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The differences between assistant merchandise buyers and assistant buyers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an assistant merchandise buyer, becoming an assistant buyer takes usually requires More than 10 years. Additionally, an assistant merchandise buyer has an average salary of $52,001, which is higher than the $49,586 average annual salary of an assistant buyer.
The top three skills for an assistant merchandise buyer include apparel, kids and purchase orders. The most important skills for an assistant buyer are purchase orders, vendor relations, and customer service.
| Assistant Merchandise Buyer | Assistant Buyer | |
| Yearly salary | $52,001 | $49,586 |
| Hourly rate | $25.00 | $23.84 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 19,740 | 15,090 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 44 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
Assistant merchandise buyers are skilled employees who are responsible for assisting other buyers and managers in purchasing products and maintaining the inventory of their store. These buyers must maintain positive relationships with vendors so that they can negotiate product specifications and prices of merchandise. They must prepare budgets and purchase orders so that they can purchase items and ensure on-time delivery of goods. Assistant merchandise buyers must also perform forecasts on their purchasing trends while compiling reports on the performance and statistics of their existing products.
An assistant buyer participates and assists in the procurement procedures in a retail company. One of their primary responsibilities revolves around selecting products according to company guidelines, handling and organizing purchase orders, and monitoring the budget. An assistant buyer may also have administrative support tasks such as responding to calls and correspondence, preparing paperwork and progress reports, arranging schedules, keeping records of invoices and inventory, and staying updated with trends. Furthermore, an assistant buyer must reach out to new suppliers and engage with vendors to maintain and establish a positive business relationship.
Assistant merchandise buyers and assistant buyers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assistant Merchandise Buyer | Assistant Buyer | |
| Average salary | $52,001 | $49,586 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $66,000 | Between $36,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Gap Inc. | Fashion Nova |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between an assistant merchandise buyer and an assistant buyer in terms of educational background:
| Assistant Merchandise Buyer | Assistant Buyer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Specialized Sales And Merchandising | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities |
Here are the differences between assistant merchandise buyers' and assistant buyers' demographics:
| Assistant Merchandise Buyer | Assistant Buyer | |
| Average age | 44 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 22.1% Female, 77.9% | Male, 23.5% Female, 76.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 5.9% White, 63.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 6.6% White, 75.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 15% |