Merchandise analyst vs product analyst

The differences between merchandise analysts and product 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 a product analyst takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a product analyst has an average salary of $79,316, 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 a product analyst are tableau, data analysis, and product management.

Merchandise analyst vs product analyst overview

	Merchandise Analyst	Product Analyst
Yearly salary	$67,933	$79,316
Hourly rate	$32.66	$38.13
Growth rate	19%	11%
Number of jobs	38,127	176,369
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 83%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Average age	37	44
Years of experience	6	4

What does a merchandise analyst do?

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.

What does a product analyst do?

A product analyst job utilizes data analysis software and notates trends in market research. Primarily, analysts project the costs of product development and marketing. They think of the possibilities for profit and sales and monitor the performance of products on the market to come up with a better product. Their responsibilities include company product evaluation, product understanding, and product rating reviews. Familiarity with Microsoft Office Suite, strong communication skills, and proficiency in database software is necessary for this job.

Merchandise analyst vs product analyst salary

Merchandise analysts and product analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Merchandise Analyst	Product Analyst
Average salary	$67,933	$79,316
Salary range	Between $49,000 And $92,000	Between $56,000 And $111,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	Washington	Washington
Best paying company	Macy's	Meta
Best paying industry	Retail	Technology

Differences between merchandise analyst and product analyst education

There are a few differences between a merchandise analyst and a product analyst in terms of educational background:

	Merchandise Analyst	Product Analyst
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 83%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Georgia	University of Georgia

Merchandise analyst vs product analyst demographics

Here are the differences between merchandise analysts' and product analysts' demographics:

	Merchandise Analyst	Product Analyst
Average age	37	44
Gender ratio	Male, 36.6% Female, 63.4%	Male, 53.2% Female, 46.8%
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, 7.6% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.5% Asian, 14.6% White, 64.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	10%	12%

Differences between merchandise analyst and product analyst duties and responsibilities

Merchandise analyst example responsibilities.

Manage a team of allocation analysts who distribute fashion jewelry to more than a thousand stores
Analyze and forecast sales, manage inventory levels and determine distribution strategy to all Marshalls stores.
Manage and maintain the OTB for specific departments by preparing forecasts, evaluating performance, and maximizing profitability while minimizing liabilities.
Allocate product to the appropriate stores using JDA system.
Analyze and allocate for women's intimate apparel, and accessories.
Analyze historical POS to create seasonal profiles for all items, allowing the system to more efficiently predict seasonal trends.

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Product analyst example responsibilities.

Manage CRM development teams in India.
Use the SoapUI tool to automate the API calls relate to the corresponding UI functions.
Document test procedures to ensure reliability and compliance with standards using JIRA to report and manage bugs.
Work as a team to manage a student-run portfolio by researching and debating various securities for the benefit of the fund.
Manage inventory and supervise site payroll and invoice processing.
Lead architecture, design and development of a customize financial analytics solution.

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Merchandise analyst vs product analyst skills

Common merchandise analyst skills

PowerPoint, 14%
SQL, 8%
Data Analysis, 7%
Digital Marketing, 5%
Gross Profit, 5%
Logistics, 4%

Common product analyst skills

Tableau, 7%
Data Analysis, 6%
Product Management, 6%
Product Development, 5%
PowerPoint, 5%
Project Management, 5%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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