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The differences between merchandising assistants and shift 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 shift supervisor. Additionally, a merchandising assistant has an average salary of $34,679, which is higher than the $34,141 average annual salary of a shift supervisor.
The top three skills for a merchandising assistant include sales floor, customer service and customer issues. The most important skills for a shift supervisor are cash handling, store operations, and store management.
| Merchandising Assistant | Shift Supervisor | |
| Yearly salary | $34,679 | $34,141 |
| Hourly rate | $16.67 | $16.41 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 22,645 | 282,079 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| 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.
Shift supervisors are responsible for the employees assigned to the shift that they are handling. Shift supervisors ensure that the employees who were expected to report to work at the specific shift came in. They also ensure that the employees are doing their jobs while at work. Shift supervisors are expected to ensure that employees are really working during working hours and properly delegate work. Shift supervisors ensure that the employees are productive and efficient in their jobs. They are expected to provide coaching and guidance so that the employees will be able to reach the goals assigned to the work team.
Merchandising assistants and shift supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Merchandising Assistant | Shift Supervisor | |
| Average salary | $34,679 | $34,141 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $46,000 | Between $26,000 And $44,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | San Jose, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Softpath System | AbbVie |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a merchandising assistant and a shift supervisor in terms of educational background:
| Merchandising Assistant | Shift Supervisor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| 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 shift supervisors' demographics:
| Merchandising Assistant | Shift Supervisor | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 23.2% Female, 76.8% | Male, 49.1% Female, 50.9% |
| 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, 8.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 6.9% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |