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The differences between merchandising associates and associate retailers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a merchandising associate has an average salary of $33,201, which is higher than the $28,763 average annual salary of an associate retailer.
The top three skills for a merchandising associate include cleanliness, sales floor and customer service. The most important skills for an associate retailer are ladders, sales floor, and loss prevention.
| Merchandising Associate | Associate Retailer | |
| Yearly salary | $33,201 | $28,763 |
| Hourly rate | $15.96 | $13.83 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 370,401 | 474,522 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | High School Diploma, 35% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Merchandise associates ensure that customers get a complete shopping experience. They pleasantly arrange and stock merchandise on shelves for customers to purchase. Also, they assemble product displays and make sure popular and on-sale products are visible to customers. Part of their duty is to place the appropriate sales tag on items and record new developments in the store's inventory. Skills required for the job include excellent customer service, being detail-oriented, and relevant experience in sales.
An Associate Retailer is responsible for keeping the sales area up to standard and assisting customers while inside the store's premises. Most of the tasks revolve around keeping items on shelves clean and well-organized, greeting and offering assistance to customers, responding to inquiries and locating products, and even providing suggestions or recommendations when necessary and in adherence to the store's policies and regulations. In other stores and retail outlets, the Associate Retailer may also process payments and returns while still putting importance to customer satisfaction.
Merchandising associates and associate retailers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Merchandising Associate | Associate Retailer | |
| Average salary | $33,201 | $28,763 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $42,000 | Between $23,000 And $35,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Washington |
| Best paying company | Uline | Mars |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a merchandising associate and an associate retailer in terms of educational background:
| Merchandising Associate | Associate Retailer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | High School Diploma, 35% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between merchandising associates' and associate retailers' demographics:
| Merchandising Associate | Associate Retailer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 43.8% Female, 56.2% | Male, 35.1% Female, 64.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 20.3% Asian, 7.0% White, 56.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 21.5% Asian, 6.8% White, 55.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |