Fashion buyer vs merchandiser

The differences between fashion buyers and merchandisers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a fashion buyer has an average salary of $56,120, which is higher than the $31,051 average annual salary of a merchandiser.

The top three skills for a fashion buyer include vendor relations, gross margin and market trends. The most important skills for a merchandiser are customer service, PET, and pallets.

Fashion buyer vs merchandiser overview

	Fashion Buyer	Merchandiser
Yearly salary	$56,120	$31,051
Hourly rate	$26.98	$14.93
Growth rate	-	1%
Number of jobs	15,688	109,447
Job satisfaction	-	4.4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 33%
Average age	44	38
Years of experience	4	-

Fashion buyer vs merchandiser salary

Fashion buyers and merchandisers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Fashion Buyer	Merchandiser
Average salary	$56,120	$31,051
Salary range	Between $40,000 And $78,000	Between $24,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	-	Richmond, CA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Microsoft
Best paying industry	-	Education

Differences between fashion buyer and merchandiser education

There are a few differences between a fashion buyer and a merchandiser in terms of educational background:

	Fashion Buyer	Merchandiser
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 33%
Most common major	Specialized Sales And Merchandising	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	-

Fashion buyer vs merchandiser demographics

Here are the differences between fashion buyers' and merchandisers' demographics:

	Fashion Buyer	Merchandiser
Average age	44	38
Gender ratio	Male, 15.5% Female, 84.5%	Male, 58.0% Female, 42.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 5.7% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.7% Asian, 6.4% White, 57.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	9%	6%

Differences between fashion buyer and merchandiser duties and responsibilities

Fashion 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.
React to update OTB, markdowns and other financial markers on a regular basis.
Evaluate sales records and inventory levels to determine appropriate product requirements for a wide variety of automotive and industrial commodities.
Originate BOM structure for production operations.

Merchandiser example responsibilities.

Consult customers on Scotts products and educate them concerning the advantage and benefits over competitive products.
Manage jewelry stock and inventory balances accurately.
Manage backroom/stock room inventory by organizing pallets, stacking and storing product inventory.
Google Adwords, SEO, etc.
Carry items up and down ladders.
Climb and work on ladders frequently.

Fashion buyer vs merchandiser skills

Common fashion buyer skills

Vendor Relations, 14%
Gross Margin, 11%
Market Trends, 11%
Vendor Communication, 10%
Product Selection, 9%
Payment Terms, 5%

Common merchandiser skills

Customer Service, 20%
PET, 8%
Pallets, 5%
Back Room, 5%
POS, 5%
Sales Floor, 4%