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The differences between merchandising assistants and merchandising representatives 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 a merchandising representative takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a merchandising assistant has an average salary of $34,679, which is higher than the $32,303 average annual salary of a merchandising representative.
The top three skills for a merchandising assistant include sales floor, customer service and customer issues. The most important skills for a merchandising representative are little supervision, store management, and plan-o-grams.
| Merchandising Assistant | Merchandising Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $34,679 | $32,303 |
| Hourly rate | $16.67 | $15.53 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 22,645 | 351,931 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Average age | 43 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
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.
Merchandising representatives are professionals who are responsible for providing point-of-purchase and shelf management services to produce sales. These representatives are required to plan and develop merchandising strategies so that they can balance the expectations of customers and the organization's objectives. They must maintain store shelves and display products appropriately so that they can maximize the interest of customers and sales levels. Merchandising representatives must also analyze sales figures, the reactions of customers, and market trends to anticipate their product needs and plan product stock.
Merchandising assistants and merchandising representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Merchandising Assistant | Merchandising Representative | |
| Average salary | $34,679 | $32,303 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $46,000 | Between $25,000 And $40,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Maine |
| Best paying company | Softpath System | ECMD |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a merchandising assistant and a merchandising representative in terms of educational background:
| Merchandising Assistant | Merchandising Representative | |
| 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 Alfred |
Here are the differences between merchandising assistants' and merchandising representatives' demographics:
| Merchandising Assistant | Merchandising Representative | |
| Average age | 43 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 23.2% Female, 76.8% | Male, 47.2% Female, 52.8% |
| 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, 3.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 5.1% White, 73.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 6% |