Designs store windows, displays, and floor layouts that present products attractively and guide shoppers through a store. BLS does not publish separate figures for merchandise displayers and window trimmers; it counts them within merchandise displayer and window trimmer (SOC 27-1026), whose median pay is $39,390 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 27-1026
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Visual Merchandiser in four numbers
- Median pay
- $39,390a year, or $18.94/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $31KTop 10% $58K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +2.7%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+2.7%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +2.7% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 17,200164,800 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025164.8K
- Projected 2035169.2K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 164.8K Projected 2035 169.2K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- High school39.5%
- Certificate8.7%
- Some college19.5%
- Associate's14.7%
- Bachelor's17.6%
Highest education held by merchandise displayers and window trimmers Segment Value High school 39.5% Certificate 8.7% Some college 19.5% Associate's 14.7% Bachelor's 17.6%
Also advertised as: Visual Merchandising Manager, Visual Display Specialist, Visual Stylist, Visual Merchandising Coordinator, Store Visual Lead.
Pay
How much do Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers make?
Every visual merchandiser in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$39,390
Middle half earn $35,130 to $47,220
- 10th
- $30,760
- 25th
- $35,130
- 75th
- $47,220
- 90th
- $58,370
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $30,760 |
| 25th | $35,130 |
| Median | $39,390 |
| 75th | $47,220 |
| 90th | $58,370 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $39,390
- Median hourly wage
- $18.94/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $42,830
- People employed
- 165,220
Versus all US occupations
At $39,390, Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers earn 23% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $11,590 a year.
Versus arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations
Inside the Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media group, where the middle occupation pays $68,060, this is 42% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $58,370 or more while the bottom 10% earn $30,760, a gap of 1.9×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 7% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
Washington posts the highest raw median ($48,780), but once local prices are taken into account Alabama leads at $48,231 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Washington | $48,780 | $45,583 | 2,550 |
| 2California | $47,010 | $42,458 | 17,840 |
| 3Alaska | $46,530 | $45,458 | 540 |
| 4Maine | $45,750 | $47,141 | 910 |
| 5Minnesota | $45,730 | $46,369 | 1,820 |
| 6Oregon | $45,200 | $43,730 | 1,220 |
| 7Vermont | $44,850 | $45,785 | 180 |
| 8Montana | $43,700 | $46,173 | 580 |
| 9New York | $43,660 | $40,456 | 10,430 |
| 10Maryland | $43,370 | $41,321 | 1,920 |
Job outlook
Is Visual Merchandiser a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +2.7% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers | +2.7% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers to change 2.7% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 4,400 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 17,200 openings are projected each year, 10.4% of the 164,800 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Visual Merchandiser
Many visual merchandisers start in retail sales and move into visual roles because they have a good eye. Formal training helps for corporate and design roles, such as the Visual Presentation and Exhibition Design program at the Fashion Institute of Technology, which covers display, store planning, and brand environments. Skills in drawing, design software, and basic construction are useful.
Common paths include store visual associate, visual lead or manager for a store, then regional or corporate visual merchandising roles. A portfolio of windows and displays you created supports each step.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Short-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.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as merchandise displayers and window trimmers.
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)39.5%
- Some College Courses19.5%
- Bachelor's Degree17.6%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree14.7%
- Post-Secondary Certificate8.7%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 39.5% |
| Some College Courses | 19.5% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 17.6% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 14.7% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 8.7% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Visual Merchandiser do?
A visual merchandiser makes a store look good and sell well. They build window displays and in-store presentations, dress mannequins, set tables and fixtures, and arrange products so customers notice key items. They follow brand guidelines and seasonal direction from headquarters while adapting to each store's space.
Visual merchandisers also plan floor layouts, change signage, and move displays as sales and promotions change. At the corporate level, visual teams create planograms and directives for every store, design holiday windows, and photograph and audit store setups. Many work with marketing and buying teams to highlight new collections.
Day-to-day tasks
- Design and install window and in-store displays
- Dress mannequins and style product presentations
- Arrange fixtures and products to highlight key items
- Plan and reset floor layouts for new seasons and promotions
- Implement planograms and brand visual guidelines
- Update signage and promotional materials
- Photograph and report on display setups for headquarters
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Visual merchandisers work in retail stores, department stores, and corporate design offices. Display changes often happen early in the morning or after closing. The job is physical, with climbing ladders, lifting fixtures and mannequins, and standing for long periods. Regional roles involve travel between stores.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeOn their feet more than half the working day.
Bending 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 seriousMistakes are not usually 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
- Active Listening3.5
- Speaking3.3
- Critical Thinking3.3
- Reading Comprehension3.0
- Writing2.9
- Active Learning2.9
- Monitoring2.8
- Learning Strategies2.4
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 3.5 |
| Speaking | 3.3 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.3 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.0 |
| Writing | 2.9 |
| Active Learning | 2.9 |
| Monitoring | 2.8 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1
- Social Perceptiveness3.0
- Coordination3.0
- Time Management3.0
- Persuasion2.9
- Service Orientation2.9
- Complex Problem Solving2.9
- Negotiation2.4
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.1 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.0 |
| Coordination | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 3.0 |
| Persuasion | 2.9 |
| Service Orientation | 2.9 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 2.9 |
| Negotiation | 2.4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Desktop publishing software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Graphics or photo imaging software · in demand
- Internet browser software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing 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 Visual Merchandiser?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code AER) built on O*NET's Merchandise Displayer and Window Trimmer profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Visual Merchandiser |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 5 |
| Investigative | 2 |
| Artistic | 5 |
| Social | 2 |
| Enterprising | 5 |
| Conventional | 3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules, combined with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions.
- Artistic5.1
- Enterprising4.6
- Realistic4.6
- Conventional3.1
- Social2.2
- Investigative1.5
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 Visual Merchandiser
O*NET related occupations
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Sales and Related
- Sales and Related
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Sales and Related
Demonstrator and Product Promoter
$39,320median a year
Most earn $31K to $64K
+0.2%No formal credential - Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
More arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media careers
Median annual pay, with merchandise displayers and window trimmers highlighted
- Art Director$114,850
- Technical Writer$90,390
- Editor$77,920
- Writer and Author$76,910
- Public Relations Specialist$74,750
- Interior Designer$67,190
- Graphic Designer$62,960
- Photographer$44,660
- Visual Merchandiser$39,390
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Art Director | $114,850 |
| Technical Writer | $90,390 |
| Editor | $77,920 |
| Writer and Author | $76,910 |
| Public Relations Specialist | $74,750 |
| Interior Designer | $67,190 |
| Graphic Designer | $62,960 |
| Photographer | $44,660 |
| Visual Merchandiser | $39,390 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Visual Merchandiser appears on
Questions
Visual Merchandiser: frequently asked questions
How much do Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for merchandise displayers and window trimmers. It counts them within merchandise displayer and window trimmer, whose median pay is $39,390 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $35,130 and $47,220, and the top 10% earn $58,370 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Visual Merchandiser?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers. BLS also lists short-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 39.5% hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged).
Is Visual Merchandiser a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 2.7% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 17,200 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Visual Merchandiser do?
A visual merchandiser makes a store look good and sell well. A typical task: design and install window and in-store displays. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Computer aided design CAD software, Desktop publishing software.
Which states pay Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers the most?
The highest state medians for Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers are Washington ($48,780), California ($47,010), Alaska ($46,530) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Alabama moves to the top at $48,231.
What personality type suits a Visual Merchandiser?
O*NET scores Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers highest on the Artistic, Enterprising and Realistic interest areas, so the work mixes creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.