Merchandising associate vs sales team member

The differences between merchandising associates and sales team members can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a sales team member has an average salary of $33,827, which is higher than the $33,201 average annual salary of a merchandising associate.

The top three skills for a merchandising associate include cleanliness, sales floor and customer service. The most important skills for a sales team member are sales floor, wine, and cleanliness.

Merchandising associate vs sales team member overview

	Merchandising Associate	Sales Team Member
Yearly salary	$33,201	$33,827
Hourly rate	$15.96	$16.26
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	370,401	585,314
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	-	-

What does a merchandising associate do?

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.

What does a sales team member do?

A sales team member is responsible for selling goods and services to the customers, responding to their inquiries and concerns, and updating them with new services and promotional offers. Sales team members play a huge role in generating revenues for the business by maintaining existing clients and attracting potential customers. They assist with developing sales strategies for brand awareness, creating sales pitches, and identifying sales opportunities by researching current market trends. A sales team member must have excellent communication and customer service skills to negotiate with the customers and ensure their highest satisfaction.

Merchandising associate vs sales team member salary

Merchandising associates and sales team members have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Merchandising Associate	Sales Team Member
Average salary	$33,201	$33,827
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $42,000	Between $25,000 And $45,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	-
Highest paying state	Hawaii	-
Best paying company	Uline	-
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	-

Differences between merchandising associate and sales team member education

There are a few differences between a merchandising associate and a sales team member in terms of educational background:

	Merchandising Associate	Sales Team Member
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Merchandising associate vs sales team member demographics

Here are the differences between merchandising associates' and sales team members' demographics:

	Merchandising Associate	Sales Team Member
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 43.8% Female, 56.2%	Male, 48.0% Female, 52.0%
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, 9.9% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 20.8% Asian, 6.9% White, 56.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between merchandising associate and sales team member duties and responsibilities

Merchandising associate example responsibilities.

Manage e-commerce websites to maintain accurate information and maximize sales.
Maximize sales by displaying merchandise and maintain store cleanliness while executing superior customer service.
Assist customer with picking groceries in the absence of other staff.
Create monthly PowerPoint presentations for the team to use in high-level meetings.
Conduct market research in the sale of pet products, identifying consumer trends.
Complete reports for products end of life and prepare merchandise for shipments back to depot.

Sales team member example responsibilities.

Manage the hardlines department of the store.
Lead a team of eighteen people in the apparel department through development, talent management, and training.
Supervise women's department, manage jewelry department, assist customers on finalizing purchases
Serve customers, stock shelves, organize products, correct merchandise pricing, train newly hire employees, POS system
Stock merchandise, groceries, clothes, shoes, and household items.
Prepare, print & bound PowerPoint sales presentation packages and investment review reports.

Merchandising associate vs sales team member skills

Common merchandising associate skills

Cleanliness, 26%
Sales Floor, 25%
Customer Service, 21%
Loss Prevention, 15%
Store Management, 3%
Visual Standards, 2%

Common sales team member skills

Sales Floor, 14%
Wine, 10%
Cleanliness, 10%
Ladders, 9%
Customer Service, 8%
Basic Math, 7%

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Merchandising Associate
Merchandising Associate vs Sales Team Member

Updated January 8, 2025

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