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Best states for a merchandise buyer
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Do you want to become a merchandise buyer at J. C. Penney, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for merchandise buyers that you can check out, before you begin your journey. As merchandise buyers are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for merchandise buyers. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as a merchandise buyer, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
Pennsylvania is the best state for jobs for merchandise buyers, and Arizona is the worst. The most common pay in Pennsylvania is $55,137, while the median pay in Arizona is $41,818.If you are currently seeking employment as a merchandise buyer, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for merchandise buyers in 2025
1. Pennsylvania
Total merchandise buyer jobs: 340 Average annual salary: $55,137 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Location Quotient: 1.34
2. Michigan
Total merchandise buyer jobs: 265 Average annual salary: $53,366 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Location Quotient: 1.57
3. New Jersey
Total merchandise buyer jobs: 203 Average annual salary: $56,417 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Location Quotient: 1.17
4. Ohio
Total merchandise buyer jobs: 244 Average annual salary: $53,366 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Location Quotient: 1.09
5. West Virginia
Total merchandise buyer jobs: 27 Average annual salary: $53,345 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Location Quotient: 0.81
6. Kansas
Total merchandise buyer jobs: 58 Average annual salary: $53,582 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Location Quotient: 0.88
7. Wisconsin
Total merchandise buyer jobs: 133 Average annual salary: $51,291 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Location Quotient: 1.1
8. South Dakota
Total merchandise buyer jobs: 17 Average annual salary: $51,838 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $67,000 Location Quotient: 0.73
9. Kentucky
Total merchandise buyer jobs: 86 Average annual salary: $49,861 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $67,000 Location Quotient: 1.07
10. Iowa
Total merchandise buyer jobs: 97 Average annual salary: $47,698 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Location Quotient: 1.22
Merchandise buyer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a merchandise buyer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a merchandise buyer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania | $55,137 | $40,000 | 12,805,537 | 340 |
| 2 | Michigan | $53,366 | $39,000 | 9,962,311 | 265 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $56,417 | $40,000 | 9,005,644 | 203 |
| 4 | Ohio | $53,366 | $39,000 | 11,658,609 | 244 |
| 5 | West Virginia | $53,345 | $39,000 | 1,815,857 | 27 |
| 6 | Kansas | $53,582 | $40,000 | 2,913,123 | 58 |
| 7 | Wisconsin | $51,291 | $38,000 | 5,795,483 | 133 |
| 8 | South Dakota | $51,838 | $39,000 | 869,666 | 17 |
| 9 | Kentucky | $49,861 | $36,000 | 4,454,189 | 86 |
| 10 | Iowa | $47,698 | $36,000 | 3,145,711 | 97 |
| 11 | Missouri | $49,715 | $37,000 | 6,113,532 | 144 |
| 12 | Maryland | $51,891 | $37,000 | 6,052,177 | 170 |
| 13 | Virginia | $53,733 | $38,000 | 8,470,020 | 175 |
| 14 | Indiana | $48,903 | $36,000 | 6,666,818 | 156 |
| 15 | Minnesota | $48,376 | $36,000 | 5,576,606 | 183 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $49,957 | $36,000 | 3,588,184 | 85 |
| 17 | South Carolina | $48,287 | $35,000 | 5,024,369 | 112 |
| 18 | New York | $49,024 | $35,000 | 19,849,399 | 442 |
| 19 | Washington | $52,300 | $40,000 | 7,405,743 | 92 |
| 20 | Delaware | $52,422 | $37,000 | 961,939 | 0 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $47,331 | $35,000 | 1,342,795 | 58 |
