How to hire an online merchant

How to hire an online merchant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step online merchant hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the online merchant you need to hire. Certain online merchant roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect online merchant also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of online merchants and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Online Merchant	Description	Hourly rate
   Online Merchant		$16-41
   E-Commerce Merchant	Selling online is thriving as people are getting more knowledgeable of the works of the internet. E-commerce merchants are one of the many who use the internet for their business... Show more	$6-37
   Merchant	A merchant is responsible for selling goods and services for an organization to generate revenues by reaching out to existing and potential customers and discuss the products' features. Merchants must have extensive knowledge of the goods offered by the company to be able to respond to customers' inquiries and concerns accurately... Show more	$22-57

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Apparel
   • Product Line
   • Retail Business
   • Customer Service
   • Product Prices
   • Web Site
   • Customer Orders
   • Market Research
   • Process Payments
   • Online Business
   • E-Commerce
   • KPI

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage social media (Facebook) by posting new content, questions, pictures, new arrivals, graphics, etc.
   • Define and optimize lead nurturing strategy, create regular cadence of outbound marketing, leverage marketing automation and CRM technology.
   • Define and optimize lead nurturing strategy, create regular cadence of outbound marketing, leverage marketing automation and CRM technology.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the online merchant job description is a good way to get more applicants. An online merchant 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 an online merchant in Nebraska may be lower than in New York, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level online merchant. Additionally, an online merchant with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average online merchant salary

   $55,338yearly

   $26.60 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level online merchant salary

   $35,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

   Average online merchant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$81,234	$39
   2	California	$74,796	$36
   3	California	$74,490	$36
   4	California	$74,457	$36
   5	California	$74,325	$36
   6	California	$68,890	$33
   7	California	$68,723	$33
   8	California	$68,473	$33
   9	New Jersey	$67,695	$33
   10	New Jersey	$67,645	$33
   11	Oregon	$63,821	$31
   12	Texas	$58,648	$28
   13	Georgia	$56,442	$27
   14	Illinois	$54,259	$26
   15	New Hampshire	$53,153	$26

   Average online merchant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Apple	$129,322	$62.17	1
   2	IBM	$91,072	$43.78
   3	Artemis Health	$71,157	$34.21
   4	BRCH Corporation	$57,872	$27.82
   5	Dealmoon	$55,707	$26.78
   6	The Home Depot	$46,866	$22.53	1

4. Writing an online merchant job description

   An online merchant 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 an online merchant job description:

   Online merchant job description example

   **Position Purpose:**
   
   Responsible for executing the merchandising objectives for a class/subclass of merchandise. This includes, assisting the merchant with creating and maintaining vendor relationships, marketing products, developing product line strategies and reporting financial results. The Associate Merchant assists with making buying decisions for the assigned category and negotiates terms with suppliers to drive item selection and pricing.
   
   **Major Tasks, Responsibilities & Key Accountabilities:**
   
   + 30% Supplier Relationship Management: Assists Merchant with influencing the supplier management strategy to support overall department strategy and works to improve all aspect of supplier relationship. May serve as a key contributor on various other key projects.
   
   + 30%Financial Planning & Management: Assists Merchant with Implementing the financial strategy/ cost structure for a category and sets pricing. May set pricing and strategy for class/subclass.
   
   + 20% Merchandising Execution: Assists Merchant with developing merchandising strategy to understand key business drivers (e.g. historical performance, industry/ competitive landscape, consumer segmentation) May serve as a key contributor on various key projects within a business function.
   
   + 20% Assortment Selection: Assists Merchant with executing the business review of category/ categories on a regular basis; determining changes to product mix to better optimize assortment and drive innovation.
   
   **Nature and Scope:**
   
   + Typically reports to Senior Merchant or Merchant.
   
   + No direct responsibility for supervising others.
   
   **Environmental Job Requirements:**
   
   **Environment:**
   
   Located in a comfortable indoor area. Any unpleasant conditions would be infrequent and not objectionable.
   
   **Travel:**
   
   Typically requires overnight travel 5% to 20% of the time.
   
   **Standard Minimum Qualifications:**
   
   + Must be eighteen years of age or older.
   
   + Must be legally permitted to work in the United States.
   
   **Education Required:**
   
   The knowledge, skills and abilities typically acquired through the completion of a high school diploma and/or GED.
   
   **Years of Relevant Work Experience:**
   
   4 years
   
   **Physical Requirements:**
   
   Most of the time is spent sitting in a comfortable position and there is frequent opportunity to move about. On rare occasions there may be a need to move or lift light articles.
   
   **Additional Qualifications:**
   
   Experience with managing regional and national suppliers. Ability to manage sales typically in excess of $400M. Experience managing a business (financial, operational, process, people, technology etc).
   
   **Preferred Qualifications:**
   
   + Bachelor's degree, preferably in business or related field of study
   
   + Proven experience in merchandising execution, visual presentation, inventory management, channel management, and supplier management.
   
   + Proven proficiency in both a brick and mortar and online retail environment
   
   + Experience managing a large number of vendors simultaneously
   
   + Comprehensive understanding of relevant products to make purchasing decisions
   
   **Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Competencies:**
   
   + Advanced understanding of internal and environmental sales drivers
   
   + Merchandising and retail planning expertise
   
   + Strong analytical skills
   
   + Expert communication and negotiation skills
   
   + Project execution skills. ability to negotiate pricing terms
   
   + Ability and willingness to work in a highly cross-functional environment
   
   + Proficient with Microsoft Office, Specialized with Excel
   
   + Ability to work independently
   
   We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find online merchants for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any online merchants they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level online merchants with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your online merchant job on Zippia to find and recruit online merchant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with online merchant candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   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 online merchant

   Once you've decided on a perfect online merchant candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new online merchant. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

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.)

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