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What is a visual merchandising manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

The appearance of store displays plays a vital role in attracting customers and boosting sales. Thus, it is the job of a visual merchandising manager to ensure that visual displays in a store are aesthetically pleasing and resonate with the marketing goals the company is striving to accomplish.

That said, a visual merchandising manager is in charge of monitoring displays, facilitating the arrangement of products, and sourcing necessary props for various purposes. During special occasions like holidays or promotions, a visual merchandising manager is also responsible for designing the store layout according to the concept from the marketing department.

The job of a visual merchandising manager usually requires a four-year degree in business, graphic design, fine arts, or other relevant fields. At the same time, they must have adequate industry experience in a similar role as well as a good understanding of customer behavior.

The average salary of a visual merchandising manager is around $78,000 per year, which is a typical salary point for a middle management job. But before one can become a visual merchandising manager, he/she usually needs to have at least five or more years of experience.

ScoreVisual Merchandising ManagerUS Average
Salary
7.5

Avg. Salary $97,250

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
9.4

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
8.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.65%

Asian 6.98%

Black or African American 8.52%

Hispanic or Latino 18.04%

Unknown 4.65%

White 61.16%

Gender

female 68.30%

male 31.70%

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

Visual merchandising manager career paths

Key steps to become a visual merchandising manager

  1. Explore visual merchandising manager education requirements

    Most common visual merchandising manager degrees

    Bachelor's

    65.0 %

    Associate

    21.5 %

    High School Diploma

    7.6 %
  2. Start to develop specific visual merchandising manager skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Customer Service15.50%
    POS6.13%
    Store Operations5.85%
    Ladders5.84%
    Direct Reports5.40%
  3. Complete relevant visual merchandising manager training and internships

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

    • Manage entire inventory including receiving, store transfers, RTV's, and damages.
    • Purchase and manage apparel, footwear and accessories inventory for successful regional outdoor and lifestyle retailer.
    • Supervise the implementation of visual plan-o-grams and displays; replenish merchandise by receiving product through trucks and back stock.
    • Install POS collateral as well as new shop concepts and direct departmental floor moves to create an inviting shopping experience.
  5. Prepare your visual merchandising manager resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your visual merchandising manager 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 visual merchandising manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable visual merchandising manager resume templates

    Build a professional visual merchandising manager 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 visual merchandising manager resume.
    Visual Merchandising Manager Resume
    Visual Merchandising Manager Resume
    Visual Merchandising Manager Resume
    Visual Merchandising Manager Resume
    Visual Merchandising Manager Resume
    Visual Merchandising Manager Resume
    Visual Merchandising Manager Resume
    Visual Merchandising Manager Resume
    Visual Merchandising Manager Resume
    Visual Merchandising Manager Resume
    Visual Merchandising Manager Resume
    Visual Merchandising Manager Resume
    Visual Merchandising Manager Resume
    Visual Merchandising Manager Resume
    Visual Merchandising Manager Resume
    Visual Merchandising Manager Resume
  6. Apply for visual merchandising manager jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a visual merchandising manager 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 visual merchandising manager job

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Average visual merchandising manager salary

The average visual merchandising manager salary in the United States is $97,250 per year or $47 per hour. Visual merchandising manager salaries range between $67,000 and $139,000 per year.

Average visual merchandising manager salary
$97,250 Yearly
$46.75 hourly

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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.