How much does a Category Merchant make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Category Merchant in the United States is $58,327 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $28.
However, a Category Merchant's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $65,324
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $52,004 to $61,990
Key Factors That Influence Category Merchant Salaries
A Category Merchant's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Category Merchant Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Category Merchant's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
How Do Category Merchant Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Category Merchants. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $64,580.
California: $64,335.
Massachusetts: $63,477.
District of Columbia$64,580
California$64,335
Massachusetts$63,477
Washington$63,244
New Jersey$63,221
Alaska$63,139
Connecticut$62,334
New York$62,008
Hawaii$60,963
Rhode Island$60,474
Maryland$60,141
Minnesota$59,686
Colorado$59,511
Illinois$59,453
Oregon$59,231
Delaware$59,068
New Hampshire$58,965
Virginia$58,735
Pennsylvania$58,065
Nevada$57,726
North Dakota$57,616
Michigan$57,441
Wisconsin$57,376
Vermont$57,248
Texas$56,892
Maine$56,869
Arizona$56,834
Ohio$56,793
Georgia$56,256
Indiana$55,988
Wyoming$55,936
Utah$55,854
Iowa$55,819
Kansas$55,539
Louisiana$55,457
North Carolina$55,428
Missouri$55,417
Florida$55,189
Montana$55,067
Nebraska$54,950
Kentucky$54,886
South Carolina$54,652
Tennessee$54,507
Idaho$54,448
New Mexico$54,023
Oklahoma$53,929
Alabama$53,585
South Dakota$53,008
Arkansas$52,693
West Virginia$52,524
Mississippi$52,016
Top Paying Cities for Category Merchants
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $73,568
San Francisco: $72,762
Oakland: $71,229
San Jose, CA$73,568
San Francisco, CA$72,762
Oakland, CA$71,229
New York, NY$67,157
Paramus, NJ$66,341
Queens Village, NY$66,338
Passaic, NJ$66,282
Bergenfield, NJ$66,277
Stamford, CT$66,149
Huntington, NY$66,125
Newark, NJ$65,694
Bridgeport, CT$65,571
Vallejo, CA$65,455
New Brunswick, NJ$65,431
Petaluma, CA$65,396
Middlesex, NJ$65,286
Somerset, NJ$65,245
Santa Cruz, CA$65,169
Boston, MA$64,813
Monterey, CA$64,608
Seattle, WA$64,475
Santa Rosa, CA$64,463
Los Angeles, CA$64,446
Juneau, AK$64,294
Washington, DC$64,230
Orange, CA$64,022
Santa Ana, CA$63,868
Long Beach, CA$63,810
Anaheim, CA$63,798
Anchorage, AK$63,769
Santa Maria, CA$63,594
Everett, WA$63,582
Danbury, CT$63,377
Bremerton, WA$63,297
Tacoma, WA$63,087
New Suffolk, NY$63,085
Sacramento, CA$63,069
Santa Barbara, CA$63,005
Trenton, NJ$62,941
San Diego, CA$62,941
Brockton, MA$62,877
Fairbanks, AK$62,734
Lompoc, CA$62,585
Lowell, MA$62,538
Ventura, CA$62,527
Nashua, NH$62,515
Stockton, CA$62,509
Modesto, CA$62,083
Poughkeepsie, NY$61,955
Olympia, WA$61,844
Kennewick, WA$61,844
New Haven, CT$61,821
Lawrence, MA$61,611
Hartford, CT$61,553
Riverside, CA$61,541
New Bedford, MA$61,483
Richland, WA$61,483
Bakersfield, CA$61,401
San Bernardino, CA$61,378
New Britain, CT$61,372
Atlantic City, NJ$61,372
New London, CT$61,348
Norwich, CT$61,331
Portsmouth, NH$61,319
Boulder, CO$61,196
Portland, OR$61,115
Worcester, MA$61,109
Minneapolis, MN$60,928
Philadelphia, PA$60,847
Honolulu, HI$60,654
Saint Paul, MN$60,626
Vineland, NJ$60,614
Providence, RI$60,444
Chicago, IL$60,275
Bellingham, WA$60,205
Springfield, MA$60,159
Baltimore, MD$60,141
Chico, CA$59,995
Pittsfield, MA$59,838
Manchester, NH$59,727
Spokane, WA$59,470
Denver, CO$59,464
Albany, NY$59,190
Troy, NY$59,167
Nassau, NY$59,105
Schenectady, NY$59,045
Wilmington, DE$58,998
Burlington, VT$58,916
Salem, OR$58,893
Portland, ME$58,712
Yakima, WA$58,654
Rochester, MN$58,473
Reno, NV$58,444
Fresno, CA$58,444
Milwaukee, WI$58,391
Detroit, MI$58,333
Ann Arbor, MI$58,323
Allentown, PA$58,315
Colorado Springs, CO$58,216
Syracuse, NY$58,187
Carson City, NV$58,187
Houston, TX$58,105
Eugene, OR$58,076
Gary, IN$58,006
Springfield, OR$57,960
