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The average salary for a Merchant is approximately $74,999 per year. This figure can vary based on factors such as location, years of experience, and the specific industry. For instance, merchants in states like California and New York tend to earn higher salaries due to the cost of living and market demand.
Entry-level positions may offer salaries closer to $50,000, while experienced professionals can earn upwards of $100,000. This salary range reflects the diverse responsibilities that merchants handle, including pricing strategies, inventory management, and customer relations.
Merchants in urban areas or those working for large companies often see higher compensation. In addition, sectors like e-commerce and retail management are known to offer competitive salaries. Understanding these dynamics can help aspiring merchants set realistic career goals and expectations.
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The average merchant salary in California, Massachusetts, and Oregon are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average merchant salary states are Georgia, Maine, and Wisconsin.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $105,907 | $50.92 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $90,712 | $43.61 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $101,477 | $48.79 |
| 4 | California | $111,436 | $53.58 |
| 5 | Florida | $87,592 | $42.11 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $88,642 | $42.62 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | $82,331 | $39.58 |
| 8 | Ohio | $81,094 | $38.99 |
| 9 | North Dakota | $77,836 | $37.42 |
| 10 | Nevada | $87,453 | $42.04 |
| 11 | Washington | $90,566 | $43.54 |
| 12 | New York | $84,947 | $40.84 |
| 13 | Oregon | $93,895 | $45.14 |
| 14 | Arizona | $80,556 | $38.73 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $84,259 | $40.51 |
| 16 | Vermont | $80,348 | $38.63 |
| 17 | North Carolina | $78,234 | $37.61 |
| 18 | Michigan | $77,690 | $37.35 |
| 19 | New Jersey | $85,501 | $41.11 |
| 20 | Delaware | $77,767 | $37.39 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $78,764 | $37.87 |
| 22 | Maryland | $84,897 | $40.82 |
| 23 | Texas | $76,496 | $36.78 |
| 24 | Louisiana | $74,702 | $35.91 |
| 25 | Arkansas | $73,602 | $35.39 |
| 26 | West Virginia | $75,645 | $36.37 |
| 27 | Alaska | $80,454 | $38.68 |
| 28 | Montana | $77,011 | $37.02 |
| 29 | Colorado | $76,530 | $36.79 |
| 30 | South Carolina | $76,031 | $36.55 |
| 31 | Kentucky | $73,607 | $35.39 |
| 32 | Oklahoma | $71,908 | $34.57 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $71,198 | $34.23 |
| 34 | Wyoming | $75,180 | $36.14 |
| 35 | Virginia | $77,902 | $37.45 |
| 36 | South Dakota | $73,331 | $35.26 |
| 37 | Idaho | $72,011 | $34.62 |
| 38 | Hawaii | $87,454 | $42.05 |
| 39 | Alabama | $72,618 | $34.91 |
| 40 | Indiana | $65,143 | $31.32 |
| 41 | Mississippi | $72,060 | $34.64 |
| 42 | Illinois | $71,862 | $34.55 |
| 43 | Maine | $66,003 | $31.73 |
| 44 | Minnesota | $74,149 | $35.65 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $72,096 | $34.66 |
| 46 | Utah | $69,023 | $33.18 |
| 47 | Georgia | $68,449 | $32.91 |
| 48 | Kansas | $71,141 | $34.20 |
| 49 | Iowa | $63,626 | $30.59 |
| 50 | Wisconsin | $65,154 | $31.32 |
| 51 | Missouri | $62,684 | $30.14 |
The highest-paying cities for merchants are San Francisco, CA, Northampton, MA, and Miami, FL.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $121,942 | $58.63 |
| 2 | Northampton, MA | $102,463 | $49.26 |
| 3 | Miami, FL | $87,825 | $42.22 |
| 4 | Spokane, WA | $86,138 | $41.41 |
| 5 | New York, NY | $85,422 | $41.07 |
| 6 | Teaneck, NJ | $85,410 | $41.06 |
| 7 | Reynoldsburg, OH | $80,674 | $38.79 |
| 8 | Raleigh, NC | $79,696 | $38.32 |
| 9 | Norfolk, VA | $77,972 | $37.49 |
| 10 | Austin, TX | $77,494 | $37.26 |
| 11 | Denver, CO | $76,318 | $36.69 |
| 12 | Columbia, SC | $76,083 | $36.58 |
| 13 | Minneapolis, MN | $74,255 | $35.70 |
| 14 | Knoxville, TN | $73,143 | $35.16 |
| 15 | Bentonville, AR | $72,964 | $35.08 |
| 16 | Chicago, IL | $72,256 | $34.74 |
| 17 | Overland Park, KS | $70,995 | $34.13 |
| 18 | Atlanta, GA | $68,243 | $32.81 |
| 19 | Indianapolis, IN | $64,895 | $31.20 |
| 20 | Saint Louis, MO | $63,697 | $30.62 |
A merchant's salary ranges from $47,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $119,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $119,000 | $9,917 | $57 |
| 75th Percentile | $95,000 | $7,917 | $46 |
| Average | $74,999 | $6,250 | $36 |
| 25th Percentile | $58,000 | $4,833 | $28 |
| 10th Percentile | $47,000 | $3,917 | $23 |
The highest paying types of merchants are finance service sales agent, finance & sales representative, and finance associate.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Relationship Banker | $37,091 | $3,091 | $17.83 | 34,587 |
| Finance & Sales Representative | $86,114 | $7,176 | $41.40 | 175,031 |
| Business Banker | $69,423 | $5,785 | $33.38 | 70,054 |
| Finance Service Advisor | $50,706 | $4,225 | $24.38 | 118,612 |
| Finance Representative | $41,765 | $3,480 | $20.08 | 124,645 |
| Phone Banker | $34,532 | $2,878 | $16.60 | 22,843 |
Top companies hiring merchants now:
Merchant salaries at Levi Strauss & Co. and PayPal are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average merchant salary at companies like DoorDash and Sephora are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Levi Strauss & Co. | $174,411 | $83.85 |
| 2 | PayPal | $159,476 | $76.67 |
| 3 | DoorDash | $154,409 | $74.24 |
| 4 | Sephora | $141,460 | $68.01 |
| 5 | Henri Bendel | $140,520 | $67.56 |
| 6 | Family Dollar | $139,961 | $67.29 |
| 7 | Tory Burch | $139,053 | $66.85 |
| 8 | RH | $127,396 | $61.25 |
| 9 | Lands' End | $118,594 | $57.02 |
| 10 | Stripe | $108,133 | $51.99 |
| 11 | Under Armour | $104,093 | $50.04 |
| 12 | American Eagle Outfitters | $102,973 | $49.51 |
| 13 | Rally House | $99,120 | $47.65 |
| 14 | Abercrombie & Fitch Co | $96,694 | $46.49 |
| 15 | Brilliant | $88,698 | $42.64 |
| 16 | Scoular | $87,860 | $42.24 |
| 17 | Crocs | $86,363 | $41.52 |
| 18 | Retail | $86,143 | $41.41 |
| 19 | Galerie Candy and Gifts | $84,560 | $40.65 |
| 20 | Cross River | $84,254 | $40.51 |
The average merchant salary has risen by $16,811 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average merchant earned $58,188 annually, but today, they earn $74,999 a year. That works out to a 19% change in pay for merchants over the last decade.
Compare merchant salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare merchant salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $75,000 | $36.06 | +6.8% |
| 2025 | $69,900 | $33.62 | +4.2% |
| 2024 | $67,000 | $32.22 | +4.1% |
| 2023 | $64,300 | $30.90 | +2.3% |
| 2022 | $62,800 | $30.20 | +4.0% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole Foods | Senior Category Merchant | Austin, TX | 06/27/2025 | $77,111 |
| CGB | Grain Merchant | Hennepin, IL | 06/24/2025 | $63,060 |
| Torrid | Assistant Merchant | Industry, CA | 06/21/2025 | $68,640 |
| Bncollege | Merchant | Storrs, CT | 06/21/2025 | $75,132 |
| AimÉ Leon Dore | Merchant | New York, NY | 06/20/2025 | $85,000 |
| Fig | Assistant Merchant | Santa Monica, CA | 06/18/2025 | $68,640 |
| Popsockets | Assistant Merchant | Boulder, CO | 06/11/2025 | $70,000 |
| Johnny Was | Merchant | Los Angeles, CA | 06/08/2025 | $64,413 |
| Victoria's Secret | Merchant | Reynoldsburg, OH | 06/04/2025 | $100,000 |
| Sportsman's Warehouse | Ecommerce Merchant | Cove, UT | 05/30/2025 | $55,000 |
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