Produce clerk vs general merchandise clerk

The differences between produce clerks and general merchandise clerks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a general merchandise clerk has an average salary of $34,415, which is higher than the $31,822 average annual salary of a produce clerk.

The top three skills for a produce clerk include product knowledge, math and sales floor. The most important skills for a general merchandise clerk are product knowledge, product displays, and customer service.

Produce clerk vs general merchandise clerk overview

	Produce Clerk	General Merchandise Clerk
Yearly salary	$31,822	$34,415
Hourly rate	$15.30	$16.55
Growth rate	1%	1%
Number of jobs	79,419	137,799
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 39%	High School Diploma, 36%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	-	-

What does a produce clerk do?

Produce clerks are responsible for ensuring that the grocery store's fruits and vegetables are displayed orderly and pleasantly to the customers. They check to produce to guarantee that it is fresh and has no defects. Their tasks include stocking of products, providing services like answering customers' queries, handling food, maintaining equipment, and providing general help to the other store employees in need. They must have relevant experience in stocking grocery stores and handling product presentation and should have concrete knowledge in the rotation and maintenance of the store's produce.

What does a general merchandise clerk do?

This individual works in the GM section of a store. They interact with customers and assist them as they purchase merchandise. In this role, they are expected to place all special orders and to take stock of all products annually. Other responsibilities of this position include developing merchandise plans and ensuring they are compliant with quality standards. They may also have to evaluate merchandise and ensure credit payments are accurate.

Produce clerk vs general merchandise clerk salary

Produce clerks and general merchandise clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Produce Clerk	General Merchandise Clerk
Average salary	$31,822	$34,415
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $37,000	Between $27,000 And $42,000
Highest paying City	Novato, CA	-
Highest paying state	California	-
Best paying company	United Natural Foods	-
Best paying industry	Retail	-

Differences between produce clerk and general merchandise clerk education

There are a few differences between a produce clerk and a general merchandise clerk in terms of educational background:

	Produce Clerk	General Merchandise Clerk
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 39%	High School Diploma, 36%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Produce clerk vs general merchandise clerk demographics

Here are the differences between produce clerks' and general merchandise clerks' demographics:

	Produce Clerk	General Merchandise Clerk
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 76.1% Female, 23.9%	Male, 50.2% Female, 49.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 20.2% Asian, 6.4% White, 58.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	Black or African American, 7.5% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 23.0% Asian, 5.9% White, 56.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between produce clerk and general merchandise clerk duties and responsibilities

Produce clerk example responsibilities.

Train in customer service functions, camera and video monitoring, and POS systems checkout.
Work in fast pace environment while providing customer service and creating excellent product detail while maintaining cleanliness of department.
Handle and order inventory, as well as utilized FIFO strategies.
Operate meat and cheese slicers, oven, cutting tools, scales and other deli equipment.
Unload trucks and store all products in designate coolers and storage areas using the FIFO method.
Maintain cleanliness of the produce storeroom by routinely cleaning and sanitizing surfaces according to health code regulations.

General merchandise clerk example responsibilities.

Provide great customer service while effectively bagging groceries.
Collect all carts from outside help cashiers bag groceries for customers and sometimes help the customers take groceries to their car.
Execute grain futures orders for special accounts that require extraordinary attention to detail as well as personalized service.
Work in almost every department in the Kroger store.

Produce clerk vs general merchandise clerk skills

Common produce clerk skills

Product Knowledge, 11%
Math, 10%
Sales Floor, 9%
Basic Math, 8%
Food Handling, 7%
Cleanliness, 4%

Common general merchandise clerk skills

Product Knowledge, 44%
Product Displays, 20%
Customer Service, 9%
Stock Shelves, 6%
Sales Floor, 3%
Math, 3%

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Produce Clerk
Produce Clerk vs General Merchandise Clerk

Updated January 8, 2025

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