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The differences between merchandising assistants and assistant managers trainee 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 manager trainee. Additionally, a merchandising assistant has an average salary of $34,679, which is higher than the $31,494 average annual salary of an assistant manager trainee.
The top three skills for a merchandising assistant include sales floor, customer service and customer issues. The most important skills for an assistant manager trainee are cash handling, cleanliness, and food preparation.
| Merchandising Assistant | Assistant Manager Trainee | |
| Yearly salary | $34,679 | $31,494 |
| Hourly rate | $16.67 | $15.14 |
| Growth rate | 4% | - |
| Number of jobs | 22,645 | 309,538 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| 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 manager trainee is responsible for helping the manager in charge of plotting the schedule of employees, training and development of new employees, and hiring new employees. Depending on the line of the business industry they are working with, they may also be asked to handle customer complaints as they mostly work in a customer-facing role. As a trainee, it is expected that your assistance is needed in making sure the team adheres to company policies, and customer complaints are resolved.
Merchandising assistants and assistant managers trainee have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Merchandising Assistant | Assistant Manager Trainee | |
| Average salary | $34,679 | $31,494 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $46,000 | Between $23,000 And $41,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Softpath System | SUNY New Paltz |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a merchandising assistant and an assistant manager trainee in terms of educational background:
| Merchandising Assistant | Assistant Manager Trainee | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| 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 managers trainee' demographics:
| Merchandising Assistant | Assistant Manager Trainee | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 23.2% Female, 76.8% | Male, 49.0% Female, 51.0% |
| 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, 8.5% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 7.0% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |