Occupations · Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers
Plan and erect commercial displays, such as those in windows and interiors of retail stores and at trade exhibitions.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 27-1026.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 70% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $43,490 | 9,040 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $45,100 | 8,230 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $34,850 | 5,290 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $36,870 | 5,110 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ | $36,330 | 3,510 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $38,640 | 3,490 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $36,060 | 3,400 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $37,080 | 3,090 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $41,850 | 3,030 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $36,580 | 2,810 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $45,440 | 2,730 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $37,220 | 2,330 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: High school diploma or equivalent · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- Dress mannequins for displays.
- 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.
- Supervise or train staff members on daily tasks, such as visual merchandising.
- 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.
- Store, pack, and maintain inventory records of props, products, or display items.
- Install booths, exhibits, displays, carpets, or drapes, as guided by floor plan of building or specifications.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2015-07
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2015-07
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning. 1 entries that were only relabelled between releases are left out.
Now listed 13
No longer listed 7
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| visual merchandiser | 3432.6 | exact |
| merchandiser | 3432.2 | close |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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