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The differences between merchandisers and buyers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a buyer has an average salary of $54,049, which is higher than the $31,051 average annual salary of a merchandiser.
The top three skills for a merchandiser include customer service, PET and pallets. The most important skills for a buyer are purchase orders, customer service, and logistics.
| Merchandiser | Buyer | |
| Yearly salary | $31,051 | $54,049 |
| Hourly rate | $14.93 | $25.99 |
| Growth rate | 1% | - |
| Number of jobs | 109,447 | 23,589 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.4 | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 33% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 38 | 47 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Merchandisers are employees working for a retail company. Merchandisers are mainly responsible for the store's products. They curate products that are in line with the store's branding. Merchandisers create purchase requisitions and, upon receipt of the products, create displays that would attract the customers. They also ensure that the inventory of the store is well-stocked. Merchandisers should be up to date with current market trends. They should also be familiar with what customers need and want. It is important for merchandisers to know their company's branding by heart. Merchandisers should be able to create good relationships with vendors as well so that their store may be chosen for special promotions.
A buyer's duties include product sourcing and comparing resources for the best product range that would suit the specific needs of the business. Buyers must have excellent communication and negotiation skills to evaluate items that most likely benefit the customer and improve the sales of daily operations with cost-efficient products. They also conduct extensive research for market and price trends while considering the highest quality standards. Buyers should also possess strong analytical skills to create purchase orders and statistical analysis.
Merchandisers and buyers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Merchandiser | Buyer | |
| Average salary | $31,051 | $54,049 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $39,000 | Between $37,000 And $76,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richmond, CA | Englewood, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | NVIDIA |
| Best paying industry | Education | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a merchandiser and a buyer in terms of educational background:
| Merchandiser | Buyer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 33% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | California State University - Bakersfield |
Here are the differences between merchandisers' and buyers' demographics:
| Merchandiser | Buyer | |
| Average age | 38 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 58.0% Female, 42.0% | Male, 43.9% Female, 56.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.7% Asian, 6.4% White, 57.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | Black or African American, 4.0% Unknown, 3.1% Hispanic or Latino, 10.0% Asian, 6.7% White, 75.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 15% |