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The differences between merchandising managers and category managers 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 manager and a category manager. Additionally, a category manager has an average salary of $102,035, which is higher than the $86,346 average annual salary of a merchandising manager.
The top three skills for a merchandising manager include sales floor, POS and apparel. The most important skills for a category manager are strategic sourcing, category strategy, and supplier performance.
| Merchandising Manager | Category Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $86,346 | $102,035 |
| Hourly rate | $41.51 | $49.06 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 268,577 | 108,424 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 10 |
A merchandising manager is responsible for supervising stock inventories, retail pricing, and managing product displays by analyzing customer preferences through researching the current market trends that would improve the store's sales condition and achieve profitability goals. Merchandising managers negotiate with reliable third-party vendors, minimizing costs without compromising the quality of the products. They also assist with planning floor layouts for store visuals that would attract customers and marketing promotional offers and special discounts to increase more revenues.
Category managers are usually employed in the retail industry. They are primarily responsible for the sales enhancement of a specific group of products. The managers are involved in pricing, marketing, inventory, and vendor management. Their daily tasks include meeting with suppliers to talk about the plans, conducting orientation to the market research company, and updating category reports. Qualified applicants must have a degree in business administration or a related field as well as relevant job experience in a related job.
Merchandising managers and category managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Merchandising Manager | Category Manager | |
| Average salary | $86,346 | $102,035 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $116,000 | Between $74,000 And $138,000 |
| Highest paying City | Woonsocket, RI | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Roku | McKinsey & Company Inc |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a merchandising manager and a category manager in terms of educational background:
| Merchandising Manager | Category Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between merchandising managers' and category managers' demographics:
| Merchandising Manager | Category Manager | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.7% Female, 52.3% | Male, 55.7% Female, 44.3% |
| 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% |