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The differences between merchandisers, sales and sales specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a merchandiser, sales and a sales specialist. Additionally, a sales specialist has an average salary of $53,004, 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 specialist are building relationships, customer complaints, and customer orders.
| Merchandiser, Sales | Sales Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $31,662 | $53,004 |
| Hourly rate | $15.22 | $25.48 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 248,317 | 324,069 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 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.
A sales specialist is responsible for offering the best goods and services to customers in order to boost the company's sales. Sales specialists also promote strategies and solutions to contribute to the company's growth and profitability. A sales specialist must have extensive knowledge of the current market trends and the best sales skills to perform marketing tasks. Sales specialists should have excellent communication and customer service skills to assist existing and potential clients with their inquiries and concerns.
Merchandisers, sales and sales specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Merchandiser, Sales | Sales Specialist | |
| Average salary | $31,662 | $53,004 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $41,000 | Between $30,000 And $91,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Community Coffee | VMware |
| Best paying industry | Education | - |
There are a few differences between a merchandiser, sales and a sales specialist in terms of educational background:
| Merchandiser, Sales | Sales Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | SUNY College of Technology at Alfred | SUNY College of Technology at Alfred |
Here are the differences between merchandisers, sales' and sales specialists' demographics:
| Merchandiser, Sales | Sales Specialist | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 60.0% Female, 40.0% | Male, 55.1% Female, 44.9% |
| 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, 3.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 5.1% White, 72.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |