Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between merchandising directors and senior directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 8-10 years to become both a merchandising director and a senior director. Additionally, a senior director has an average salary of $152,047, which is higher than the $145,282 average annual salary of a merchandising director.
The top three skills for a merchandising director include apparel, gross margin and direct reports. The most important skills for a senior director are healthcare, analytics, and patients.
| Merchandising Director | Senior Director | |
| Yearly salary | $145,282 | $152,047 |
| Hourly rate | $69.85 | $73.10 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 81,434 | 131,871 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 10 |
A merchandising director is in charge of spearheading and streamlining merchandising strategies, including promotion and branding. Using their expertise and experience, they conceptualize plans with fellow directors and managers, perform extensive research and analysis, gather and analyze data, set goals and guidelines, establish budgets and schedules, and build positive relationships with external business partners. Moreover, as a merchandising director, they must lead and encourage the workforce to reach goals while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Senior directors are the top management who manage the overall corporate structure of a brand. These executives take responsibility for the planning, operations, and profitability of the company. They direct and control all the functions of businesses. Their jobs cover the advertising, marketing, sales, and promotions of products and services. They are the people behind the tactical and strategic management of every asset of the enterprise through different programs.
Merchandising directors and senior directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Merchandising Director | Senior Director | |
| Average salary | $145,282 | $152,047 |
| Salary range | Between $103,000 And $203,000 | Between $105,000 And $219,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | California |
| Best paying company | Coty | Apple |
| Best paying industry | - | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a merchandising director and a senior director in terms of educational background:
| Merchandising Director | Senior Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between merchandising directors' and senior directors' demographics:
| Merchandising Director | Senior Director | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 53.9% Female, 46.1% | Male, 66.6% Female, 33.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |