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The differences between assistant merchandise buyers and merchandise coordinators 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 a merchandise coordinator takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an assistant merchandise buyer has an average salary of $52,001, which is higher than the $36,658 average annual salary of a merchandise coordinator.
The top three skills for an assistant merchandise buyer include apparel, kids and purchase orders. The most important skills for a merchandise coordinator are cleanliness, sales floor, and merchandise presentation.
| Assistant Merchandise Buyer | Merchandise Coordinator | |
| Yearly salary | $52,001 | $36,658 |
| Hourly rate | $25.00 | $17.62 |
| Growth rate | - | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 19,740 | 23,637 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 44 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
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.
A merchandise coordinator is responsible for monitoring the adequacy of supply inventory, creating purchase requests, and confirming the proper labeling of products. Merchandise coordinators assist with the creative arrangement of product displays, moving merchandise to the appropriate store section, informing the customers of the promotional products and discount offers, responding to the customers' inquiries and concerns, evaluating feature products' sales reports, and resolving customer complaints. A merchandise coordinator must have excellent communication and organizational skills, following store procedures and safety regulations at all times during the operational shift.
Assistant merchandise buyers and merchandise coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assistant Merchandise Buyer | Merchandise Coordinator | |
| Average salary | $52,001 | $36,658 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $66,000 | Between $29,000 And $45,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | North Kingstown, RI |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Gap Inc. | New Era Cap |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Media |
There are a few differences between an assistant merchandise buyer and a merchandise coordinator in terms of educational background:
| Assistant Merchandise Buyer | Merchandise Coordinator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Specialized Sales And Merchandising | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between assistant merchandise buyers' and merchandise coordinators' demographics:
| Assistant Merchandise Buyer | Merchandise Coordinator | |
| Average age | 44 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 22.1% Female, 77.9% | Male, 27.6% Female, 72.4% |
| 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, 8.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 6.9% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |