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The differences between merchandise analysts and analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a merchandise analyst, becoming an analyst takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an analyst has an average salary of $73,007, which is higher than the $67,933 average annual salary of a merchandise analyst.
The top three skills for a merchandise analyst include powerpoint, SQL and data analysis. The most important skills for an analyst are customer service, troubleshoot, and data analysis.
| Merchandise Analyst | Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $67,933 | $73,007 |
| Hourly rate | $32.66 | $35.10 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 38,127 | 253,138 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 83% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 37 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A merchandise analyst is an individual who monitors inventory levels while following and charting the profits and sales of a store or company. Merchandise analysts are required to identify appropriate industry and product categories so that they can focus on maximizing the business of each store. They must review and analyze weekly advertisement results with team members to meet their sales goals as well as identify causes of high carryover and methods for reduction. Merchandise analysts must also use data analysis to identify markets and fine-tune merchandise.
Analysts are employees or individual contributors with a vast experience in a particular field that help the organization address challenges. They help the organization improve processes, policies, and other operations protocol by studying the current processes in place and determining the effectiveness of those processes. They also research industry trends and data to make sound inferences and recommendations on what the company should do to improve their numbers. Analysts recommend business solutions and often help the organization roll out these solutions. They ensure that the proposed action plans are effective and produce the desired results.
Merchandise analysts and analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Merchandise Analyst | Analyst | |
| Average salary | $67,933 | $73,007 |
| Salary range | Between $49,000 And $92,000 | Between $53,000 And $99,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Macy's | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Technology |
There are a few differences between a merchandise analyst and an analyst in terms of educational background:
| Merchandise Analyst | Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 83% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between merchandise analysts' and analysts' demographics:
| Merchandise Analyst | Analyst | |
| Average age | 37 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 36.6% Female, 63.4% | Male, 52.4% Female, 47.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 10.7% White, 66.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 7.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 8.5% Asian, 14.3% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 12% |