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The differences between retail merchandisers and retail specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a retail specialist has an average salary of $31,114, which is higher than the $28,678 average annual salary of a retail merchandiser.
The top three skills for a retail merchandiser include customer service, store management and POS. The most important skills for a retail specialist are store management, retail environment, and store associates.
| Retail Merchandiser | Retail Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $28,678 | $31,114 |
| Hourly rate | $13.79 | $14.96 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 477,794 | 269,690 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 35% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
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.
A retail specialist is primarily in charge of securing sales and assisting customers on a sales floor, ensuring to meet the daily sales targets and client satisfaction. Their responsibilities include greeting clients and answering inquiries, locating products, offering recommendations and promotions, and processing payments. They may also address issues or concerns, resolving them promptly and professionally. Furthermore, as a retail specialist, it is essential to maintain the cleanliness of the sales floor and arrange displays properly to attract customers.
Retail merchandisers and retail specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Retail Merchandiser | Retail Specialist | |
| Average salary | $28,678 | $31,114 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $36,000 | Between $22,000 And $43,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Salem, NH |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | Wayfair | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a retail merchandiser and a retail specialist in terms of educational background:
| Retail Merchandiser | Retail Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 35% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between retail merchandisers' and retail specialists' demographics:
| Retail Merchandiser | Retail Specialist | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 34.1% Female, 65.9% | Male, 42.8% Female, 57.2% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 6.8% White, 57.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |