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The differences between merchandisers, sales and sales associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a sales associate has an average salary of $32,167, which is higher than the $31,662 average annual salary of a merchandiser, sales.
The top three skills for a merchandiser, sales include excellent planning, wine and pallet jack. The most important skills for a sales associate are customer service, sales floor, and cash handling.
| Merchandiser, Sales | Sales Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $31,662 | $32,167 |
| Hourly rate | $15.22 | $15.46 |
| Growth rate | 4% | - |
| Number of jobs | 248,317 | 579,849 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Average age | 47 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
Merchandiser sales representatives are responsible for maintaining the flow of products and managing shelves in retail stores or similar establishments. They are also responsible for devising strategies and promotional plans to increase brand awareness and boost product sales. Aside from this, they must remain updated with the latest marketing trends, monitor sales, and set the budget while maintaining inventory. Moreover, it is vital to reach out to customers and build rapport, all while implementing the policies and regulations of the company.
Sales associates are responsible for promoting the company's goods or services. They are expected to provide exceptional customer service to prospective buyers. They should be familiar with all features of the company's products or services so that they can answer the customers' inquiries. Sales associates also assist customers in processing their checkouts, refunds, returns, and other needs. They should be customer-oriented, and they should have great communication skills. They should know how to sell their products or services to customers. They are considered the company's representatives on the ground.
Merchandisers, sales and sales associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Merchandiser, Sales | Sales Associate | |
| Average salary | $31,662 | $32,167 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $41,000 | Between $21,000 And $47,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New York |
| Best paying company | Community Coffee | Barclays |
| Best paying industry | Education | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a merchandiser, sales and a sales associate in terms of educational background:
| Merchandiser, Sales | Sales Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | SUNY College of Technology at Alfred | - |
Here are the differences between merchandisers, sales' and sales associates' demographics:
| Merchandiser, Sales | Sales Associate | |
| Average age | 47 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 60.0% Female, 40.0% | Male, 38.4% Female, 61.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 21.4% Asian, 6.9% White, 55.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 7% |