Merchandisers: pay and what the work involves

Occupation 3553 · Associate professional occupations

Merchandisers

Merchandisers ensure that stores are supplied with goods, liaise with suppliers, decide on pricing and promotions and advise retailers on the optimum display of merchandise.

How people enter it

Most entrants possess a degree or equivalent qualification, although there are no formal academic requirements and entry is also possible with a BTEC/SQA award, A levels/H grades, or HNC/HND.

What the work involves

monitors stock levels and manages the movement of goods
predicts future demand and negotiates the supply and price of goods to ensure stores are stocked
analyses customer requirements, the needs of individual stores and the organisation, and works with suppliers to develop a product range
supplies information about products to the retailer and sales staff
consults with advertising and sales staff and advises retailers on the optimal display of a product and of any promotions
provides feedback about sales to senior managers

Also called

Demand planner · Merchandiser · Sales merchandiser · Supply chain analyst

What it pays

Measure	Hours	Basis	Period	Value	Source
3553 : Merchandisers	None	None	2026-03	20,400.00	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020)
3553 : Merchandisers	None	None	2026-03	21,100.00	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020)
3553 : Merchandisers	None	None	2026-03	23,500.00	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020)
3553 : Merchandisers	None	None	2026-03	—	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020) Not published: Estimate is less than 500
3553 : Merchandisers	None	None	2026-03	2,300.00	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020)
3553 : Merchandisers	None	None	2026-03	23,700.00	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020)
3553 : Merchandisers	None	None	2026-03	700.00	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020)

Every regional figure

ONS does not publish occupational pay below region. Cells the survey could not support are shown as withheld, with its reason — adding a region split to a specific occupation leaves roughly a tenth of cells publishable.

Region	Measure	Hours	Value	Period
East	3553 : Merchandisers	None	1,600.00	2026-03
East Midlands	3553 : Merchandisers	None	4,300.00	2026-03
London	3553 : Merchandisers	None	3,400.00	2026-03
North East	3553 : Merchandisers	None	withheld	2026-03
North West	3553 : Merchandisers	None	2,800.00	2026-03
Northern Ireland	3553 : Merchandisers	None	withheld	2026-03
Scotland	3553 : Merchandisers	None	2,300.00	2026-03
South East	3553 : Merchandisers	None	2,700.00	2026-03
South West	3553 : Merchandisers	None	2,700.00	2026-03
Wales	3553 : Merchandisers	None	700.00	2026-03
West Midlands	3553 : Merchandisers	None	800.00	2026-03
Yorkshire and The Humber	3553 : Merchandisers	None	1,700.00	2026-03

Common questions

Does pay for merchandisers vary by region?

ONS publishes regional pay for this occupation where the survey sample supports it — 10 of 12 cells on this page. The rest are withheld by ONS, and are shown as withheld with the reason, rather than left out.

Where do these pay figures come from?

The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, published by the Office for National Statistics. Figures are shown exactly as ONS publishes them — we do not adjust, model or fill them in, and every number on this page carries the series and period it came from.

Classified alongside this

Advertising and marketing associate professionals · Business sales executives · Buyers and procurement officers · Estate agents and auctioneers · Events managers and organisers · Sales accounts and business development managers