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Merchandise sales manager vs route sales manager

The differences between merchandise sales managers and route sales managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both a merchandise sales manager and a route sales manager. Additionally, a merchandise sales manager has an average salary of $52,766, which is higher than the $48,830 average annual salary of a route sales manager.

The top three skills for a merchandise sales manager include customer service, sales floor and sales associates. The most important skills for a route sales manager are food service, sales territory, and sales route.

Merchandise sales manager vs route sales manager overview

Merchandise Sales ManagerRoute Sales Manager
Yearly salary$52,766$48,830
Hourly rate$25.37$23.48
Growth rate5%5%
Number of jobs111,810112,342
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 64%Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age4646
Years of experience88

Merchandise sales manager vs route sales manager salary

Merchandise sales managers and route sales managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Merchandise Sales ManagerRoute Sales Manager
Average salary$52,766$48,830
Salary rangeBetween $34,000 And $79,000Between $42,000 And $56,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between merchandise sales manager and route sales manager education

There are a few differences between a merchandise sales manager and a route sales manager in terms of educational background:

Merchandise Sales ManagerRoute Sales Manager
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 64%Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern California

Merchandise sales manager vs route sales manager demographics

Here are the differences between merchandise sales managers' and route sales managers' demographics:

Merchandise Sales ManagerRoute Sales Manager
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 53.2% Female, 46.8%Male, 93.7% Female, 6.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 4.1% White, 78.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 4.1% White, 78.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage7%7%

Differences between merchandise sales manager and route sales manager duties and responsibilities

Merchandise sales manager example responsibilities.

  • Prospect and cold-cal commercial locations, building relationships with distributors and manufacturer representatives to leverage internal leads.
  • Develop a weekly sales report to enable managers to better track sales and POS to goal and prior year.
  • Represent a complete line of paper and janitorial supplies to wholesale distributors, service established accounts and develop new business partners.
  • Increase ROI by narrowing focus on strategic accounts, markets & doors.
  • Create marketing content for pages and promotional initiatives, newsletter design and implementation, create designed and produce PowerPoint presentations.

Route sales manager example responsibilities.

  • Prospect and cold-cal commercial locations, building relationships with distributors and manufacturer representatives to leverage internal leads.
  • Maintain medical card and CDL license.
  • Obtain a CDL license and drive a truck with a fifth wheel trailer and maintain that vehicle effectively.
  • Represent a complete line of paper and janitorial supplies to wholesale distributors, service established accounts and develop new business partners.
  • Develop & execute DSD system including tracking and development tools.
  • Create marketing content for pages and promotional initiatives, newsletter design and implementation, create designed and produce PowerPoint presentations.

Merchandise sales manager vs route sales manager skills

Common merchandise sales manager skills
  • Customer Service, 20%
  • Sales Floor, 15%
  • Sales Associates, 4%
  • Inventory Control, 4%
  • Increase Sales, 4%
  • POS, 3%
Common route sales manager skills
  • Food Service, 46%
  • Sales Territory, 24%
  • Sales Route, 5%
  • Delivery Route, 4%
  • CDL, 4%
  • Ecolab, 2%

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