Merchandise displayers and window trimmers salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $30,760 | $14.79 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $39,390 | $18.94 |
| Mean (average) | $42,830 | $20.59 |
| 90th percentile | $58,370 | $28.06 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Merchandise displayers and window trimmers pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 53 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $42,840 | $29,370 | $59,720 | 2,900 | 1.29 |
| Alaska | $46,530 | $37,130 | $54,880 | 540 | 1.55 |
| Arizona | $39,630 | $34,330 | $56,710 | 3,130 | 0.91 |
| Arkansas | $36,230 | $28,250 | $45,510 | 1,670 | 1.21 |
| California | $47,010 | $38,080 | $61,870 | 17,840 | 0.92 |
| Colorado | $43,230 | $35,880 | $56,080 | 3,650 | 1.2 |
| Connecticut | $42,410 | $35,360 | $64,860 | 1,450 | 0.8 |
| Delaware | $37,710 | $31,200 | $51,110 | 490 | 0.94 |
| District of Columbia | $39,460 | $36,660 | $57,720 | 250 | 0.33 |
| Florida | $36,220 | $29,560 | $51,530 | 14,360 | 1.36 |
| Georgia | $37,050 | $28,960 | $57,570 | 7,790 | 1.5 |
| Hawaii | $40,370 | $35,060 | $53,860 | 990 | 1.48 |
| Idaho | $38,770 | $31,190 | $44,930 | 1,570 | 1.72 |
| Illinois | $40,270 | $34,850 | $66,060 | 3,090 | 0.48 |
| Indiana | $36,510 | $29,340 | $64,120 | 2,610 | 0.77 |
| Iowa | $39,680 | $30,080 | $56,530 | 1,860 | 1.12 |
| Kansas | $39,960 | $29,580 | $49,110 | 1,580 | 1.03 |
| Kentucky | $35,820 | $22,230 | $49,420 | 2,460 | 1.16 |
| Louisiana | $34,860 | $28,350 | $49,740 | 2,360 | 1.15 |
| Maine | $45,750 | $33,390 | $57,860 | 910 | 1.33 |
| Maryland | $43,370 | $36,490 | $60,350 | 1,920 | 0.65 |
| Massachusetts | $43,290 | $34,390 | $69,250 | 3,360 | 0.87 |
| Michigan | $36,710 | $29,830 | $47,140 | 5,050 | 1.08 |
| Minnesota | $45,730 | $36,050 | $62,030 | 1,820 | 0.58 |
| Mississippi | $33,040 | $24,660 | $47,960 | 1,760 | 1.43 |
| Missouri | $42,890 | $34,150 | $55,300 | 2,700 | 0.87 |
| Montana | $43,700 | $34,960 | $62,280 | 580 | 1.07 |
| Nebraska | $37,980 | $30,940 | $52,900 | 680 | 0.62 |
| Nevada | $39,440 | $32,280 | $52,670 | 2,300 | 1.4 |
| New Hampshire | $40,880 | $36,560 | $59,680 | 690 | 0.95 |
| New Jersey | $38,200 | $33,160 | $57,190 | 5,120 | 1.12 |
| New Mexico | $36,550 | $26,350 | $45,760 | 880 | 0.95 |
| New York | $43,660 | $35,760 | $73,100 | 10,430 | 1.01 |
| North Carolina | $37,960 | $29,640 | $61,620 | 6,040 | 1.15 |
| North Dakota | $42,080 | $37,650 | $54,640 | 350 | 0.76 |
| Ohio | $37,850 | $29,190 | $61,360 | 6,930 | 1.17 |
| Oklahoma | $38,380 | $28,950 | $63,800 | 1,570 | 0.87 |
| Oregon | $45,200 | $36,820 | $66,030 | 1,220 | 0.58 |
| Pennsylvania | $37,740 | $30,890 | $55,310 | 5,230 | 0.81 |
| Puerto Rico | $29,400 | $21,840 | $40,300 | 60 | 0.06 |
| Rhode Island | $37,610 | $31,260 | $62,330 | ||
| South Carolina | $36,810 | $30,060 | $55,680 | 2,550 | 1.04 |
| South Dakota | $40,190 | $34,680 | $58,600 | 320 | 0.65 |
| Tennessee | $34,500 | $28,780 | $45,940 | 4,710 | 1.35 |
| Texas | $37,260 | $29,860 | $49,980 | 14,730 | 0.99 |
| Utah | $39,930 | $34,580 | $52,030 | 1,160 | 0.63 |
| Vermont | $44,850 | $39,950 | $57,470 | 180 | 0.55 |
| Virgin Islands | $27,520 | $25,430 | $33,500 | 130 | 3.77 |
| Virginia | $37,750 | $30,680 | $64,550 | 4,450 | 1.02 |
| Washington | $48,780 | $39,890 | $74,910 | 2,550 | 0.68 |
| West Virginia | $36,660 | $29,410 | $46,740 | 750 | 1.01 |
| Wisconsin | $39,510 | $30,750 | $51,550 | 2,930 | 0.94 |
| Wyoming | $38,790 | $35,370 | $62,400 | 220 | 0.72 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for merchandise displayers and window trimmers
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 17,200. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 0.2%.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for merchandise displayers and window trimmers
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Fashion Modeling CIP 52.1903
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Plan commercial displays to entice and appeal to customers.
- Arrange properties, furniture, merchandise, backdrops, or other accessories, as shown in prepared sketches.
- Change or rotate window displays, interior display areas, or signage to reflect changes in inventory or promotion.
- Place prices or descriptive signs on backdrops, fixtures, merchandise, or floor.
- Consult with store managers, buyers, sales associates, housekeeping staff, or engineering staff to determine appropriate placement of displays or products.
- Maintain props, products, or mannequins, inspecting them for imperfections, doing touch-ups, cleaning up after customers, or applying preservative coatings as necessary.
- Develop ideas or plans for merchandise displays or window decorations.
- Assemble or set up displays, furniture, or products in store space, using colors, lights, pictures, or other accessories to display the product.
Technology skills
- Microsoft Excel (in demand)
- Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Adobe Creative Cloud software (hot technology)
- Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Apple Safari (hot technology)
- Apple iOS (hot technology)
- Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
- Google Docs (hot technology)
- Microsoft Edge (hot technology)
- Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Mozilla Firefox (hot technology)
- SAS (hot technology)
Transferable skills for career changers: Judgment and Decision Making, Social Perceptiveness, Coordination, Time Management, Persuasion, Service Orientation.
Common job titles: Decorator, Display Associate, Display Decorator, Display Specialist, In-Store Marketing Associate, Merchandiser, Visual Merchandiser (VM), Visual Merchandising Specialist.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do merchandise displayers and window trimmers make?
The national median annual wage for merchandise displayers and window trimmers was $39,390 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $30,760 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $58,370. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do merchandise displayers and window trimmers need?
BLS lists high school diploma or equivalent as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and short-term on-the-job training on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is merchandise displayers and window trimmers a growing career?
BLS projects employment of merchandise displayers and window trimmers to change +2.7% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 17,200 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay merchandise displayers and window trimmers the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Washington ($48,780), California ($47,010), Alaska ($46,530). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.