Manufacturer's representative vs merchandising representative

The differences between manufacturer's representatives and merchandising representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a manufacturer's representative and a merchandising representative. Additionally, a manufacturer's representative has an average salary of $57,622, which is higher than the $32,303 average annual salary of a merchandising representative.

The top three skills for a manufacturer's representative include product line, trade shows and distribution channels. The most important skills for a merchandising representative are little supervision, store management, and plan-o-grams.

Manufacturer's representative vs merchandising representative overview

	Manufacturer's Representative	Merchandising Representative
Yearly salary	$57,622	$32,303
Hourly rate	$27.70	$15.53
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	175,503	351,931
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 74%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	4	4

Manufacturer's representative vs merchandising representative salary

Manufacturer's representatives and merchandising representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Manufacturer's Representative	Merchandising Representative
Average salary	$57,622	$32,303
Salary range	Between $36,000 And $91,000	Between $25,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	-	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	-	Maine
Best paying company	-	ECMD
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between manufacturer's representative and merchandising representative education

There are a few differences between a manufacturer's representative and a merchandising representative in terms of educational background:

	Manufacturer's Representative	Merchandising Representative
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 74%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Manufacturer's representative vs merchandising representative demographics

Here are the differences between manufacturer's representatives' and merchandising representatives' demographics:

	Manufacturer's Representative	Merchandising Representative
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 81.0% Female, 19.0%	Male, 47.2% Female, 52.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 13.8% Asian, 5.1% White, 73.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 5.1% White, 73.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between manufacturer's representative and merchandising representative duties and responsibilities

Manufacturer's representative example responsibilities.

Lead consultative sales engagements identifying value and ROI create for the customer through process mapping.
Manage Mid-Atlantic geographic trading area.
Champion certify in windows, entry doors, roofing and siding.
Create packages of equipment to address all aspects of a facility's HVAC needs.
Recognize as an expert in the utilization of SFDC (Salesforce.com) to capture sales process.
Sell products such as metal roofing, energy saving windows, insulate siding and complete kitchen and bathroom remodels.

Merchandising representative example responsibilities.

Manage Nintendo's promotional programs; secure and maintain point-of-purchase displays that alert customers to brand availability.
Update POS promotional materials such as cardboard temporary decorative displays.
Coordinate and administer jewelry entries for industry awards and advertisements in national fashion magazines.
Assist patients with Critical/Triage calls; document necessary symptoms for medical assistants to determine what medical intervention is necessary.
Place IRC on assign products for promotional sales.
Increase sales by installing displays and instant rebate coupons (IRC).

Manufacturer's representative vs merchandising representative skills

Common manufacturer's representative skills

Product Line, 22%
Trade Shows, 8%
Distribution Channels, 8%
General Contractors, 6%
OEM, 5%
State Territory, 5%

Common merchandising representative skills

Little Supervision, 24%
Store Management, 23%
Plan-O-Grams, 13%
Customer Service, 9%
Product Knowledge, 6%
Working Independently, 5%

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Manufacturer's Representative
Manufacturer's Representative vs Merchandising Representative

Updated January 8, 2025

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