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Retail buyer salary
Average retail buyer salary
$52,720
Average Retail Buyer Salary
The average salary for a Retail Buyer in the United States stands at $52,720 annually. This figure translates to approximately $25 per hour. Retail Buyers play a crucial role in procurement, negotiating prices, and ensuring that products meet consumer demands.
How Much Does a Retail Buyer Make?
Salary can vary significantly based on factors such as geographic location, years of experience, and the specific industry. Retail Buyers with extensive experience often see higher salaries, particularly in larger metropolitan areas.
Where Can a Retail Buyer Earn More?
Understanding where the highest-paying opportunities exist is essential. States like California and New York typically offer better compensation due to the cost of living and demand for skilled professionals. Additionally, Retail Buyers in industries like electronics and fashion usually command higher salaries.
Retail Buyer Salary Estimates from Across the Web
Salary estimates from various platforms can provide a broader perspective. Websites like Glassdoor, Payscale, and Indeed offer salary calculators and insights based on real-time data from employees in the field.
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Where can a Retail Buyer earn more?
Retail buyer salary estimates from across the web
Average retail buyer salary by state
The average retail buyer salary in New Jersey, New York, and Delaware are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average retail buyer salary states are West Virginia, Louisiana, and Kentucky.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for retail buyers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan | $55,743 | $26.80 |
| 2 | Iowa | $55,402 | $26.64 |
| 3 | Illinois | $56,507 | $27.17 |
| 4 | Ohio | $57,853 | $27.81 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $61,570 | $29.60 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | $56,453 | $27.14 |
| 7 | Indiana | $51,083 | $24.56 |
| 8 | Delaware | $58,009 | $27.89 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $56,381 | $27.11 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $52,464 | $25.22 |
| 11 | Mississippi | $50,176 | $24.12 |
| 12 | Arkansas | $50,275 | $24.17 |
| 13 | New York | $59,122 | $28.42 |
| 14 | Vermont | $51,024 | $24.53 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $55,047 | $26.46 |
| 16 | Kansas | $53,340 | $25.64 |
| 17 | North Carolina | $52,050 | $25.02 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | $53,865 | $25.90 |
| 19 | Minnesota | $51,853 | $24.93 |
| 20 | Wyoming | $49,112 | $23.61 |
| 21 | Nebraska | $51,885 | $24.94 |
| 22 | Missouri | $51,795 | $24.90 |
| 23 | Alabama | $48,922 | $23.52 |
| 24 | North Dakota | $49,089 | $23.60 |
| 25 | Tennessee | $48,689 | $23.41 |
| 26 | Utah | $50,233 | $24.15 |
| 27 | Virginia | $53,365 | $25.66 |
| 28 | Maryland | $54,043 | $25.98 |
| 29 | District of Columbia | $57,276 | $27.54 |
| 30 | South Dakota | $49,439 | $23.77 |
| 31 | Florida | $48,483 | $23.31 |
| 32 | Alaska | $50,914 | $24.48 |
| 33 | South Carolina | $49,074 | $23.59 |
| 34 | Wisconsin | $47,946 | $23.05 |
| 35 | Idaho | $47,736 | $22.95 |
| 36 | Nevada | $49,880 | $23.98 |
| 37 | West Virginia | $45,882 | $22.06 |
| 38 | Montana | $48,563 | $23.35 |
| 39 | Georgia | $47,488 | $22.83 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $44,323 | $21.31 |
| 41 | Oregon | $48,433 | $23.29 |
| 42 | Maine | $46,412 | $22.31 |
| 43 | Washington | $48,759 | $23.44 |
| 44 | New Mexico | $48,428 | $23.28 |
| 45 | Arizona | $46,485 | $22.35 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $45,625 | $21.94 |
| 47 | California | $46,578 | $22.39 |
| 48 | Colorado | $41,554 | $19.98 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $46,314 | $22.27 |
| 50 | Texas | $43,596 | $20.96 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $37,346 | $17.95 |
Highest paying cities for retail buyers
The highest-paying cities for retail buyers are Edison, NJ, New York, NY, and Elyria, OH.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edison, NJ | $61,664 | $29.65 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $59,369 | $28.54 |
| 3 | Elyria, OH | $58,447 | $28.10 |
| 4 | Washington, DC | $57,337 | $27.57 |
| 5 | Bay City, MI | $55,575 | $26.72 |
| 6 | Kansas City, KS | $53,839 | $25.88 |
| 7 | Minneapolis, MN | $51,872 | $24.94 |
| 8 | Kansas City, MO | $51,568 | $24.79 |
| 9 | Myrtle Beach, SC | $49,811 | $23.95 |
| 10 | Las Vegas, NV | $49,670 | $23.88 |
| 11 | Sanford, FL | $48,950 | $23.53 |
| 12 | Everett, WA | $48,843 | $23.48 |
| 13 | Santa Clara, CA | $47,869 | $23.01 |
| 14 | Phoenix, AZ | $46,551 | $22.38 |
| 15 | Plano, TX | $43,966 | $21.14 |
| 16 | Broomfield, CO | $41,652 | $20.02 |
Retail buyer salary details
A retail buyer's salary ranges from $38,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $72,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a retail buyer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $72,000 | $6,000 | $35 |
| 75th Percentile | $62,000 | $5,167 | $30 |
| Average | $52,720 | $4,393 | $25 |
| 25th Percentile | $44,000 | $3,667 | $21 |
| 10th Percentile | $38,000 | $3,167 | $18 |
Highest paying retail buyer jobs
The highest paying types of retail buyers are senior buyer, merchandise planner, and store manager and buyer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merchandise Planner | $69,460 | $5,788 | $33.39 | 32,301 |
| Store Manager And Buyer | $68,964 | $5,747 | $33.16 | 154,677 |
| Buyer | $54,049 | $4,504 | $25.99 | 23,589 |
Top companies hiring retail buyers now:
Which companies pay retail buyers the most?
Retail buyer salaries at VF and Levi Strauss & Co. are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average retail buyer salary at companies like Williams Sonoma and PVH are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VF | $81,445 | $39.16 |
| 2 | Levi Strauss & Co. | $70,331 | $33.81 |
| 3 | Williams Sonoma | $69,856 | $33.58 |
| 4 | PVH | $68,575 | $32.97 |
| 5 | Bendix | $61,726 | $29.68 |
| 6 | Steel Dynamics | $53,321 | $25.64 |
| 7 | *n/a* | $52,397 | $25.19 |
| 8 | BabyList | $52,376 | $25.18 |
| 9 | PEM Holding Co Inc | $52,215 | $25.10 |
| 10 | JLL | $51,223 | $24.63 |
| 11 | ActionLink | $51,019 | $24.53 |
| 12 | First Option Recruiting | $48,514 | $23.32 |
| 13 | Skyline | $47,408 | $22.79 |
| 14 | Mutual Trading Co. | $47,387 | $22.78 |
| 15 | Mitsuwa Marketplace | $47,149 | $22.67 |
| 16 | Schupan & Sons, Inc. | $46,595 | $22.40 |
| 17 | Management Recruiters International(MRI) | $45,854 | $22.05 |
| 18 | Pebble Beach Resorts | $43,569 | $20.95 |
| 19 | Visionworks | $43,443 | $20.89 |
| 20 | Kid to Kid | $42,915 | $20.63 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Retail Buyer salary by industry
The average retail buyer salary varies across industries:
- The average retail buyer salary in the start-up industry is $52,359, the highest of any industry.
- The average retail buyer salary in the finance industry is $48,155.
- Retail buyers in the hospitality industry earn an average salary of $34,957, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for retail buyers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Start-up | $52,359 | $25.17 |
| 2 | Manufacturing | $48,155 | $23.15 |
| 3 | Retail | $39,435 | $18.96 |
| 4 | Technology | $38,090 | $18.31 |
| 5 | Hospitality | $34,957 | $16.81 |
High paying retail buyer jobs
Retail buyer salary trends
The average retail buyer salary has risen by $7,141 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average retail buyer earned $45,579 annually, but today, they earn $52,720 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for retail buyers over the last decade.
Compare retail buyer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average retail buyer salary over time
Compare retail buyer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Retail buyer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $52,700 | $25.35 | +3.8% |
| 2025 | $50,700 | $24.38 | +2.3% |
| 2024 | $49,500 | $23.81 | +1.1% |
| 2023 | $49,000 | $23.55 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | $48,200 | $23.15 | +0.7% |
Recently added retail buyer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verizon | Spec-Retail | Bridgewater, NJ | 06/27/2025 | $65,000 |
| Nordstrom Inc. | Retail Sales-Shoes-Westfarms | Farmington, CT | 06/25/2025 | $34,644 |
| Compass Group USA Inc. | Retail Coordiantor, Retail-Chicago Red Stars | Bridgeview, IL | 06/25/2025 | $58,436 |
| Delaware North Companies | Retail Buyer, Target Field | Minneapolis, MN | 06/25/2025 | $61,200 |
| Verizon Communications | Spec-Retail | Fayetteville, NC | 06/24/2025 | $65,000 |
| Verizon Communications | Spec-Retail | Lancaster, PA | 06/24/2025 | $65,000 |
| Verizon Communications | Spec-Retail | Sandusky, OH | 06/21/2025 | $65,000 |
| Verizon Communications | Spec-Retail | Deptford, NJ | 06/14/2025 | $65,000 |
| Crossroads Trading Co | Retail Buyer | Evanston, IL | 06/12/2025 | $34,853 |
| Verizon | Spec-Retail | Fremont, NE | 06/07/2025 | $65,000 |
Retail buyer salary FAQs
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