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The differences between merchandising assistants and assistant department heads can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a merchandising assistant and an assistant department head. Additionally, an assistant department head has an average salary of $65,309, which is higher than the $34,679 average annual salary of a merchandising assistant.
The top three skills for a merchandising assistant include sales floor, customer service and customer issues. The most important skills for an assistant department head are ladders, sales floor, and customer service.
| Merchandising Assistant | Assistant Department Head | |
| Yearly salary | $34,679 | $65,309 |
| Hourly rate | $16.67 | $31.40 |
| Growth rate | 4% | - |
| Number of jobs | 22,645 | 41,690 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A merchandising assistant is responsible for contributing new goods and services for the business, identifying business opportunities based on the market demands to drive revenues and increase profitability. Merchandising assistants also monitor stock inventories, negotiating with suppliers and other third-party vendors for deliveries, and strategizing on how to minimize costs without compromising the quality. They also help with arranging product displays, developing marketing campaigns, and planning promotional offers to attract customers for purchase. A merchandising assistant must have excellent communication skills, responding to the customers' inquiries and concerns, and directing them to the appropriate section for their needs.
An assistant department head is responsible for monitoring the operations of the department, together with the department head. Assistant department heads' duties include managing clients' inquiries and complaints, developing strategic solutions to improve clients' satisfaction, and identifying business opportunities to increase revenues and the business' profitability. They will also work on monitoring the staff's performance and addressing their concerns, creating sales reports, maintaining budget goals, and organizing training. An assistant department head must have excellent leadership and communication skills to help in achieving the department's objectives.
Merchandising assistants and assistant department heads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Merchandising Assistant | Assistant Department Head | |
| Average salary | $34,679 | $65,309 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $46,000 | Between $39,000 And $106,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Centereach, NY |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | New York |
| Best paying company | Softpath System | Princeton University |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Energy |
There are a few differences between a merchandising assistant and an assistant department head in terms of educational background:
| Merchandising Assistant | Assistant Department Head | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | SUNY College of Technology at Delhi |
Here are the differences between merchandising assistants' and assistant department heads' demographics:
| Merchandising Assistant | Assistant Department Head | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 23.2% Female, 76.8% | Male, 54.9% Female, 45.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 7.0% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 7.4% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |