Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between retail merchandisers and visual merchandisers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a visual merchandiser has an average salary of $38,037, 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 visual merchandiser are customer service, ladders, and sales floor.
| Retail Merchandiser | Visual Merchandiser | |
| Yearly salary | $28,678 | $38,037 |
| Hourly rate | $13.79 | $18.29 |
| Growth rate | - | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 477,794 | 74,351 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 35% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 41 | 40 |
| 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 visual merchandiser is responsible for arranging product displays at retail outlets, attracting customers to purchase the items. Visual merchandisers should be updated with the latest trends in the market to prioritize retail displays and floor plans. They must also be knowledgeable on product information to assist customers with their inquiries and concerns. Visual merchandisers should be creative in setting up the uniformity of the store's visuals within the budget goals. The designs must be appealing enough to drive the customers around the premises, potentially generating revenues and increasing profitability.
Retail merchandisers and visual merchandisers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Retail Merchandiser | Visual Merchandiser | |
| Average salary | $28,678 | $38,037 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $36,000 | Between $27,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New York |
| Best paying company | Wayfair | RH |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Retail |
There are a few differences between a retail merchandiser and a visual merchandiser in terms of educational background:
| Retail Merchandiser | Visual Merchandiser | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 35% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Business | Specialized Sales And Merchandising |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between retail merchandisers' and visual merchandisers' demographics:
| Retail Merchandiser | Visual Merchandiser | |
| Average age | 41 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 34.1% Female, 65.9% | Male, 27.3% Female, 72.7% |
| 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, 8.5% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.8% Asian, 5.3% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 17% |