| 22 | Montana | $51,208 | $39,000 | 1,050,493 | 11 |
| 23 | Massachusetts | $50,582 | $37,000 | 6,859,819 | 206 |
| 24 | Alaska | $49,394 | $43,000 | 739,795 | 22 |
| 25 | Tennessee | $46,036 | $34,000 | 6,715,984 | 147 |
| 26 | Wyoming | $46,567 | $35,000 | 579,315 | 15 |
| 27 | North Carolina | $48,137 | $34,000 | 10,273,419 | 211 |
| 28 | Rhode Island | $48,261 | $35,000 | 1,059,639 | 27 |
| 29 | Mississippi | $45,013 | $33,000 | 2,984,100 | 64 |
| 30 | Vermont | $48,038 | $36,000 | 623,657 | 15 |
| 31 | District of Columbia | $53,095 | $38,000 | 693,972 | 12 |
| 32 | North Dakota | $46,232 | $36,000 | 755,393 | 17 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $46,949 | $35,000 | 1,920,076 | 34 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $45,880 | $35,000 | 2,088,070 | 37 |
| 35 | Georgia | $44,035 | $32,000 | 10,429,379 | 271 |
| 36 | Nevada | $41,991 | $32,000 | 2,998,039 | 58 |
| 37 | California | $46,081 | $34,000 | 39,536,653 | 725 |
| 38 | Maine | $45,759 | $35,000 | 1,335,907 | 0 |
| 39 | Alabama | $44,643 | $33,000 | 4,874,747 | 0 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $44,691 | $33,000 | 3,930,864 | 33 |
| 41 | Illinois | $42,358 | $31,000 | 12,802,023 | 262 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $42,311 | $31,000 | 3,004,279 | 41 |
| 43 | Colorado | $45,408 | $34,000 | 5,607,154 | 0 |
| 44 | Texas | $41,807 | $31,000 | 28,304,596 | 437 |
| 45 | Utah | $37,819 | $29,000 | 3,101,833 | 81 |
| 46 | Oregon | $43,038 | $32,000 | 4,142,776 | 75 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $42,289 | $31,000 | 4,684,333 | 39 |
| 48 | Idaho | $42,262 | $32,000 | 1,716,943 | 23 |
| 49 | Florida | $40,543 | $29,000 | 20,984,400 | 265 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $37,226 | $29,000 | 1,427,538 | 17 |
| 51 | Arizona | $41,818 | $31,000 | 7,016,270 | 0 |
Highest paying states for merchandise buyers
| Rank | State | Avg. Merchandise Buyer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania | $55,137 |
| 2 | Michigan | $53,366 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $56,417 |
| 4 | Ohio | $53,366 |
| 5 | West Virginia | $53,345 |
| 6 | Kansas | $53,582 |
| 7 | Wisconsin | $51,291 |
| 8 | South Dakota | $51,838 |
| 9 | Kentucky | $49,861 |
| 10 | Iowa | $47,698 |
| 11 | Missouri | $49,715 |
| 12 | Maryland | $51,891 |
| 13 | Virginia | $53,733 |
| 14 | Indiana | $48,903 |
| 15 | Minnesota | $48,376 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $49,957 |
| 17 | South Carolina | $48,287 |
| 18 | New York | $49,024 |
| 19 | Washington | $52,300 |
| 20 | Delaware | $52,422 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $47,331 |
| 22 | Montana | $51,208 |
| 23 | Massachusetts | $50,582 |
| 24 | Alaska | $49,394 |
| 25 | Tennessee | $46,036 |
| 26 | Wyoming | $46,567 |
| 27 | North Carolina | $48,137 |
| 28 | Rhode Island | $48,261 |
| 29 | Mississippi | $45,013 |
| 30 | Vermont | $48,038 |
| 31 | District of Columbia | $53,095 |
| 32 | North Dakota | $46,232 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $46,949 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $45,880 |
| 35 | Georgia | $44,035 |
| 36 | Nevada | $41,991 |
| 37 | California | $46,081 |
| 38 | Maine | $45,759 |
| 39 | Alabama | $44,643 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $44,691 |
| 41 | Illinois | $42,358 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $42,311 |
| 43 | Colorado | $45,408 |
| 44 | Texas | $41,807 |
| 45 | Utah | $37,819 |
| 46 | Oregon | $43,038 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $42,289 |
| 48 | Idaho | $42,262 |
| 49 | Florida | $40,543 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $37,226 |
| 51 | Arizona | $41,818 |
Merchandise buyer best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025