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Associate buyer vs assistant merchandise buyer

The differences between associate buyers and assistant merchandise buyers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an associate buyer and an assistant merchandise buyer. Additionally, an assistant merchandise buyer has an average salary of $52,001, which is higher than the $49,963 average annual salary of an associate buyer.

The top three skills for an associate buyer include customer service, purchase orders and math. The most important skills for an assistant merchandise buyer are apparel, kids, and purchase orders.

Associate buyer vs assistant merchandise buyer overview

Associate BuyerAssistant Merchandise Buyer
Yearly salary$49,963$52,001
Hourly rate$24.02$25.00
Growth rate--
Number of jobs14,94219,740
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 75%Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Average age4444
Years of experience44

What does an associate buyer do?

An Associate Buyer maintains and keeps records of the inventory and disburses the different materials as required by the departments or personnel. The Associate Buyer reports to the Buyer or Senior Buyer.

What does an assistant merchandise buyer do?

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.

Associate buyer vs assistant merchandise buyer salary

Associate buyers and assistant merchandise buyers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Associate BuyerAssistant Merchandise Buyer
Average salary$49,963$52,001
Salary rangeBetween $36,000 And $68,000Between $40,000 And $66,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NYSan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateNew YorkAlaska
Best paying companyVFGap Inc.
Best paying industryTechnologyRetail

Differences between associate buyer and assistant merchandise buyer education

There are a few differences between an associate buyer and an assistant merchandise buyer in terms of educational background:

Associate BuyerAssistant Merchandise Buyer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 75%Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Most common majorBusinessSpecialized Sales And Merchandising
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Associate buyer vs assistant merchandise buyer demographics

Here are the differences between associate buyers' and assistant merchandise buyers' demographics:

Associate BuyerAssistant Merchandise Buyer
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 31.8% Female, 68.2%Male, 22.1% Female, 77.9%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 6.0% White, 63.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%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%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between associate buyer and assistant merchandise buyer duties and responsibilities

Associate buyer example responsibilities.

  • Define and manage sales, markdowns, inventories (OTB plans) achieving financial objectives for all years in position.
  • Manage numerous RFP processes for the non-technology services.
  • Support include identifying and qualifying vendors, manage process for select RFP's and assist with bid assessments.
  • Work closely with planner and buyer to manage OTB and determine when to maximize business and when to protect liabilities.
  • Manage and develop successful relationships with top luxury watch and jewelry brands.
  • Coordinate and provide direction to inventory teams by managing product placement, open-to-buy, and logistics.
    • Show more

Assistant merchandise buyer example responsibilities.

  • Manage open-to-buy to ensure continual flow of merchandise to stores and warehouses with careful attention to advertise events and promotions.
  • Partner with site merchandiser to execute sales and POS events.
  • Work closely with the logistics department and internal warehouse to coordinate just in time deliveries and maintain daily inventory reconciliation.
  • Verify store numbers, vendor files, UPCS, descriptions and size information against AS400 information.

Associate buyer vs assistant merchandise buyer skills

Common associate buyer skills
  • Customer Service, 16%
  • Purchase Orders, 15%
  • Math, 5%
  • Vendor Relations, 5%
  • Logistics, 3%
  • Market Trends, 3%
Common assistant merchandise buyer skills
  • Apparel, 9%
  • Kids, 6%
  • Purchase Orders, 6%
  • Math, 6%
  • Historical Data, 5%
  • Promotional Strategies, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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