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The differences between merchandising associates and sales associates 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 $32,167 average annual salary of a sales associate.
The top three skills for a merchandising associate include cleanliness, sales floor and customer service. The most important skills for a sales associate are customer service, sales floor, and cash handling.
| Merchandising Associate | Sales Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $33,201 | $32,167 |
| Hourly rate | $15.96 | $15.46 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 370,401 | 579,849 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| 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.
Sales associates are responsible for promoting the company's goods or services. They are expected to provide exceptional customer service to prospective buyers. They should be familiar with all features of the company's products or services so that they can answer the customers' inquiries. Sales associates also assist customers in processing their checkouts, refunds, returns, and other needs. They should be customer-oriented, and they should have great communication skills. They should know how to sell their products or services to customers. They are considered the company's representatives on the ground.
Merchandising associates and sales associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Merchandising Associate | Sales Associate | |
| Average salary | $33,201 | $32,167 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $42,000 | Between $21,000 And $47,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | New York |
| Best paying company | Uline | Barclays |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a merchandising associate and a sales associate in terms of educational background:
| Merchandising Associate | Sales Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between merchandising associates' and sales associates' demographics:
| Merchandising Associate | Sales Associate | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 43.8% Female, 56.2% | Male, 38.4% Female, 61.6% |
| 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, 10.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 21.4% Asian, 6.9% White, 55.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |