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Job outlook for visual merchandisers in the United States
Visual merchandiser job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected visual merchandiser job growth rate is 10% from 2018-2028.
About 12,100 new jobs for visual merchandisers are projected over the next decade.
Visual merchandiser salaries have increased 15% for visual merchandisers in the last 5 years.
There are over 64,404 visual merchandisers currently employed in the United States.
There are 74,351 active visual merchandiser job openings in the US.
The average visual merchandiser salary is $38,037.
Are visual merchandiser jobs in demand?
Visual merchandiser job and salary trends over time
Visual merchandiser jobs over time
Visual merchandiser job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 64,404 | 0.02% |
| 2020 | 54,275 | 0.02% |
| 2019 | 56,770 | 0.02% |
| 2018 | 51,978 | 0.02% |
| 2017 | 48,717 | 0.01% |
Average visual merchandiser salary over time
Visual merchandiser salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $38,037 | $18.29 | +4.6% |
| 2024 | $36,371 | $17.49 | +3.6% |
| 2023 | $35,124 | $16.89 | +2.8% |
| 2022 | $34,173 | $16.43 | +3.7% |
| 2021 | $32,963 | $15.85 | --0.6% |
Visual merchandiser jobs by state
Most common states for visual merchandisers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 182 | 24% |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,437 | 21% |
| 3 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 145 | 21% |
| 4 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,104 | 20% |
| 5 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 1,273 | 19% |
| 6 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,046 | 19% |
| 7 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 372 | 19% |
| 8 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 235 | 18% |
| 9 | Delaware | 961,939 | 172 | 18% |
| 10 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 156 | 18% |
| 11 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 1,725 | 17% |
| 12 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 484 | 17% |
| 13 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 181 | 17% |
| 14 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 2,045 | 16% |
| 15 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 944 | 16% |
| 16 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 661 | 16% |
| 17 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 505 | 16% |
| 18 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 294 | 16% |
| 19 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,233 | 15% |
| 20 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 156 | 15% |
Most common cities for visual merchandisers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Braintree Town | 4 | 11% | $43,473 |
| 2 | Canton | 3 | 11% | $33,984 |
| 3 | Douglasville | 3 | 9% | $33,971 |
| 4 | Castle Rock | 4 | 7% | $36,749 |
| 5 | San Mateo | 6 | 6% | $48,549 |
| 6 | Ames | 3 | 5% | $34,945 |
| 7 | Daly City | 4 | 4% | $48,535 |
| 8 | Berkeley | 4 | 3% | $48,352 |
| 9 | San Francisco | 5 | 1% | $48,485 |
| 10 | Denver | 4 | 1% | $36,699 |
| 11 | Arlington | 3 | 1% | $34,716 |
| 12 | Fresno | 3 | 1% | $47,642 |
| 13 | Chicago | 8 | 0% | $38,655 |
| 14 | New York | 6 | 0% | $51,334 |
| 15 | San Diego | 5 | 0% | $46,623 |
| 16 | San Antonio | 4 | 0% | $35,807 |
| 17 | San Jose | 4 | 0% | $48,447 |
| 18 | Las Vegas | 3 | 0% | $42,683 |
Visual Merchandiser job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of visual merchandiser experts
Louisiana State University and A&M College
Miami University
Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Temple University
Albion College
What will help Visual Merchandisers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Mary Elliott: Because this industry is constantly changing and adapting to economic forces around the world, its employees need to be highly flexible critical thinkers who love working in fast-paced environments.
Leslie Stoel Ph.D.
Professor, Marketing and FashionMiami University
Farmer School of Business, Marketing in the Farmer School of Business and Art in the College of Creative Arts
What skills stand out on Visual Merchandiser resumes?
Leslie Stoel Ph.D.: For fashion merchant/merchandising jobs and fashion marketing jobs, analytics and anything digital skills stand out.
What soft skills should all Visual Merchandisers possess?
Leslie Stoel Ph.D.: Important soft skills are the ability to tell the story behind the numbers (what happened and why it happened), strong speaking and presenting skills, evidence showing the student is a good team member/collaborator, empathy for shoppers (to understand their wants/needs), and a high level of confidence.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Visual Merchandisers?
Leslie Stoel Ph.D.: Hard/technical skills relate to the ability to handle and analyze data - whether it be sales data or google analytics data from the company's digital efforts.
What skills will help Visual Merchandisers earn the most?
Leslie Stoel Ph.D.: The skills that allow students to reap high salaries are business analytics (#1) and digital marketing (#2). In both of these areas, it is almost a bidding war across employers.
What general advice would you give to a Visual Merchandiser?
Abby Guido: We've all heard the buzz about networking, and there is so much buzz because it works. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is both up to date and active. Connect with all of your past professors, classmates, and anyone and everyone you meet in a professional setting. I often tell students to get into the habit of searching for any classroom guests, or guest lecturers, to connect, thank them for their time, and build their network. Share content. Write articles, or reshare those you find interesting.
Every job I have ever received in my career has been through someone else I know. I share this with students to help them see the value in relationships. I always remember the students that took the time to write a handwritten thank-you note. And I think of them when I get an email asking if I know any students are looking for work.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Visual Merchandiser job market given the pandemic?
Lisa TenHulzen: This is a big question. Because of the financial strains the pandemic has placed on the entertainment industry, I suspect we will see trends towards smaller cast shows as well as simpler productions, overall. I believe this will help to ease some of the financial burdens a large cast and crew can place on a theatre, as well as help ease the audience back into a sense of security. Depending on the location of the production, an audience might not feel comfortable attending a large-scale performance. Smaller shows lend themselves better to smaller audiences. All of this to say, I believe theatre jobs will be in short supply for quite some time. At least until theatres are able to make up some of the financial losses. This means hiring will be limited to core positions of production such as directors, stage managers, technical directors, designers, and only a few technicians. For smaller theatres, we will most likely see theatre artists taking on multiple jobs within the production.