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The differences between merchandise coordinators and key holders can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a merchandise coordinator and a key holder. Additionally, a merchandise coordinator has an average salary of $36,658, which is higher than the $31,779 average annual salary of a key holder.
The top three skills for a merchandise coordinator include cleanliness, sales floor and merchandise presentation. The most important skills for a key holder are sales floor, product knowledge, and visual standards.
| Merchandise Coordinator | Key Holder | |
| Yearly salary | $36,658 | $31,779 |
| Hourly rate | $17.62 | $15.28 |
| Growth rate | 10% | -6% |
| Number of jobs | 23,637 | 431,956 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | High School Diploma, 35% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A merchandise coordinator is responsible for monitoring the adequacy of supply inventory, creating purchase requests, and confirming the proper labeling of products. Merchandise coordinators assist with the creative arrangement of product displays, moving merchandise to the appropriate store section, informing the customers of the promotional products and discount offers, responding to the customers' inquiries and concerns, evaluating feature products' sales reports, and resolving customer complaints. A merchandise coordinator must have excellent communication and organizational skills, following store procedures and safety regulations at all times during the operational shift.
A keyholder is responsible for ensuring the store's daily security before and after the operation. Keyholders' duties include assisting with administrative tasks, handling customers' inquiries, managing and escalating customers' complaints, monitoring the alarm system, keeping track of the deliveries, supporting staff training, cooperating in company's events, and recommending operational strategies to meet business goals and objectives. A keyholder must have excellent customer service and time-management skills, as well as the ability to multi-task, especially during high customer volume.
Merchandise coordinators and key holders have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Merchandise Coordinator | Key Holder | |
| Average salary | $36,658 | $31,779 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $45,000 | Between $25,000 And $39,000 |
| Highest paying City | North Kingstown, RI | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Wisconsin |
| Best paying company | New Era Cap | Connecticut Children's Medical Center |
| Best paying industry | Media | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a merchandise coordinator and a key holder in terms of educational background:
| Merchandise Coordinator | Key Holder | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | High School Diploma, 35% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | SUNY College of Technology at Delhi |
Here are the differences between merchandise coordinators' and key holders' demographics:
| Merchandise Coordinator | Key Holder | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 27.6% Female, 72.4% | Male, 28.1% Female, 71.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 6.9% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 6.6% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |