General merchandiser vs general sales associate

The differences between general merchandisers and general sales associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a general merchandiser has an average salary of $30,372, which is higher than the $29,328 average annual salary of a general sales associate.

The top three skills for a general merchandiser include sales floor, inventory management and back room. The most important skills for a general sales associate are POS, work ethic, and food preparation.

General merchandiser vs general sales associate overview

	General Merchandiser	General Sales Associate
Yearly salary	$30,372	$29,328
Hourly rate	$14.60	$14.10
Growth rate	1%	-
Number of jobs	213,261	383,009
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age	38	41
Years of experience	-	-

What does a general merchandiser do?

A General Merchandiser creates displays and promotes the products and services in retail stores. Among their primary duties and responsibilities include shelf placement strategies and in-store displays for maximum product exposure to potential customers. They train staff to carry out their tasks in the merchandise store effectively. As the brain of almost every decision in retail chains, merchandisers ensure every customer the best experience they can get while shopping.

What does a general sales associate do?

The job of a general sales associate is to provide great customer service and increase the revenue of a business. They sell products and services and help customers find the right product. Depending on the retail store, their responsibilities may involve organizing store shelves, answering customers' questions, ringing up purchases, operating the cash register, and greeting customers. They may also be expected to take full charge of the managing of all financial transactions and balancing drawers.

General merchandiser vs general sales associate salary

General merchandisers and general sales associates have different pay scales, as shown below.

	General Merchandiser	General Sales Associate
Average salary	$30,372	$29,328
Salary range	Between $20,000 And $45,000	Between $21,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	-	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	-	Hawaii
Best paying company	-	Kaufman Dolowich & Voluck
Best paying industry	-	Automotive

Differences between general merchandiser and general sales associate education

There are a few differences between a general merchandiser and a general sales associate in terms of educational background:

	General Merchandiser	General Sales Associate
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

General merchandiser vs general sales associate demographics

Here are the differences between general merchandisers' and general sales associates' demographics:

	General Merchandiser	General Sales Associate
Average age	38	41
Gender ratio	Male, 53.9% Female, 46.1%	Male, 60.2% Female, 39.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 21.0% Asian, 6.4% White, 58.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 7.2% White, 58.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	6%	7%

Differences between general merchandiser and general sales associate duties and responsibilities

General merchandiser example responsibilities.

Manage jewelry stock and inventory balances accurately.
Control inventory and compute pricing and enter inventory in the POS system.
Maintain a sterile and clean work environment and used daily math conversions.
Pack and fulfill web orders, setup pick-ups for delivery with FedEx.
Monitor and update price tags using POS program to make tags as needed for sales demands.
Send out transfers with packing lists, labels using Fedex and getting ready to have it send out.

General sales associate example responsibilities.

Supervise women's department, manage jewelry department, assist customers on finalizing purchases
Exhibit rudimentary math skills and advance communication skills when efficiently cashiering in a fast pace environment.
Perform minor repairs on Kohl's jewelry like changing watch batteries and removing watch links.

General merchandiser vs general sales associate skills

Common general merchandiser skills

Sales Floor, 60%
Inventory Management, 21%
Back Room, 6%
Stock Merchandise, 5%
Product Knowledge, 3%
Working Independently, 1%

Common general sales associate skills

POS, 15%
Work Ethic, 14%
Food Preparation, 11%
PowerPoint, 10%
Customer Service, 10%
Lead Generation, 9%

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General Merchandiser
General Merchandiser vs General Sales Associate

Updated January 8, 2025

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