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The differences between merchandising assistants and merchandising supervisors 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 merchandising supervisor. Additionally, a merchandising assistant has an average salary of $34,679, which is higher than the $34,175 average annual salary of a merchandising supervisor.
The top three skills for a merchandising assistant include sales floor, customer service and customer issues. The most important skills for a merchandising supervisor are customer service, HR, and drive sales.
| Merchandising Assistant | Merchandising Supervisor | |
| Yearly salary | $34,679 | $34,175 |
| Hourly rate | $16.67 | $16.43 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 22,645 | 179,796 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| 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.
Merchandising supervisors are professionals who create a pleasing shopping environment to entice customers to purchase additional products and gain maximum profit. These supervisors are required to identify trends and make sales predictions based on product popularity, past sales data, and information gained by attending product shows. They are required to make attractive point-of-sales displays so that the customers can easily locate the merchandise. Merchandising supervisors must also handle inventory levels by keeping track and submitting order requests to the purchasing department.
Merchandising assistants and merchandising supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Merchandising Assistant | Merchandising Supervisor | |
| Average salary | $34,679 | $34,175 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $46,000 | Between $27,000 And $41,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | - |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | - |
| Best paying company | Softpath System | - |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | - |
There are a few differences between a merchandising assistant and a merchandising supervisor in terms of educational background:
| Merchandising Assistant | Merchandising Supervisor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| 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 merchandising supervisors' demographics:
| Merchandising Assistant | Merchandising Supervisor | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 23.2% Female, 76.8% | Male, 43.7% Female, 56.3% |
| 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, 8.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 6.7% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |