How to hire a merchandising manager

How to hire a merchandising manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step merchandising manager hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a merchandising manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new merchandising manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a merchandising manager do?

Post a merchandising manager job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a merchandising manager, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A merchandising manager's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, merchandising managers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of merchandising managers.

   Type of Merchandising Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Merchandising Manager	Advertising, promotions, and marketing managers plan programs to generate interest in products or services. They work with art directors, sales agents, and financial staff members.	$30-55
   Co-Manager	A co-manager's role is to supervise business operations and perform administrative tasks as support to a manager. One of the primary functions of a co-manager is to delegate tasks of team members and arrange schedules... Show more	$16-57
   Co-Manager/Store Manager	A co-manager/store manager oversees the daily operations of a store, ensuring smooth workflow and customer satisfaction. They are in charge of setting goals and sales targets, establishing guidelines and timelines, delegating responsibilities among staff, and developing strategies to optimize store operations... Show more	$14-26

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Sales Floor
   • POS
   • Apparel
   • Pallets
   • Merchandise Presentation
   • Drive Sales
   • Customer Service
   • Payroll
   • Ladders
   • B Testing
   • Employee Engagement
   • Sales Associates
   • Store Sales
   • Loss Prevention

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage and plan ROI, CPC and bid management on external online shopping sites.
   • Manage hardware, plumbing, kitchen and bath, kitchen design, and night operations.
   • Create all marketing materials (paper/media), organize logistics of readings, manage financials.
   • Manage merchandising for lumber, building materials, paint, hardware, plumbing, electrical, and the garden department.
   • Lead website development committee, including RFP development, ROI analysis, marketing, brand-enhancement strategies, and back-end integration solutions.
   • Manage creative development and production of indirect channel POS fixtures creating brand consistency

   More merchandising manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the merchandising manager job description is a good way to get more applicants. A merchandising manager salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a merchandising manager in Alaska may be lower than in Rhode Island, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level merchandising manager. Additionally, a merchandising manager with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average merchandising manager salary

   $86,346yearly

   $41.51 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level merchandising manager salary

   $64,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 21, 2026

   Average merchandising manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Rhode Island	$108,776	$52
   2	Oregon	$102,812	$49
   3	New Jersey	$97,268	$47
   4	Washington	$97,256	$47
   5	New York	$96,759	$47
   6	Massachusetts	$94,921	$46
   7	West Virginia	$91,088	$44
   8	North Carolina	$90,940	$44
   9	Pennsylvania	$90,910	$44
   10	Illinois	$90,130	$43
   11	California	$89,812	$43
   12	Maryland	$89,041	$43
   13	Indiana	$86,223	$41
   14	Ohio	$85,716	$41
   15	Florida	$84,999	$41
   16	Utah	$84,740	$41
   17	Nevada	$84,058	$40
   18	Arizona	$82,347	$40
   19	Georgia	$80,327	$39
   20	Missouri	$79,019	$38

   Average merchandising manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Roku	$146,563	$70.46	13
   2	Meta	$129,325	$62.18	349
   3	Nike	$128,971	$62.01	38
   4	Bunge	$125,595	$60.38	11
   5	Hanesbrands	$124,031	$59.63
   6	Amazon	$118,645	$57.04	182
   7	Fashion Nova	$118,093	$56.78
   8	Google	$117,602	$56.54	135
   9	Fanatics	$117,376	$56.43	551
   10	Cargill	$116,498	$56.01	4
   11	Keurig Dr Pepper	$115,296	$55.43	63
   12	Macy's	$113,789	$54.71	49
   13	Ross Stores	$113,497	$54.57	355
   14	JCPenney	$112,719	$54.19	193
   15	Mouser Electronics	$111,348	$53.53
   16	Michaels Stores	$111,036	$53.38	249
   17	VF	$110,518	$53.13	75
   18	Chewy	$110,474	$53.11	6
   19	Lands' End	$109,581	$52.68	7
   20	TPC Group	$109,430	$52.61

4. Writing a merchandising manager job description

   A merchandising manager job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a merchandising manager job description:

   Merchandising manager job description example

   C ome work at a place where innovation and teamwork come together to support the most exciting missions in the world!
   
   Our vision at Petco is Healthier Pets. Happier People. Better World. We're making things better for pets, people and the planet through our Think Adoption First philosophy, the Petco Foundation and other important initiatives that focus on putting animals first, educating pet parents and reducing our carbon footprint. The journey starts with knowledgeable, passionately engaged associates who are proud to recommend Petco as a place to work, who believe in our Vision and who are committed to delivering a superior customer experience.
   
   From our retail stores and our network of Distribution Centers to our Corporate offices, you'll work with others who share your values and commitment. We seek individuals who are passionate about animal welfare, have great people skills and are driven to grow and advance in their careers with us. Our ongoing growth is creating exceptional opportunities for professional development and personal enrichment throughout our organization.
   Education (Required):
   
   + Bachelor's degree in finance, operations, economics, business, or statistics.
   
   + Work Experience (Required): 3-5 years of retail planning, inventory management, financial planning or financial analysis experience.
   
   + Two years recent management experience in a retail environment leading a team of 2-5 direct reports, preferably within a planning capacity.
   
   + Solid understanding of financial measurements including: sales, gross margin, GMROI, inventory turn, weeks of supply, open to buy and how to impact them.
   
   + Ability to communicate and influence decisions to profitably drive the business.
   
   + Good communication and presentation skills.
   
   + Exposure to relevant planning, finance, analytical, data management systems - systems used: Oracle Planning, Micro Strategies, Applied Predictive Technologies. Identifies/influences critical stakeholders; proactively problem solves and recommends solutions. Optimization Mindset - designs and develops models/plans to optimize decisions.
   
   + Built collaborative partnerships with critical stakeholder, direct reports, peers and cross-functional teams. Understands and executes against business strategy and goals.
   
   Petco Animal Supplies, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or any other protected classification.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right merchandising manager for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   To find merchandising manager candidates, you can consider the following options:

   • Post your job opening on Zippia or other job search websites.
   • Use niche websites that focus on engineering and technology jobs, such as swipe files, exit five, marketinghire, american marketing association.
   • Post your job on free job posting websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting merchandising managers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new merchandising manager

   Once you've found the merchandising manager candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new merchandising manager first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a merchandising manager?