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The differences between retail clerks and retail merchandisers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a retail clerk has an average salary of $30,046, which is higher than the $28,678 average annual salary of a retail merchandiser.
The top three skills for a retail clerk include stock shelves, groceries and retail sales. The most important skills for a retail merchandiser are customer service, store management, and POS.
| Retail Clerk | Retail Merchandiser | |
| Yearly salary | $30,046 | $28,678 |
| Hourly rate | $14.45 | $13.79 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 470,355 | 477,794 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 35% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A retail clerk is responsible for selling goods and services to the customers, recommending products based on their needs, and responding to the customers' inquiries and concerns about the product. Retail clerks assist with the store's marketing strategies, organize product displays, monitor inventories, endorse promotional discounts, and help customers on their checkout payments. A retail clerk must have excellent communication and customer service skills to handle customers' requests and ensure their highest satisfaction.
A retail merchandiser is responsible for determining the accuracy of sales and analyzing market trends to ensure that the business can follow stock movements and adjust plan budgets as needed. Retail merchandisers' duties also include planning strategies that would provide satisfaction for the customers while meeting the company's objectives, and coordinating with the suppliers and distributors for timely deliveries and price negotiations. Retail merchandisers also assist customers, analyze sales performance, and monitor inventories regularly.
Retail clerks and retail merchandisers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Retail Clerk | Retail Merchandiser | |
| Average salary | $30,046 | $28,678 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $38,000 | Between $22,000 And $36,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Washington |
| Best paying company | Bellevue Jr/Sr High School | Wayfair |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a retail clerk and a retail merchandiser in terms of educational background:
| Retail Clerk | Retail Merchandiser | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 35% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between retail clerks' and retail merchandisers' demographics:
| Retail Clerk | Retail Merchandiser | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 41.0% Female, 59.0% | Male, 34.1% Female, 65.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.8% Asian, 6.6% White, 57.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 7.5% White, 57.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |