Online Merchants: Career Overview
Conduct retail activities of businesses operating exclusively online. May perform duties such as preparing business strategies, buying merchandise, managing inventory, implementing marketing activities, fulfilling and shipping online orders, and balancing financial records.
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The Daily Work of Online Merchants Perform?
The day-to-day responsibilities of online merchants cover:
- Fill customer orders by packaging sold items and documentation for direct shipping or by transferring orders to manufacturers or third-party distributors.
- Receive and process payments from customers, using electronic transaction services.
- Create, manage, or automate orders or invoices, using order management or invoicing software.
- Deliver e-mail confirmation of completed transactions and shipment.
- Correspond with online customers via electronic mail, telephone, or other electronic messaging to address questions or complaints about products, policies, or shipping methods.
- Purchase new or used items from online or physical sources for resale via retail or auction Web site.
- Determine and set product prices.
- Calculate purchase subtotals, taxes, and shipping costs for submission to customers.
What Online Merchants Need to Know
Top online merchants draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The competencies most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Types of Online Merchants Jobs
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- E-Commerce Account Manager
- E-Commerce Administrator
- E-Commerce Analyst
- E-Commerce Assistant
- E-Commerce Associate
- E-Commerce Business Analyst
- E-Commerce Business Channel Specialist
- E-Commerce Clerk
Employment and Demand
There are about 615,492 online merchants working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +10.1% over the projection horizon.
Online Merchants Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $106,971 |
| Hourly median | $51.43 |
| 10th percentile | $65,123 |
| 25th percentile | $86,047 |
| 75th percentile | $127,895 |
| 90th percentile | $148,819 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Online Merchants Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $106,810 |
| Maryland | $100,740 |
| Alabama | $98,070 |
| Washington | $93,450 |
| Hawaii | $90,580 |
| Alaska | $90,150 |
| Colorado | $89,860 |
| Oklahoma | $89,170 |
| New Hampshire | $88,860 |
| New Jersey | $88,070 |
| Rhode Island | $86,880 |
| Massachusetts | $86,030 |
| Virginia | $85,800 |
| Arizona | $85,390 |
| New York | $84,310 |
| Connecticut | $84,170 |
| California | $83,820 |
| South Dakota | $82,900 |
| Guam | $82,220 |
| Pennsylvania | $81,340 |
| Kansas | $81,100 |
| Missouri | $81,060 |
| North Dakota | $80,200 |
| Utah | $79,790 |
| Texas | $79,540 |
| South Carolina | $79,190 |
| Iowa | $78,970 |
| Nebraska | $78,590 |
| Illinois | $77,980 |
| Florida | $77,930 |
| Michigan | $77,920 |
| Ohio | $77,710 |
| Minnesota | $77,340 |
| North Carolina | $77,090 |
| New Mexico | $76,490 |
| Georgia | $75,820 |
| Indiana | $75,800 |
| Kentucky | $75,800 |
| Mississippi | $74,990 |
| Idaho | $74,960 |
| Maine | $74,510 |
| Wyoming | $74,470 |
| Montana | $72,690 |
| Tennessee | $72,550 |
| Oregon | $72,370 |
| Vermont | $67,160 |
| Wisconsin | $66,600 |
| Nevada | $63,970 |
| Virgin Islands | $62,510 |
| Louisiana | $62,300 |
| West Virginia | $62,210 |
| Arkansas | $60,610 |
| Puerto Rico | $45,510 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Compensation for online merchants differ across the country. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $92,280 | 15.3% | 2.46 |
| Rocky Mountains | $86,084 | 5.7% | 1.80 |
| Far Western US | $84,231 | 22.0% | 1.36 |
| New England | $83,073 | 3.1% | 0.73 |
| Southwest | $80,519 | 10.7% | 0.89 |
| Plains States | $79,575 | 5.3% | 0.83 |
| Southeast | $77,005 | 26.6% | 1.35 |
| Great Lakes | $76,365 | 10.4% | 0.79 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lexington Park, MD | MD | $131,610 | 2,210 |
| Huntsville, AL | AL | $120,910 | 3,130 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $106,680 | 13,710 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $104,000 | 77,770 |
| Gettysburg, PA | PA | $102,500 | 110 |
| Decatur, IL | IL | $101,950 | 400 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $101,420 | 34,600 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | WA | $100,610 | 2,310 |
Which Industries Hire Online Merchants
The largest employers of online merchants work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 155,730 | $85,150 |
| Educational Services | 100,750 | $66,200 |
| Finance and Insurance | 76,760 | $83,480 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 71,430 | $68,010 |
| Manufacturing | 70,690 | $101,460 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 67,210 | $85,920 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 62,030 | $66,550 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 46,900 | $66,050 |
Online Merchants work in the following industries:
Tech Stack
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: AJAX (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Apple macOS (hot technology)
- Object or component oriented development software: C# (hot technology)
- Enterprise application integration software: Extensible markup language XML (hot technology)
- Web page creation and editing software: Facebook (hot technology)
- Data mining software: Google Analytics (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: Hypertext markup language HTML (hot technology)
- Accounting software: Intuit QuickBooks (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: JavaScript (hot technology)
- Object or component oriented development software: jQuery (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Linux (hot technology)
Work Environment
The work environment for online merchants is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Telephone Conversations
- Freedom to Make Decisions
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
Education and Training
Entry-level online merchants positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Purchasing Managers (Primary-Long)
- Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products (Primary-Short)
- Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products (Supplemental)
- Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists (Primary-Short)
- Search Marketing Strategists (Primary-Long)
- Business Intelligence Analysts (Primary-Long)
- Counter and Rental Clerks (Supplemental)
- Retail Salespersons (Supplemental)
Degree Programs
Students preparing for online merchants typically earn programs in:
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
5 programs across 4 majors
- Business Administration & Management
- International Business
- Hospitality Management
- Business Support & Assistance
About the Data
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 13-1199.06 (Business Operations Specialists, All Other).
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