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Job outlook for merchandisers in the United States
Merchandiser job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected merchandiser job growth rate is 1% from 2018-2028.
About 46,900 new jobs for merchandisers are projected over the next decade.
Merchandiser salaries have increased 38% for merchandisers in the last 5 years.
There are over 132,868 merchandisers currently employed in the United States.
There are 109,447 active merchandiser job openings in the US.
The average merchandiser salary is $31,051.
Are merchandiser jobs in demand?
Merchandiser job and salary trends over time
Merchandiser jobs over time
Merchandiser job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 132,868 | 0.04% |
| 2020 | 136,758 | 0.04% |
| 2019 | 142,803 | 0.04% |
| 2018 | 161,543 | 0.05% |
| 2017 | 161,118 | 0.05% |
Average merchandiser salary over time
Merchandiser salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $31,051 | $14.93 | +2.1% |
| 2024 | $30,417 | $14.62 | +25.5% |
| 2023 | $24,246 | $11.66 | +5.0% |
| 2022 | $23,086 | $11.10 | +2.6% |
| 2021 | $22,492 | $10.81 | +2.7% |
Merchandiser jobs by state
Most common states for merchandisers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 433 | 32% |
| 2 | Vermont | 623,657 | 181 | 29% |
| 3 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 467 | 26% |
| 4 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 142 | 25% |
| 5 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 760 | 24% |
| 6 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 183 | 24% |
| 7 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 290 | 22% |
| 8 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 394 | 21% |
| 9 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,293 | 19% |
| 10 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 1,277 | 19% |
| 11 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,042 | 19% |
| 12 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 855 | 19% |
| 13 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 584 | 19% |
| 14 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,017 | 18% |
| 15 | Delaware | 961,939 | 169 | 18% |
| 16 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 160 | 18% |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 2,136 | 17% |
| 18 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 1,665 | 17% |
| 19 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 853 | 17% |
| 20 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 180 | 17% |
Most common cities for merchandisers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grand Rapids | 18 | 9% | $30,264 |
| 2 | Savannah | 12 | 8% | $26,572 |
| 3 | Atlanta | 23 | 5% | $26,895 |
| 4 | Saint Paul | 16 | 5% | $32,324 |
| 5 | Orlando | 14 | 5% | $25,944 |
| 6 | Denver | 25 | 4% | $30,495 |
| 7 | Tampa | 16 | 4% | $25,871 |
| 8 | Aurora | 14 | 4% | $30,478 |
| 9 | Saint Louis | 13 | 4% | $28,133 |
| 10 | Miami | 15 | 3% | $25,394 |
| 11 | San Diego | 23 | 2% | $33,335 |
| 12 | Jacksonville | 16 | 2% | $26,276 |
| 13 | Indianapolis | 15 | 2% | $25,527 |
| 14 | Phoenix | 15 | 1% | $29,240 |
| 15 | Austin | 14 | 1% | $28,319 |
| 16 | San Jose | 14 | 1% | $35,789 |
| 17 | Los Angeles | 14 | 0% | $34,066 |
Merchandiser job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of merchandiser experts
Miami University
Leslie Stoel Ph.D.
Professor, Marketing and FashionMiami University
Farmer School of Business, Marketing in the Farmer School of Business and Art in the College of Creative Arts
What skills stand out on Merchandiser resumes?
Leslie Stoel Ph.D.: For fashion merchant/merchandising jobs and fashion marketing jobs, analytics and anything digital skills stand out.
What soft skills should all Merchandisers possess?
Leslie Stoel Ph.D.: Important soft skills are the ability to tell the story behind the numbers (what happened and why it happened), strong speaking and presenting skills, evidence showing the student is a good team member/collaborator, empathy for shoppers (to understand their wants/needs), and a high level of confidence.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Merchandisers?
Leslie Stoel Ph.D.: Hard/technical skills relate to the ability to handle and analyze data - whether it be sales data or google analytics data from the company's digital efforts.
What skills will help Merchandisers earn the most?
Leslie Stoel Ph.D.: The skills that allow students to reap high salaries are business analytics (#1) and digital marketing (#2). In both of these areas, it is almost a bidding war across employers.