending on the product that the store or department of the store is selling certain specialised training could be imparted. In the cosmetic section for example they are taught about the various products that are stocked and training is given about what products could suit which customer.
• Giving the best service is the major concern of any store owner and hence periodic training is given to update and refine the skills of even the seasoned sales associate.

About Retail Sales Associate

Retail stores are places where mostly any saleable items from a pin to automobiles are sold to the common public in small corner stores or big sprawling departmental stores or in big lots. To help in the sales of these items retail sales associate are hired. They offer courteous and quality service to the buyers who walk into their store. They help customers in finding what they are looking for as they are well versed in the articles that the store holds. They have to make the customer feel a sense of comfort when visiting the store. They greet customers and make them feel welcome, pointing them towards the goods that they require and showing them various varieties that the store has to offer. They try to increase the sales of their store by offering the customer a detailed description of the goods that are being sold, for example an automobile sales associate would point out the advantageous features of the automobile they are selling, the options that they can avail for their payment, financing that can be offered, the distinctive features as specified by the manufacturer. They can make a sale by emphasising the uses of the product that they are selling, for instance the various useful features of a vacuum cleaner or a washing machine and how it would cut down on the work load as well as the time. They can also point out its value.

In addition to the sales that they make they have the additional duty of adding up the sales, accepting the different modes of payment such as cash, credit or debit cards and coupons. They have to ring in the register and at the time of closing add up the cash, and other modes of payment such as coupons or exchange vouchers. They would also need to open the register and deposit the cash at the cash office. This duty is mostly performed by the cashier but in some stores they may have this additional function. People who work in exclusive stores or stores that sell expensive items would need to have extra skills such as a jewellery store.

The environment of the workplace of retail sales associate is generally a neat and clean one, but in this business one has to stand for long hours and they cannot leave their floor without the sales manager or floor supervisor’s permission. They would have to work long hours and during holidays the hours could be longer. People in this profession can either work full time or part time. They have to be aware of all security risks and on finding something amiss or a theft they have to immediately inform their security personnel or the police as per the norms laid down by the store where they work.