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The differences between merchandise leads 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 lead and a key holder. Additionally, a merchandise lead has an average salary of $35,572, which is higher than the $31,779 average annual salary of a key holder.
The top three skills for a merchandise lead include sales floor, customer service and customer satisfaction. The most important skills for a key holder are sales floor, product knowledge, and visual standards.
| Merchandise Lead | Key Holder | |
| Yearly salary | $35,572 | $31,779 |
| Hourly rate | $17.10 | $15.28 |
| Growth rate | 6% | -6% |
| Number of jobs | 72,605 | 431,956 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | High School Diploma, 35% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A merchandise lead is responsible for strategizing merchandise methods to reach sales performance targets. Merchandise leads assist the consumers in choosing the best products according to their needs and budget limitations. They evaluate the current market trends to generate more revenue resources and increase the company's profitability by negotiating with trusted suppliers and vendors. A merchandise lead must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in helping with marketing and promotional campaigns to attract consumers' interests and meet public demands.
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 leads and key holders have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Merchandise Lead | Key Holder | |
| Average salary | $35,572 | $31,779 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $45,000 | Between $25,000 And $39,000 |
| Highest paying City | Green Bay, WI | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Wisconsin |
| Best paying company | PepsiCo | Connecticut Children's Medical Center |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a merchandise lead and a key holder in terms of educational background:
| Merchandise Lead | Key Holder | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | High School Diploma, 35% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | SUNY College of Technology at Delhi | SUNY College of Technology at Delhi |
Here are the differences between merchandise leads' and key holders' demographics:
| Merchandise Lead | Key Holder | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 42.5% Female, 57.5% | Male, 28.1% Female, 71.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 7.0% White, 61.0% 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% |