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The differences between associate designers and visual merchandisers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an associate designer has an average salary of $56,770, which is higher than the $38,037 average annual salary of a visual merchandiser.
The top three skills for an associate designer include sketch, CAD and customer service. The most important skills for a visual merchandiser are customer service, ladders, and sales floor.
| Associate Designer | Visual Merchandiser | |
| Yearly salary | $56,770 | $38,037 |
| Hourly rate | $27.29 | $18.29 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 47,571 | 74,351 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 38 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 12 | - |
An Associate Designer helps in developing sketches on paper and in graphic design software. They usually are supervised by the junior staff and interns.
A visual merchandiser is responsible for arranging product displays at retail outlets, attracting customers to purchase the items. Visual merchandisers should be updated with the latest trends in the market to prioritize retail displays and floor plans. They must also be knowledgeable on product information to assist customers with their inquiries and concerns. Visual merchandisers should be creative in setting up the uniformity of the store's visuals within the budget goals. The designs must be appealing enough to drive the customers around the premises, potentially generating revenues and increasing profitability.
Associate designers and visual merchandisers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Associate Designer | Visual Merchandiser | |
| Average salary | $56,770 | $38,037 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $80,000 | Between $27,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New York |
| Best paying company | Apple | RH |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Retail |
There are a few differences between an associate designer and a visual merchandiser in terms of educational background:
| Associate Designer | Visual Merchandiser | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Specialized Sales And Merchandising |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | - |
Here are the differences between associate designers' and visual merchandisers' demographics:
| Associate Designer | Visual Merchandiser | |
| Average age | 38 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 34.8% Female, 65.2% | Male, 27.3% Female, 72.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 10.4% White, 70.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.8% Asian, 5.3% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 17% |