General merchandise clerk vs merchandise handler

The differences between general merchandise clerks and merchandise handlers 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 $31,855 average annual salary of a merchandise handler.

The top three skills for a general merchandise clerk include product knowledge, product displays and customer service. The most important skills for a merchandise handler are basic math, math, and pallets.

General merchandise clerk vs merchandise handler overview

	General Merchandise Clerk	Merchandise Handler
Yearly salary	$34,415	$31,855
Hourly rate	$16.55	$15.31
Growth rate	1%	6%
Number of jobs	137,799	47,657
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	High School Diploma, 43%
Average age	38	40
Years of experience	-	-

What does a general merchandise clerk do?

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.

What does a merchandise handler do?

A merchandise handler deals with inventory and merchandise for shipment to ecommerce customers. This position requires familiarity with all computer technology used in processing the merchandise. The duties of this position are accurately recording the movement of merchandise, operating merchandise handling equipment, confirming the quantity of inventory, and handling the merchandise with care to avoid damage. They also need to ensure the customer has quality experience with every order.

General merchandise clerk vs merchandise handler salary

General merchandise clerks and merchandise handlers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	General Merchandise Clerk	Merchandise Handler
Average salary	$34,415	$31,855
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $42,000	Between $26,000 And $37,000
Highest paying City	-	Taunton, MA
Highest paying state	-	Hawaii
Best paying company	-	The RealReal
Best paying industry	-	Retail

Differences between general merchandise clerk and merchandise handler education

There are a few differences between a general merchandise clerk and a merchandise handler in terms of educational background:

	General Merchandise Clerk	Merchandise Handler
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	High School Diploma, 43%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

General merchandise clerk vs merchandise handler demographics

Here are the differences between general merchandise clerks' and merchandise handlers' demographics:

	General Merchandise Clerk	Merchandise Handler
Average age	38	40
Gender ratio	Male, 50.2% Female, 49.8%	Male, 60.3% Female, 39.7%
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, 12.0% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 20.8% Asian, 5.9% White, 54.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	6%	5%

Differences between general merchandise clerk and merchandise handler duties and responsibilities

General merchandise clerk example responsibilities.

Provide great customer service while effectively bagging groceries.
Collect all carts from outside help cashiers bag groceries for customers and sometimes help the customers take groceries to their car.
Execute grain futures orders for special accounts that require extraordinary attention to detail as well as personalized service.
Work in almost every department in the Kroger store.

Merchandise handler example responsibilities.

Clean and maintain the warehouse in compliance with OSHA standards.
Make visual evaluations and floor moves while maintaining OSHA guidelines.
Process incoming merchandise shipments by unpacking products, moving items in WMS, steaming clothing, and stocking shelves.
Transport pallets to where they need to go in the store to insure products are stocked up properly for customer needs.
Distribute production materials to designate locations on assembly lines observing the first-in-first-out (FIFO) inventory control practice.
Greet customers while bagging their groceries, collect carts in parking lot, put away return items, general sanitation.

General merchandise clerk vs merchandise handler skills

Common general merchandise clerk skills

Product Knowledge, 44%
Product Displays, 20%
Customer Service, 9%
Stock Shelves, 6%
Sales Floor, 3%
Math, 3%

Common merchandise handler skills

Basic Math, 21%
Math, 17%
Pallets, 11%
Hand Tools, 10%
Purchase Orders, 6%
Hand Trucks, 6%

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Office and Administrative Industry
General Merchandise Clerk
General Merchandise Clerk vs Merchandise Handler

Updated January 8, 2025

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