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The differences between inventory specialists and inventory associates 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 $30,067 average annual salary of an inventory associate.
The top three skills for an inventory specialist include customer service, sales floor and reservations. The most important skills for an inventory associate are ladders, strong work ethic, and work ethic.
| Inventory Specialist | Inventory Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $35,752 | $30,067 |
| Hourly rate | $17.19 | $14.46 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 161,107 | 184,462 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 33% | High School Diploma, 42% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
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.
An inventory associate is responsible for monitoring inventory supplies, ensuring that the supplies are adequate for customers' orders and business' needs. Inventory associates manage order sheets and record inventory reports, check items for possible defects, prepare merchandise for shipment, inspect delivered inventory supplies and return damaged items, organize shelves, and operate basic warehouse equipment. An inventory associate must have strong analytical and data entry skills to input inventory records in the system efficiently and accurately.
Inventory specialists and inventory associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Inventory Specialist | Inventory Associate | |
| Average salary | $35,752 | $30,067 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $49,000 | Between $24,000 And $37,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Washington |
| Best paying company | Ensign Energy | Phillips 66 |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between an inventory specialist and an inventory associate in terms of educational background:
| Inventory Specialist | Inventory Associate | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 33% | High School Diploma, 42% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between inventory specialists' and inventory associates' demographics:
| Inventory Specialist | Inventory Associate | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 58.9% Female, 41.1% | Male, 59.5% Female, 40.5% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 19.6% Asian, 7.1% White, 56.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |