Forecasts how much of each product a retailer should buy and where to send it, using sales data to balance inventory and profit. BLS does not publish separate figures for wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products; it counts them within wholesale and retail buyer, except farm products (SOC 13-1022), whose median pay is $77,710 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 13-1022
- Business and Financial Operations
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Merchandise Planner in four numbers
- Median pay
- $77,710a year, or $37.36/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $48KTop 10% $129K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +6.0%Faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+6%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +6% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 47,200516,100 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025516.1K
- Projected 2035547K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 516.1K Projected 2035 547K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
Also advertised as: Merchandise Planning Manager, Assortment Planner, Inventory Planner (Retail), Allocation Analyst, Retail Planner.
Pay
How much do Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products make?
Every merchandise planner in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$77,710
Middle half earn $60,800 to $100,820
- 10th
- $48,380
- 25th
- $60,800
- 75th
- $100,820
- 90th
- $128,870
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $48,380 |
| 25th | $60,800 |
| Median | $77,710 |
| 75th | $100,820 |
| 90th | $128,870 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $77,710
- Median hourly wage
- $37.36/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $83,770
- People employed
- 491,430
Versus all US occupations
At $77,710, Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products earn 52% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $26,730 a year.
Versus business and financial operations occupations
Inside the Business and Financial Operations group, where the middle occupation pays $80,730, this is 4% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $128,870 or more while the bottom 10% earn $48,380, a gap of 2.7×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 54% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
District of Columbia pays the most at $124,090, and still leads at $112,911 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1District of Columbia | $124,090 | $112,911 | 1,880 |
| 2New Jersey | $93,250 | $85,704 | 12,180 |
| 3Maryland | $90,900 | $86,605 | 8,900 |
| 4Virginia | $89,210 | $88,236 | 22,120 |
| 5Rhode Island | $86,240 | $84,318 | N/A |
| 6Massachusetts | $85,970 | $81,290 | 12,820 |
| 7Washington | $85,130 | $79,551 | 15,400 |
| 8Colorado | $83,590 | $81,114 | 10,080 |
| 9Alaska | $83,460 | $81,537 | 890 |
| 10Connecticut | $83,030 | $80,137 | 5,530 |
Job outlook
Is Merchandise Planner a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Faster than average. +6.0% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products | +6% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Faster than average
BLS projects employment of Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products to change 6.0% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 30,800 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 47,200 openings are projected each year, 9.1% of the 516,100 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Merchandise Planner
Merchandise planners usually have a bachelor's degree in fashion merchandising, business, finance, economics, or a related field. Retail math, Excel, and planning systems are essential, and fashion business programs such as those at the Fashion Institute of Technology teach planning alongside buying.
A common entry point is an allocation analyst or planning analyst role at a retailer's headquarters, often through a graduate training program, followed by promotion to planner and then planning manager. The National Retail Federation offers industry education and research that many planners follow.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Some preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
The work
What does a Merchandise Planner do?
A merchandise planner is the numbers partner to a buyer. Before a season, they build sales and inventory plans for each category, deciding how much money to spend and how many units each store or channel needs. During the season, they track sales against plan and recommend when to chase best sellers, cut orders, or move stock between stores.
Planners and allocation analysts use planning software and spreadsheets to forecast demand by size, color, and location. They report on margin, sell-through, and inventory turnover and work with buyers, finance, and supply chain teams. Many specialize in apparel, footwear, beauty, or home.
Day-to-day tasks
- Build seasonal sales and inventory plans by category
- Forecast demand by size, color, and store
- Allocate inventory to stores and online channels
- Track sales and sell-through against plan
- Recommend reorders, order cuts, and stock transfers
- Report on margin and inventory turnover
- Work with buyers and supply chain teams on timing
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Merchandise planners work at retail corporate offices, and many roles are hybrid because most of the work happens in software. Hours are mostly standard business hours, with busier periods during season planning and holidays. Travel is light compared with buyers.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Critical Thinking4.0
- Active Listening3.9
- Speaking3.9
- Reading Comprehension3.6
- Active Learning3.4
- Monitoring3.4
- Writing3.1
- Mathematics3.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Critical Thinking | 4.0 |
| Active Listening | 3.9 |
| Speaking | 3.9 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.6 |
| Active Learning | 3.4 |
| Monitoring | 3.4 |
| Writing | 3.1 |
| Mathematics | 3.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Negotiation4.0
- Persuasion3.9
- Judgment and Decision Making3.4
- Coordination3.3
- Social Perceptiveness3.1
- Complex Problem Solving3.1
- Service Orientation3.0
- Management of Financial Resources3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Negotiation | 4.0 |
| Persuasion | 3.9 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.4 |
| Coordination | 3.3 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.1 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.1 |
| Service Orientation | 3.0 |
| Management of Financial Resources | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Accounting software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Development environment software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Project management software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Web page creation and editing software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Merchandise Planner?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code CEI) built on O*NET's Wholesale and Retail Buyer, Except Farm Products profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Merchandise Planner |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 3 |
| Investigative | 3 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 2 |
| Enterprising | 5 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around organising, following procedures and working precisely with data, combined with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions.
- Conventional5.4
- Enterprising5.3
- Realistic3.4
- Investigative2.8
- Social2.5
- Artistic1.6
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Merchandise Planner
O*NET related occupations
- Business and Financial Operations
Wholesale and Retail Buyer, Except Farm Products
$77,710median a year
Most earn $48K to $129K
+6.0%Bachelor's - Business and Financial Operations
Purchasing Agent, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products
$77,710median a year
Most earn $48K to $129K
+6.0%Bachelor's - Office and Administrative Support
- Business and Financial Operations
- Management
- Sales and Related
Security, Commodity, and Financial Services Sales Agent
$78,660median a year
Most earn $48K to $213K
+1.4%Bachelor's
More business and financial operations careers
Median annual pay, with wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products highlighted
- Financial Advisor$105,070
- Accountant$83,680
- Insurance Underwriter$81,370
- Coroner$80,730
- Claims Adjuster, Examiner, and Investigator$78,000
- Merchandise Planner$77,710
- Loan Officer$76,690
- Human Resources Specialist$75,940
- Appraiser and Assessor of Real Estate$67,960
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Financial Advisor | $105,070 |
| Accountant | $83,680 |
| Insurance Underwriter | $81,370 |
| Coroner | $80,730 |
| Claims Adjuster, Examiner, and Investigator | $78,000 |
| Merchandise Planner | $77,710 |
| Loan Officer | $76,690 |
| Human Resources Specialist | $75,940 |
| Appraiser and Assessor of Real Estate | $67,960 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Merchandise Planner appears on
Questions
Merchandise Planner: frequently asked questions
How much do Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products. It counts them within wholesale and retail buyer, except farm products, whose median pay is $77,710 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $60,800 and $100,820, and the top 10% earn $128,870 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Merchandise Planner?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as some preparation. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training.
Is Merchandise Planner a growing career?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 6.0% over 2025–2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 47,200 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Merchandise Planner do?
A merchandise planner is the numbers partner to a buyer. A typical task: build seasonal sales and inventory plans by category. Employers most often ask for Accounting software, Data base user interface and query software, Development environment software.
Which states pay Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products the most?
The highest state medians for Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products are District of Columbia ($124,090), New Jersey ($93,250), Maryland ($90,900) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Merchandise Planner?
O*NET scores Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products highest on the Conventional, Enterprising and Realistic interest areas, so the work mixes organising, following procedures and working precisely with data with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ESTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.