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Visual merchandiser vs production artist

The differences between visual merchandisers and production artists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a production artist has an average salary of $61,870, 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 production artist are graphic design, adobe photoshop, and adobe creative suite.

Visual merchandiser vs production artist overview

Visual MerchandiserProduction Artist
Yearly salary$38,037$61,870
Hourly rate$18.29$29.75
Growth rate10%3%
Number of jobs74,35159,103
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 57%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age4038
Years of experience-12

What does a visual merchandiser do?

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.

What does a production artist do?

A production artist is responsible for managing digital content, meeting clients' standard specifications and requests for successful project completion. Production artists must have computer proficiency, especially on utilizing various software tools and applications to create illustrations and layouts. They also work closely with the creative team, cooperating in brainstorming sessions to ensure the consistency for each assigned task. A production artist should be keen on details, adjusting outputs as needed to maintain the highest quality for the actual presentation.

Visual merchandiser vs production artist salary

Visual merchandisers and production artists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Visual MerchandiserProduction Artist
Average salary$38,037$61,870
Salary rangeBetween $27,000 And $53,000Between $40,000 And $94,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NYSan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateNew YorkWashington
Best paying companyRHApple
Best paying industryRetail-

Differences between visual merchandiser and production artist education

There are a few differences between a visual merchandiser and a production artist in terms of educational background:

Visual MerchandiserProduction Artist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 57%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common majorSpecialized Sales And MerchandisingGraphic Design
Most common college-University of Pennsylvania

Visual merchandiser vs production artist demographics

Here are the differences between visual merchandisers' and production artists' demographics:

Visual MerchandiserProduction Artist
Average age4038
Gender ratioMale, 27.3% Female, 72.7%Male, 57.2% Female, 42.8%
Race ratioBlack 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 Percentage17%13%

Differences between visual merchandiser and production artist duties and responsibilities

Visual merchandiser example responsibilities.

  • Manage backroom/stock room inventory by organizing pallets, stacking and storing product inventory.
  • Provide support to all meeting and VTC rooms.
  • Merchandise mens, ladies, kids, and accessories departments.
  • Operate audio board, PowerPoint, camera, and video switcher.
  • Assist outside vendor merchandisers (NIKE) with execution of planograms.
  • Assist with prop development and production for the 5 NYC flagship stores.
  • Show more

Production artist example responsibilities.

  • Manage print jobs, design, copywriting.
  • Produce and code HTML emails that are browser/email client-friendly, as well code landing pages in CSS.
  • Code web pages with HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, and WordPress.
  • Update and maintain CMS website.
  • Work almost daily in the mac studio.
  • Submit sketch approvals to USDA for their review.
  • Show more

Visual merchandiser vs production artist skills

Common visual merchandiser skills
  • Customer Service, 25%
  • Ladders, 17%
  • Sales Floor, 10%
  • Store Management, 6%
  • Drive Sales, 6%
  • Kids, 5%
Common production artist skills
  • Graphic Design, 12%
  • Adobe Photoshop, 9%
  • Adobe Creative Suite, 7%
  • Adobe Illustrator, 7%
  • Adobe Indesign, 5%
  • Production Art, 5%

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