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The differences between visual merchandisers and assistant designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an assistant designer has an average salary of $52,475, which is higher than the $38,037 average annual salary of a visual merchandiser.
The top three skills for a visual merchandiser include customer service, ladders and sales floor. The most important skills for an assistant designer are sketch, tech packs, and adobe illustrator.
| Visual Merchandiser | Assistant Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $38,037 | $52,475 |
| Hourly rate | $18.29 | $25.23 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 74,351 | 47,598 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Years of experience | - | 12 |
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.
Assistant designers act as administrative support to senior designers in creating innovative designs by negotiating with the vendors about the prices of decoration materials. They are keen and up-to-date to the latest fashion and trends by conducting surveys and research. They are exceptionally creative and innovative and have excellent IT skills as they use illustration, typography, and photography layouts in the design process. However, being an assistant designer, career development relies on his/her /her specialism, reputation, and experience depending on how its opportunities are influenced by the company he/she works for.
Visual merchandisers and assistant designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Visual Merchandiser | Assistant Designer | |
| Average salary | $38,037 | $52,475 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $53,000 | Between $37,000 And $73,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Washington |
| Best paying company | RH | PVH |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Construction |
There are a few differences between a visual merchandiser and an assistant designer in terms of educational background:
| Visual Merchandiser | Assistant Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Specialized Sales And Merchandising | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | - | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between visual merchandisers' and assistant designers' demographics:
| Visual Merchandiser | Assistant Designer | |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 27.3% Female, 72.7% | Male, 28.3% Female, 71.7% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 10.4% White, 70.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 17% | 13% |