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What is a merchandising supervisor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
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For individuals who enjoy sales and retail, have a creative spark, and enjoy working with people, then a career as a merchandising supervisor can be quite rewarding. Merchandising supervisors are responsible for making decisions regarding the stocking, pricing, and shelf-presentation of retail goods in stores. These individuals have the freedom to plan product displays meant to catch the eye of customers, as well as the planning and presentation of products that make the shopping experience a positive one.

Merchandising supervisors have analytical skills, and are capable of managing purchases, inventory, negotiating with suppliers, negotiating costs, identifying emerging markets, and identifying supply and demand trends. These individuals also are detail-oriented, can meet deadlines, have excellent communications and people skills, and are effective at managing employees. A career in this field typically is done in an office or retail environment and may involve working some weekends depending on the store. Merchandising managers also should be proficient in computers and software, and be able to prepare annual and quarterly budget reports and present these reports to upper management.

Also, these individuals are required to track inventory movement and push promotions, sales, and manage price changes. Although an advanced degree is not critical, a bachelor's degree in marketing, business, or a related field can be helpful, as well as experience in a retail environment. Merchandising managers can expect to make an average of $17 an hour, or $36,000 per year, and job growth in the US is expected to be 2%.

ScoreMerchandising SupervisorUS Average
Salary
2.7

Avg. Salary $34,175

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
9.4

Growth Rate 10%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
8.4
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.65%

Asian 6.65%

Black or African American 8.42%

Hispanic or Latino 17.80%

Unknown 4.64%

White 61.83%

Gender

female 56.32%

male 43.68%

Age - 42
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 - 42
Stress Level
9.4

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
5.2

Complexity Level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
4.6

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Merchandising Supervisor career paths

Key steps to become a merchandising supervisor

  1. Explore merchandising supervisor education requirements

    Most common merchandising supervisor degrees

    Bachelor's

    47.9 %

    Associate

    21.3 %

    High School Diploma

    20.7 %
  2. Start to develop specific merchandising supervisor skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Customer Service24.29%
    HR19.83%
    Drive Sales17.54%
    Store Operations14.67%
    Sales Floor4.98%
  3. Complete relevant merchandising supervisor training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New merchandising supervisors 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 a merchandising supervisor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real merchandising supervisor resumes.
  4. Research merchandising supervisor duties and responsibilities

    • Manage a group of supervisors and hold weekly SWAS meetings.
    • Assist store leadership in effectively leading, managing and developing store and/or department operations and associates to maximize sales and profitability.
    • Co-Manage the firearms and hunting departments with hardlines management team.
    • Handle SWAS meetings for all merchandise specializing in top merchandise.
  5. Prepare your merchandising supervisor resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your merchandising supervisor resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a merchandising supervisor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Merchandising Supervisor Resume templates

    Build a professional Merchandising Supervisor resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Merchandising Supervisor resume.
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    Merchandising Supervisor Resume
  6. Apply for merchandising supervisor jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a merchandising supervisor job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

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

How Did You Land Your First Merchandising Supervisor Job

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Average merchandising supervisor salary

The average Merchandising Supervisor salary in the United States is $34,175 per year or $16 per hour. Merchandising supervisor salaries range between $27,000 and $41,000 per year.

Average Merchandising Supervisor Salary
$34,175 Yearly
$16.43 hourly

What Am I Worth?

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How do merchandising supervisors rate their job?

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Merchandising Supervisor reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020
Pros

The people that you meet! Interactive with a diverse group of individuals from every walk of life.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2020
Cons

Sometimes it gets overwhelming. Everyone turns to you and you have to be able to help them


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A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020
Pros

Communication & hard work


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.