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The differences between merchandising assistants and assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a merchandising assistant, becoming an assistant takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an assistant has an average salary of $37,363, 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 are patients, customer service, and patient care.
| Merchandising Assistant | Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $34,679 | $37,363 |
| Hourly rate | $16.67 | $17.96 |
| Growth rate | 4% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 22,645 | 557,900 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 43 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
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 intern is responsible for facilitating administrative and clerical tasks as assigned by the management. Assistant interns' duties include keeping records of meetings, receiving calls and handling customer inquiries, assisting on writing reports and data entry processing, cooperating and providing support for business events, and adhering to company policies and regulatory procedures. Successful assistant interns must have excellent time-management, multi-tasking, and communication skills. They must be a team player and fast-learner to handle various tasks in the corporate industry.
Merchandising assistants and assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Merchandising Assistant | Assistant | |
| Average salary | $34,679 | $37,363 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $46,000 | Between $16,000 And $82,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Softpath System | Latham & Watkins |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Education |
There are a few differences between a merchandising assistant and an assistant in terms of educational background:
| Merchandising Assistant | Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between merchandising assistants' and assistants' demographics:
| Merchandising Assistant | Assistant | |
| Average age | 43 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 23.2% Female, 76.8% | Male, 40.7% Female, 59.3% |
| 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, 9.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 6% |