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Inventory assistant vs inventory specialist

The differences between inventory assistants and inventory specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an inventory specialist has an average salary of $35,752, which is higher than the $35,411 average annual salary of an inventory assistant.

The top three skills for an inventory assistant include customer service, cycle counts and physical inventory. The most important skills for an inventory specialist are customer service, sales floor, and reservations.

Inventory assistant vs inventory specialist overview

Inventory AssistantInventory Specialist
Yearly salary$35,411$35,752
Hourly rate$17.02$17.19
Growth rate1%1%
Number of jobs68,253161,107
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 47%High School Diploma, 33%
Average age3838
Years of experience--

What does an inventory assistant do?

Inventory auditors are responsible for creating and monitoring inventory reports and for recording various products and stock. Often, an inventory auditor works full-time hours in a warehouse, delivery company, business establishment, or mall. Their job includes traveling to different locations, and they may work with multiple industries. They count an item's quantity and compare the inventory record to physical inventory to ensure there is no missing product.

What does an inventory specialist do?

An Inventory Specialist's responsibility is to oversee the inventory in a warehouse or establishment. Most of the tasks of an Inventory Specialist revolve around monitoring the requisition, storage, and deliveries of supplies and merchandise to ensure the quality and quantity of the products. Moreover, the Inventory Specialist also has the responsibility to coordinate with store management when issues arise, train newly hired staff to be a valuable part of the workforce, and provide inventory reports and records to the administration.

Inventory assistant vs inventory specialist salary

Inventory assistants and inventory specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Inventory AssistantInventory Specialist
Average salary$35,411$35,752
Salary rangeBetween $24,000 And $50,000Between $25,000 And $49,000
Highest paying CityBoston, MABoston, MA
Highest paying stateVermontMassachusetts
Best paying companyDana-Farber Cancer InstituteEnsign Energy
Best paying industryTransportationTechnology

Differences between inventory assistant and inventory specialist education

There are a few differences between an inventory assistant and an inventory specialist in terms of educational background:

Inventory AssistantInventory Specialist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 47%High School Diploma, 33%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Inventory assistant vs inventory specialist demographics

Here are the differences between inventory assistants' and inventory specialists' demographics:

Inventory AssistantInventory Specialist
Average age3838
Gender ratioMale, 54.8% Female, 45.2%Male, 58.9% Female, 41.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 21.7% Asian, 6.9% White, 53.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 7.2% White, 57.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between inventory assistant and inventory specialist duties and responsibilities

Inventory assistant example responsibilities.

  • Perform research and data analysis to monitor inventory movement, logistics metrics, and identify and lead process improvement initiatives.
  • Perform scans of merchandise using an RGIS handheld computer to complete inventory audits on retail establishments

Inventory specialist example responsibilities.

  • Manage assign commodities by communicating MRP changes to the suppliers, minimizing obsolete inventory while achieving the optimum inventory targets.
  • Manage JDE ERP module for service department of finish goods for sale and field support.
  • Achieve establish average per hour (APH) counting goals while ensuring accuracy and integrity of the data collect.
  • Used WIS scanners to scan stock and download scanner information to computer.
  • Strategize to balance demand and delivery schedules due to expiration date of perishables.
  • Pick and pack any shipments for the customer and ship them through WMS application.
  • Show more

Inventory assistant vs inventory specialist skills

Common inventory assistant skills
  • Customer Service, 34%
  • Cycle Counts, 14%
  • Physical Inventory, 10%
  • Inventory Control, 6%
  • Data Entry, 5%
  • Inventory Process, 5%
Common inventory specialist skills
  • Customer Service, 26%
  • Sales Floor, 9%
  • Reservations, 7%
  • Pallet Jack, 6%
  • Safety Standards, 5%
  • Strong Analytical, 5%

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