Life As an Online Merchant
Job Description & Duties 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.
Daily Life Of an Online Merchant
- Deliver e-mail confirmation of completed transactions and shipment.
- Implement security practices to preserve assets, minimize liabilities, or ensure customer privacy, using parallel servers, hardware redundancy, fail-safe technology, information encryption, or firewalls.
- Fill customer orders by packaging sold items and documentation for direct shipping or by transferring orders to manufacturers or third-party distributors.
- Measure and analyze Web site usage data to maximize search engine returns or refine customer interfaces.
- Upload digital media, such as photos, video, or scanned images to online storefront, auction sites, or other shopping Web sites.
- Cancel orders based on customer requests or inventory or delivery problems.
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Online Merchant Required Skills
These are the skills Online Merchants say are the most useful in their careers:
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Types of Online Merchant
- E-Commerce Manager
- E-tailer
- Internet Retailer
- Supervisor of Operations
- Master Hearth Technician
Is There Going to be Demand for Online Merchants?
In the United States, there were 1,023,900 jobs for Online Merchant in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 8.8% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 90,400 new jobs for Online Merchant by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 104,200 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Online Merchant are Utah, Nevada, and Arkansas. Watch out if you plan on working in Alaska, Maine, or Oklahoma. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Do Online Merchants Make A Lot Of Money?
The salary for Online Merchants ranges between about $38,420 and $123,000 a year.

Online Merchants who work in District of Columbia, Maryland, or Virginia, make the highest salaries.
How much do Online Merchants make in different U.S. states?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $85,140 |
Alaska | $82,160 |
Arizona | $67,670 |
Arkansas | $59,530 |
California | $83,470 |
Colorado | $82,130 |
Connecticut | $78,120 |
Delaware | $81,880 |
District of Columbia | $102,730 |
Florida | $66,440 |
Georgia | $75,070 |
Hawaii | $73,310 |
Idaho | $67,630 |
Illinois | $71,780 |
Indiana | $61,290 |
Iowa | $65,020 |
Kansas | $74,520 |
Kentucky | $66,450 |
Louisiana | $60,430 |
Maine | $66,760 |
Maryland | $91,400 |
Massachusetts | $85,980 |
Michigan | $70,410 |
Minnesota | $71,220 |
Mississippi | $65,650 |
Missouri | $73,500 |
Montana | $66,290 |
Nebraska | $74,370 |
Nevada | $71,580 |
New Hampshire | $70,890 |
New Jersey | $78,920 |
New Mexico | $70,340 |
New York | $83,330 |
North Carolina | $74,040 |
North Dakota | $73,010 |
Ohio | $71,190 |
Oklahoma | $72,940 |
Oregon | $68,890 |
Pennsylvania | $80,910 |
Rhode Island | $80,380 |
South Carolina | $69,340 |
South Dakota | $70,830 |
Tennessee | $62,330 |
Texas | $80,140 |
Utah | $72,100 |
Vermont | $67,910 |
Virginia | $88,180 |
Washington | $77,850 |
West Virginia | $70,180 |
Wisconsin | $57,620 |
Wyoming | $69,740 |
What Tools do Online Merchants Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Online Merchants may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Hypertext markup language HTML
- JavaScript
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Web browser software
- jQuery
- Microsoft Access
- MySQL
- Microsoft Windows
- Microsoft Project
- Microsoft Visio
- Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop
- Structured query language SQL
- Microsoft Dynamics
- Linux
- Extensible markup language XML
Becoming an Online Merchant
Are there Online Merchants education requirements?

How many years of work experience do I need?

Who Employs Online Merchants?

Below are examples of industries where Online Merchants work:

References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Featured Schools
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