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The differences between retail specialists and merchandising associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a merchandising associate has an average salary of $33,201, which is higher than the $31,114 average annual salary of a retail specialist.
The top three skills for a retail specialist include store management, retail environment and store associates. The most important skills for a merchandising associate are cleanliness, sales floor, and customer service.
| Retail Specialist | Merchandising Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $31,114 | $33,201 |
| Hourly rate | $14.96 | $15.96 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 269,690 | 370,401 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 41% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
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.
Merchandise associates ensure that customers get a complete shopping experience. They pleasantly arrange and stock merchandise on shelves for customers to purchase. Also, they assemble product displays and make sure popular and on-sale products are visible to customers. Part of their duty is to place the appropriate sales tag on items and record new developments in the store's inventory. Skills required for the job include excellent customer service, being detail-oriented, and relevant experience in sales.
Retail specialists and merchandising associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Retail Specialist | Merchandising Associate | |
| Average salary | $31,114 | $33,201 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $43,000 | Between $26,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | Salem, NH | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New Hampshire | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Uline |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a retail specialist and a merchandising associate in terms of educational background:
| Retail Specialist | Merchandising Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 41% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between retail specialists' and merchandising associates' demographics:
| Retail Specialist | Merchandising Associate | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 42.8% Female, 57.2% | Male, 43.8% Female, 56.2% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 20.3% Asian, 7.0% White, 56.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |