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The differences between visual merchandisers and design specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a design specialist has an average salary of $56,917, 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 a design specialist are customer service, sketch, and CAD.
| Visual Merchandiser | Design Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $38,037 | $56,917 |
| Hourly rate | $18.29 | $27.36 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 74,351 | 68,347 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 40 | 42 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
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.
A design specialist is responsible for creating engaging visual images and digital content to improve customers' brand awareness about the organization's products and services. Design specialists may also work for media production, creating graphic animations for viewers depending on production requirements and media demands. A design specialist must have excellent knowledge of utilizing various software tools and programs, coordinating with the whole design team on adjusting plans, improving layouts according to budget limitations, and submitting deliverables within the set deadlines.
Visual merchandisers and design specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Visual Merchandiser | Design Specialist | |
| Average salary | $38,037 | $56,917 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $53,000 | Between $35,000 And $91,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Menlo Park, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | New York |
| Best paying company | RH | BP America Inc |
| Best paying industry | Retail | - |
There are a few differences between a visual merchandiser and a design specialist in terms of educational background:
| Visual Merchandiser | Design Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Specialized Sales And Merchandising | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | - | Cornell University |
Here are the differences between visual merchandisers' and design specialists' demographics:
| Visual Merchandiser | Design Specialist | |
| Average age | 40 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 27.3% Female, 72.7% | Male, 55.1% Female, 44.9% |
| 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, 1.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 7.6% Asian, 4.6% White, 82.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 17% | 23% |