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The differences between merchandising assistants and merchandise leads 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 a merchandise lead. Additionally, a merchandise lead has an average salary of $35,572, 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 a merchandise lead are sales floor, customer service, and customer satisfaction.
| Merchandising Assistant | Merchandise Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $34,679 | $35,572 |
| Hourly rate | $16.67 | $17.10 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 22,645 | 72,605 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| 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.
A merchandise lead is responsible for strategizing merchandise methods to reach sales performance targets. Merchandise leads assist the consumers in choosing the best products according to their needs and budget limitations. They evaluate the current market trends to generate more revenue resources and increase the company's profitability by negotiating with trusted suppliers and vendors. A merchandise lead must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in helping with marketing and promotional campaigns to attract consumers' interests and meet public demands.
Merchandising assistants and merchandise leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Merchandising Assistant | Merchandise Lead | |
| Average salary | $34,679 | $35,572 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $46,000 | Between $27,000 And $45,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Green Bay, WI |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Softpath System | PepsiCo |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Retail |
There are a few differences between a merchandising assistant and a merchandise lead in terms of educational background:
| Merchandising Assistant | Merchandise Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| 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 merchandise leads' demographics:
| Merchandising Assistant | Merchandise Lead | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 23.2% Female, 76.8% | Male, 42.5% Female, 57.5% |
| 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, 8.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 7.0% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |