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The differences between merchandising managers and zone 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 zone manager takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a merchandising manager has an average salary of $86,346, which is higher than the $50,974 average annual salary of a zone manager.
The top three skills for a merchandising manager include sales floor, POS and apparel. The most important skills for a zone manager are work ethic, loss prevention, and inventory control.
| Merchandising Manager | Zone Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $86,346 | $50,974 |
| Hourly rate | $41.51 | $24.51 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 268,577 | 298,152 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| 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.
The duties of a zone manager depend on their line of work or industry of employment. In general, they are in charge of overseeing the service and product distribution operations of a company. They typically coordinate with regional managers, establish guidelines and product roadmaps, gather and analyze data from their area of assignment, perform research and analysis, conduct sales assessments, and implement solutions to optimize operations. Moreover, a zone manager must lead and encourage staff to reach goals, all while enforcing the company's policies and regulations.
Merchandising managers and zone managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Merchandising Manager | Zone Manager | |
| Average salary | $86,346 | $50,974 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $116,000 | Between $34,000 And $75,000 |
| Highest paying City | Woonsocket, RI | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Roku | Ford Motor |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a merchandising manager and a zone manager in terms of educational background:
| Merchandising Manager | Zone Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between merchandising managers' and zone managers' demographics:
| Merchandising Manager | Zone Manager | |
| Average age | 39 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.7% Female, 52.3% | Male, 68.9% Female, 31.1% |
| 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, 6.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 6.3% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |