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The differences between merchandise coordinators and management trainees 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 management trainee. Additionally, a management trainee has an average salary of $48,477, which is higher than the $36,658 average annual salary of a merchandise coordinator.
The top three skills for a merchandise coordinator include cleanliness, sales floor and merchandise presentation. The most important skills for a management trainee are enterprise management, management training, and customer service.
| Merchandise Coordinator | Management Trainee | |
| Yearly salary | $36,658 | $48,477 |
| Hourly rate | $17.62 | $23.31 |
| Growth rate | 10% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 23,637 | 88,275 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| 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 management trainee's responsibilities will vary in the assigned industry or department. Most of the time, they function as administrative support where the tasks include processing documents and keeping records, preparing presentations, and analyzing reports. There are also instances when a management trainee must take part in implementing policies, crafting strategies, and observe in handling revenue and budget reports. Furthermore, a management trainee works under the supervision of a manager or supervisor, and it is essential to adhere to all policies and regulations at all times.
Merchandise coordinators and management trainees have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Merchandise Coordinator | Management Trainee | |
| Average salary | $36,658 | $48,477 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $45,000 | Between $38,000 And $61,000 |
| Highest paying City | North Kingstown, RI | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | New Era Cap | BNSF Railway |
| Best paying industry | Media | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a merchandise coordinator and a management trainee in terms of educational background:
| Merchandise Coordinator | Management Trainee | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between merchandise coordinators' and management trainees' demographics:
| Merchandise Coordinator | Management Trainee | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 27.6% Female, 72.4% | Male, 61.8% Female, 38.2% |
| 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, 9.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 7.6% White, 61.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |