Also called: Buyer, Merchandise Buyer
Chooses and buys the products stores sell, from fashion to electronics.
You fly to a trade show, pick which sneakers your stores will carry next fall, and negotiate prices with the brands.
BLS buyers and purchasing agents median roughly $72k.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in merchandising or business.
Ways in: 4-year college, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Fashion Merchandising, Business.
Shrinking. BLS projects a slight decline.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI forecasting now handles routine reorders, so fewer buyers per company; picking new products and negotiating stays human.
Classes: Fashion or FCS class, AP Statistics, Business elective.
Official data: O*NET occupation 13-1022.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.