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General merchandise clerk demographics and statistics in the US

General merchandise clerk demographics research summary. Zippia estimates general merchandise clerk demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our general merchandise clerk estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about general merchandise clerks after extensive research and analysis:

  • There are over 6,382 general merchandise clerks currently employed in the United States.
  • 49.8% of all general merchandise clerks are women, while 50.2% are men.
  • The average general merchandise clerk age is 37 years old.
  • The most common ethnicity of general merchandise clerks is White (56.8%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (23.0%), Black or African American (7.5%) and Asian (5.9%).
  • In 2022, women earned 98% of what men earned.
  • 6% of all general merchandise clerks are LGBT.
  • General merchandise clerks are 67% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
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General merchandise clerk demographics by:

General merchandise clerk gender statistics

49.8% of general merchandise clerks are women and 50.2% of general merchandise clerks are men.
  • Male, 50.2%
  • Female, 49.8%

General merchandise clerk gender ratio

GenderPercentages
Male50.2%
Female49.8%

General merchandise clerk gender pay gap

Women earn 98¢ for every $1 earned by men

male-income
Male income
$35,221
female-income
Female income
$34,570

General merchandise clerk gender ratio over time

This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in general merchandise clerk positions over time. Currently, 49.8% of general merchandise clerks are female.
Male
Female
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021

General merchandise clerk gender ratio by year

YearMaleFemale
201048.86%51.14%
201149.93%50.07%
201250.63%49.37%
201350.81%49.19%
201451.51%48.49%
201551.38%48.62%
201651.39%48.61%
201751.44%48.56%
201851.89%48.11%
201950.08%49.92%
202051.34%48.66%
202150.18%49.82%

General merchandise clerk related jobs gender ratio

We compared general merchandise clerks with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, centrifugal operator and flight information expediter have the biggest gender ratio gaps.

Job titleMaleFemale
Cosmetician3%97%
Schedule Checker10%90%
Plant Clerk14%86%
General Merchandise Clerk50%50%
Raw Scales Operator95%5%
Flight Information Expediter95%5%
Centrifugal Operator96%4%

General merchandise clerk demographics by race

The most common ethnicity among general merchandise clerks is White, which makes up 56.8% of all general merchandise clerks. Comparatively, 23.0% of general merchandise clerks are Hispanic or Latino and 7.5% of general merchandise clerks are Black or African American.
  • White, 56.8%
  • Hispanic or Latino, 23.0%
  • Black or African American, 7.5%
  • Asian, 5.9%
  • Unknown, 5.8%
  • American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%

General merchandise clerk race

General merchandise clerk racePercentages
White56.8%
Hispanic or Latino23.0%
Black or African American7.5%
Asian5.9%
Unknown5.8%
American Indian and Alaska Native1.0%

General merchandise clerk race and ethnicity over time

See how general merchandise clerk racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.

General merchandise clerk race and ethnicity by year

YearWhiteBlack or African AmericanAsianHispanic or Latino
201062.60%8.76%5.39%19.63%
201161.17%10.00%5.06%19.97%
201261.25%9.98%5.06%20.14%
201362.00%9.66%5.16%19.77%
201461.31%9.83%5.20%20.04%
201561.62%9.33%5.41%19.78%
201660.42%9.56%5.34%20.56%
201760.53%9.36%5.36%20.84%
201860.85%8.25%5.77%21.39%
201960.19%8.41%5.58%21.36%
202058.37%8.26%6.06%21.48%
202156.82%7.50%5.92%23.01%

General merchandise clerk wage gap by race

$37,000
$36,000
$35,000
Unknown
White
Black or African American
Asian
Hispanic or Latino
EthnicitySalary
Unknown$35,030
White$35,119
Black or African American$35,128
Asian$35,272
Hispanic or Latino$35,559

Average general merchandise clerk age

See how the average age of general merchandise clerks varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female

General merchandise clerk age by race and gender

RaceMale ageFemale age
Black or African American3136
Unknown3038
Asian3945
Hispanic or Latino3035
White3442
American Indian and Alaska Native3139

General merchandise clerk age breakdown

The average age of general merchandise clerks is 40+ years years old, representing 42% of the general merchandise clerk population.

40+ years

30-40 years

20-30 years


General merchandise clerk age breakdown

General Merchandise Clerk YearsPercentages
40+ years42%
30-40 years20%
20-30 years32%

General merchandise clerk educational attainment

  • High School Diploma, 36%
  • Bachelor's, 33%
  • Associate, 20%
  • Diploma, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 5%

General merchandise clerks by degree level

General merchandise clerk degreePercentages
High School Diploma36%
Bachelor's33%
Associate20%
Diploma6%
Other Degrees5%

General merchandise clerk jobs you might like

General merchandise clerk wage gap by degree level

$39,000
$38,000
$37,000
$36,000
$35,000
$34,000
Master's Degree
High School Diploma or Less
Bachelor's Degree
Some College/ Associate Degree
EducationSalary
Master's Degree$37,663
High School Diploma or Less$34,530
Bachelor's Degree$36,280
Some College/ Associate Degree$35,237

General merchandise clerk employment statistics

Most general merchandise clerks work for a private in the retail industry.

Company size where general merchandise clerks work

Below, you can see the size of companies where general merchandise clerks work.

< 50 employees

50 - 100 employees

100 - 500 employees

500 - 1,000 employees

1,000 - 10,000 employees

> 10,000

General merchandise clerk jobs by employer size

Company sizePercentages
< 50 employees10%
50 - 100 employees7%
100 - 500 employees12%
500 - 1,000 employees8%
1,000 - 10,000 employees22%
> 10,000 employees40%

General merchandise clerk jobs by company type

Employees with the general merchandise clerk job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most general merchandise clerks prefer to work at private companies over public companies.

Education

Public

Private

Government

General merchandise clerk jobs by sector

Company typePercentages
Education6%
Public25%
Private67%
Government1%

General merchandise clerk jobs by industry

The most common industries for general merchandise clerks are retail, manufacturing and education.

Retail

Fortune 500

Manufacturing

Education

Hospitality

General merchandise clerk turnover and employment statistics

General merchandise clerk unemployment rate over time

The unemployment rate for general merchandise clerks between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

General merchandise clerk unemployment rate by year

YearGeneral merchandise clerk unemployment rate
201014.65%
201114.56%
201213.20%
201312.82%
201410.96%
20159.47%
20169.22%
20178.43%
20188.38%
20197.51%
20208.39%
20218.24%

Average general merchandise clerk tenure

The average general merchandise clerk stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 3,450 general merchandise clerks resumes in Zippia's database.

Less than one year

1-2 years

3-4 years

5-7 years

8-10 years

11+ years

General merchandise clerk tenure statistics

Number of yearsPercentages
Less than 1 year25%
1-2 years33%
3-4 years14%
5-7 years14%
8-10 years5%
11+ years8%

General merchandise clerk LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs

Review the percent of general merchandise clerks that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
Job titleLGBTJob openings
General Merchandise Clerk6.40%-
Messenger8.26%399
Key Carrier9.48%82,534
Postal Clerk10.33%93,101
Job Spotter10.63%35,119
Mail Processing Equipment Mechanic11.70%70,193
Emergency Dispatcher17.25%29,409

Similar general merchandise clerk jobs LGBT demographics

ProfessionPercentages of LGBT Job openings
Messenger8.26%399
Key Carrier9.48%82,534
Postal Clerk10.33%93,101
Job Spotter10.63%35,119
Mail Processing Equipment Mechanic11.70%70,193
Emergency Dispatcher17.25%29,409

Foreign languages spoken by general merchandise clerks

The most common foreign language among general merchandise clerks is Spanish at 67.4%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 5.3% and Japanese is the third-most popular at 4.2%.
  • Spanish, 67.4%
  • French, 5.3%
  • Japanese, 4.2%
  • Cantonese, 4.2%
  • German, 3.2%
  • Other, 15.7%

General merchandise clerk languages spoken

Foreign languagePercentages
Spanish67.4%
French5.3%
Japanese4.2%
Cantonese4.2%
German3.2%
Other15.7%

General merchandise clerk jobs

General merchandise clerk location demographics

Which city has the most General Merchandise Clerks?

By looking through more than 3,450 resumes, we found that the most popular places for general merchandise clerks are San Diego, CA and Grand Rapids, MI.
Number of General Merchandise Clerks

General merchandise clerk jobs by state

RankStateNumber of jobsAverage salary
1California6,191$37,044
2Texas3,399$31,490
3New York3,355$33,053
4Pennsylvania3,172$31,277
5Florida2,500$29,615
6New Jersey2,053$36,231
7Washington1,919$35,988
8Massachusetts1,778$34,220
9Illinois1,729$31,244
10Ohio1,648$33,175
11Michigan1,499$34,396
12Georgia1,350$29,754
13North Carolina1,345$27,945
14Virginia1,286$29,498
15Indiana1,148$31,327
16Wisconsin1,119$34,046
17Oregon1,061$36,300
18Tennessee1,050$30,284
19Minnesota1,045$34,440
20Colorado1,007$30,381
21Iowa974$31,933
22Missouri964$30,880
23Maryland848$31,300
24Kentucky671$30,747
25Alabama628$29,481
26Connecticut626$36,691
27Arizona622$33,370
28South Carolina609$29,137
29Utah597$32,732
30Nebraska467$35,179
31Oklahoma465$30,726
32Arkansas430$29,803
33Louisiana394$30,348
34Idaho375$34,988
35New Hampshire357$36,794
36Delaware350$34,424
37Mississippi311$30,954
38Kansas285$30,923
39Maine273$35,469
40New Mexico272$28,974
41West Virginia245$31,740
42Rhode Island244$38,315
43District of Columbia237$33,505
44South Dakota214$31,312
45Alaska204$34,854
46Nevada187$33,658
47North Dakota183$33,796
48Vermont152$36,914
49Montana130$34,893
50Hawaii120$34,433
51Wyoming104$30,074

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