How To Become An Apparel Merchandiser: What It Is and Career Path

What is an apparel merchandiser and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Apparel merchandisers work in the fashion industry and figure out what products and materials to buy to keep a brand successful. They closely collaborate with designers and buyers and analyze fashion trends and customer choices to best curate future merchandise.

You will analyze trends in the industry to forecast what investments will bring revenue to your brand. You will also be responsible for overseeing the style of garments for sale in retails stores or fashion houses. Planning and implementing store layouts will also be your duty.

A degree in fashion design is usually expected of candidates applying for this position. You will have to be up to date on the latest fashion trends and use visual design software such as Photoshop and Illustrator. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills are a must and, of course, good taste.

ScoreApparel MerchandiserUS Average

Salary

2.8

Avg. Salary $36,291

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity

7.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.49%

Asian 5.34%

Black or African American 8.50%

Hispanic or Latino 13.83%

Unknown 5.10%

White 66.75%

Gender

female 80.46%

male 19.54%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress level

5.5

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.0

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.8

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an apparel merchandiser

Explore apparel merchandiser education requirements

Most common apparel merchandiser degrees

Bachelor's

62.6 %

Associate

15.8 %

High School Diploma

11.7 %

Start to develop specific apparel merchandiser skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	77.29%
Fashion Trends	10.18%
Product Placement	8.10%
Product Knowledge	1.39%
Sales Associates	1.01%

Complete relevant apparel merchandiser training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New apparel merchandisers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an apparel merchandiser based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real apparel merchandiser resumes.

Research apparel merchandiser duties and responsibilities

Manage backroom/stock room inventory by organizing pallets, stacking and storing product inventory.
Use point of sales (POS) terminal to collect and dispense cash.
Finalize accounting day/ POS sales.
Disassemble and construct wine and spirit departments for key accounts following detail product schematics.

Apply for apparel merchandiser jobs

Now it's time to start searching for an apparel merchandiser job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do apparel merchandisers rate their job?

-/5

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Apparel merchandiser reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2020

Pros

The customers