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The differences between merchandising managers and managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 8-10 years to become a merchandising manager, becoming a manager takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a merchandising manager has an average salary of $86,346, which is higher than the $58,651 average annual salary of a manager.
The top three skills for a merchandising manager include sales floor, POS and apparel. The most important skills for a manager are customer service, payroll, and food safety.
| Merchandising Manager | Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $86,346 | $58,651 |
| Hourly rate | $41.51 | $28.20 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 268,577 | 1,236,194 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.57 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 39 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 6 |
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.
Managers are responsible for a specific department, function, or employee group. They oversee their assigned departments and all the employees under the department. Managers are responsible that the department they are handling is functioning well. They set the department goals and the steps they must take to achieve the goals. They are also in charge of assessing the performance of their departments and their employees. Additionally, managers are responsible for interviewing prospective candidates for department vacancies and assessing their fit to the needs of the department. Managers also set the general working environment in the department, and they are expected to ensure that their employees remain motivated.
Merchandising managers and managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Merchandising Manager | Manager | |
| Average salary | $86,346 | $58,651 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $116,000 | Between $37,000 And $92,000 |
| Highest paying City | Woonsocket, RI | - |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Roku | - |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Finance |
There are a few differences between a merchandising manager and a manager in terms of educational background:
| Merchandising Manager | Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between merchandising managers' and managers' demographics:
| Merchandising Manager | Manager | |
| Average age | 39 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.7% Female, 52.3% | Male, 51.0% Female, 49.0% |
| 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, 6.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |