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The differences between solar sales representatives and merchandising representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a solar sales representative and a merchandising representative. Additionally, a solar sales representative has an average salary of $95,427, which is higher than the $32,303 average annual salary of a merchandising representative.
The top three skills for a solar sales representative include sales presentations, lead generation and solar power. The most important skills for a merchandising representative are little supervision, store management, and plan-o-grams.
| Solar Sales Representative | Merchandising Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $95,427 | $32,303 |
| Hourly rate | $45.88 | $15.53 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 140,298 | 351,931 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Solar sales representatives are sales professionals who are responsible for providing information about solar-powered equipment and its benefits to their customers. These representatives must meet with customers in-store and out at site locations to demonstrate their company's solar products in a working environment. They are required to gather information to identify the solar needs of their customers and select the solar energy products and systems that best suit their needs. Solar sales representatives must also review designs for the solar installation of their customers.
Merchandising representatives are professionals who are responsible for providing point-of-purchase and shelf management services to produce sales. These representatives are required to plan and develop merchandising strategies so that they can balance the expectations of customers and the organization's objectives. They must maintain store shelves and display products appropriately so that they can maximize the interest of customers and sales levels. Merchandising representatives must also analyze sales figures, the reactions of customers, and market trends to anticipate their product needs and plan product stock.
Solar sales representatives and merchandising representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Solar Sales Representative | Merchandising Representative | |
| Average salary | $95,427 | $32,303 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $130,000 | Between $25,000 And $40,000 |
| Highest paying City | Worcester, MA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Maine |
| Best paying company | Randstad North America, Inc. | ECMD |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a solar sales representative and a merchandising representative in terms of educational background:
| Solar Sales Representative | Merchandising Representative | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | SUNY College of Technology at Alfred |
Here are the differences between solar sales representatives' and merchandising representatives' demographics:
| Solar Sales Representative | Merchandising Representative | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.8% Female, 24.2% | Male, 47.2% Female, 52.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 5.1% White, 72.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 5.1% White, 73.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |