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The differences between general merchandise clerks and clerks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a general merchandise clerk has an average salary of $34,415, which is higher than the $31,163 average annual salary of a clerk.
The top three skills for a general merchandise clerk include product knowledge, product displays and customer service. The most important skills for a clerk are basic math, math, and data entry.
| General Merchandise Clerk | Clerk | |
| Yearly salary | $34,415 | $31,163 |
| Hourly rate | $16.55 | $14.98 |
| Growth rate | 1% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 137,799 | 80,311 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | Bachelor's Degree, 33% |
| Average age | 38 | 47 |
| Years of experience | - | 2 |
This individual works in the GM section of a store. They interact with customers and assist them as they purchase merchandise. In this role, they are expected to place all special orders and to take stock of all products annually. Other responsibilities of this position include developing merchandise plans and ensuring they are compliant with quality standards. They may also have to evaluate merchandise and ensure credit payments are accurate.
Clerks are responsible for many of the general administrative tasks in the office. They are in charge of manning office telephone lines, managing incoming and outgoing mails, filing paperwork and other needed records, scheduling and documenting meetings, typing out documents when needed, disseminating memos and other official announcements, and keeping an inventory of office equipment and supplies. Clerks should have good office skills, communication skills, business writing skills, and time management skills. They should also be able to treat any document or paperwork they handle with confidentiality.
General merchandise clerks and clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.
| General Merchandise Clerk | Clerk | |
| Average salary | $34,415 | $31,163 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $42,000 | Between $24,000 And $39,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | - | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | - | University of Massachusetts Boston |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a general merchandise clerk and a clerk in terms of educational background:
| General Merchandise Clerk | Clerk | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | Bachelor's Degree, 33% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between general merchandise clerks' and clerks' demographics:
| General Merchandise Clerk | Clerk | |
| Average age | 38 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 50.2% Female, 49.8% | Male, 34.1% Female, 65.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.5% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 23.0% Asian, 5.9% White, 56.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 21.1% Asian, 7.7% White, 55.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |