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The differences between visual merchandising managers and assistant managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a visual merchandising manager and an assistant manager. Additionally, a visual merchandising manager has an average salary of $97,250, which is higher than the $39,127 average annual salary of an assistant manager.
The top three skills for a visual merchandising manager include customer service, POS and store operations. The most important skills for an assistant manager are paperwork, cleanliness, and customer service.
| Visual Merchandising Manager | Assistant Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $97,250 | $39,127 |
| Hourly rate | $46.75 | $18.81 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 23,486 | 566,132 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 42% |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A visual merchandising manager is responsible for facilitating the arrangement of visual displays to attract customers to purchase the products. Visual merchandising managers monitor the sales performance of the store and develop effective merchandise strategies to boost revenues and increase profitability. They also assist in creating promotional events and discount offers, as well as designing the store's layout during special occasions. A visual merchandising manager must have excellent leadership and communication skills, especially on guiding the staff's performance and implementing techniques to maximize productivity.
An assistant manager provides assistance and support to the direct manager in ensuring that the business runs smoothly with guaranteed satisfaction. An associate manager helps organize daily projects and manages employees to make sure that tasks are being done in a timely and accurate manner. Assistant managers are also expected to develop a good relationship with the whole workforce and clients to contribute to a successful and healthy workplace. An assistant manager is also required to present practical strategies for business growth, monitor daily operations, and communicate with clients for any possible suggestions and complaints.
Visual merchandising managers and assistant managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Visual Merchandising Manager | Assistant Manager | |
| Average salary | $97,250 | $39,127 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $139,000 | Between $23,000 And $64,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bridgeport, CT | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Meta | Simpson Thacher & Bartlett |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Finance |
There are a few differences between a visual merchandising manager and an assistant manager in terms of educational background:
| Visual Merchandising Manager | Assistant Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 42% |
| Most common major | Specialized Sales And Merchandising | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between visual merchandising managers' and assistant managers' demographics:
| Visual Merchandising Manager | Assistant Manager | |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 31.7% Female, 68.3% | Male, 42.0% Female, 58.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 7.0% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 10% |