Bismarck, ND$57,948
Galveston, TX$57,907
Medford, OR$57,820
Fort Collins, CO$57,796
Concord, NH$57,767
Austin, TX$57,750
Mesa, AZ$57,627
Reading, PA$57,621
Phoenix, AZ$57,616
Dallas, TX$57,598
Saint Cloud, MN$57,542
Madison, WI$57,464
Utica, NY$57,306
Rochester, NY$57,213
Des Moines, IA$57,207
Raleigh, NC$57,201
Atlanta, GA$57,114
Battle Creek, MI$57,096
Salt Lake City, UT$57,079
Lancaster, PA$56,991
Harrisburg, PA$56,910
Kansas City, MO$56,851
Champaign, IL$56,840
Kansas City, KS$56,840
Fort Worth, TX$56,834
Columbus, OH$56,824
Boca Raton, FL$56,811
Pittsburgh, PA$56,787
Richmond, VA$56,764
Indianapolis, IN$56,752
Cleveland, OH$56,746
Las Vegas, NV$56,676
Cincinnati, OH$56,676
Petersburg, VA$56,589
Huntsville, AL$56,501
Lansing, MI$56,462
Lebanon, PA$56,455
Pueblo, CO$56,449
Appleton, WI$56,431
Buffalo, NY$56,408
Dayton, OH$56,391
Racine, WI$56,379
Charlotte, NC$56,373
Saint Louis, MO$56,356
York, PA$56,321
Elkhart, IN$56,321
Gastonia, NC$56,310
Billings, MT$56,296
Beaumont, TX$56,280
Lorain, OH$56,268
Benton Harbor, MI$56,256
Toledo, OH$56,245
Binghamton, NY$56,216
Rock Hill, SC$56,210
Rockford, IL$56,181
Springfield, IL$56,157
Elyria, OH$56,151
Fargo, ND$56,151
Flagstaff, AZ$56,111
Fort Lauderdale, FL$56,076
Duluth, MN$56,041
Miami, FL$56,041
Cheyenne, WY$56,000
Grand Forks, ND$56,000
Bangor, ME$55,872
Cedar Rapids, IA$55,807
Durham, NC$55,783
Louisville, KY$55,778
Grand Rapids, MI$55,767
Hialeah, FL$55,761
Casper, WY$55,679
Scranton, PA$55,609
New Orleans, LA$55,592
Virginia Beach, VA$55,586
Akron, OH$55,557
Peoria, IL$55,481
Sarasota, FL$55,469
Nashville, TN$55,428
Omaha, NE$55,428
Green Bay, WI$55,428
Baton Rouge, LA$55,399
Charleston, SC$55,387
Jamestown, NY$55,358
Davenport, IA$55,358
Tucson, AZ$55,329
Saint Petersburg, FL$55,294
Tampa, FL$55,282
Evansville, IN$55,247
Port Arthur, TX$55,247
Bradenton, FL$55,224
Santa Fe, NM$55,119
Orlando, FL$55,014
Clearwater, FL$54,997
Canton, OH$54,874
La Crosse, WI$54,874
Albuquerque, NM$54,839
Newport News, VA$54,833
High Point, NC$54,816
Ogden, UT$54,792
Corpus Christi, TX$54,746
Norfolk, VA$54,711
Laramie, WY$54,711
Rock Island, IL$54,676
Saginaw, MI$54,664
Jacksonville, FL$54,658
Salisbury, NC$54,647
Boise, ID$54,635
Moline, IL$54,606
Fort Myers, FL$54,588
Memphis, TN$54,577
Tulsa, OK$54,548
Waterloo, IA$54,513
Spartanburg, SC$54,454
Lincoln, NE$54,425
Fort Wayne, IN$54,413
Provo, UT$54,408
Cedar Falls, IA$54,338
San Antonio, TX$54,314
Greensboro, NC$54,291
South Bend, IN$54,285
Savannah, GA$54,221
Muskegon, MI$54,198
Birmingham, AL$54,192
Winston Salem, NC$54,163
Lake Charles, LA$54,023
Anderson, IN$54,011
Lexington, KY$53,993
Augusta, GA$53,976
Greenville, SC$53,976
Lima, OH$53,929
Wichita, KS$53,923
Tuscaloosa, AL$53,923
Columbia, SC$53,871
Springfield, OH$53,859
Asheville, NC$53,766
Bloomington, IN$53,725
Knoxville, TN$53,515
Shreveport, LA$53,509
Wilmington, NC$53,433
Roanoke, VA$53,433
Topeka, KS$53,328
Frankfort, KY$53,322
Oklahoma City, OK$53,282
Chillicothe, OH$53,258
Longview, TX$53,253
Melbourne, FL$53,247
Sioux Falls, SD$53,153
Mobile, AL$53,148
Terre Haute, IN$53,124
Altoona, PA$53,089
Amarillo, TX$53,048
Killeen, TX$53,031
Fayetteville, AR$52,984
Chattanooga, TN$52,967
Sioux City, IA$52,914
Idaho Falls, ID$52,903
Lynchburg, VA$52,856
Gainesville, FL$52,780
Portsmouth, OH$52,751
Little Rock, AR$52,739
Lafayette, LA$52,716
Youngstown, OH$52,716
Daytona Beach, FL$52,681
Clarksville, TN$52,675
Pensacola, FL$52,669
Temple, TX$52,665
Hopkinsville, KY$52,494
Erie, PA$52,483
Florence, SC$52,459
Charleston, WV$52,366
Great Falls, MT$52,337
Macon, GA$52,255
Tallahassee, FL$52,249
Fayetteville, NC$52,238
Waco, TX$52,226
Helena, MT$52,185
Pine Bluff, AR$52,163
Vincennes, IN$52,092
Lubbock, TX$52,069
Alamogordo, NM$52,034
Twin Falls, ID$51,981
Rapid City, SD$51,964
Jackson, MS$51,859
Huntington, WV$51,855
Greenville, MS$51,853
Parkersburg, WV$51,793
Montgomery, AL$51,783
Wichita Falls, TX$51,724
Springfield, MO$51,724
Biloxi, MS$51,695
Monroe, LA$51,637
Johnstown, PA$51,596
Sumter, SC$51,573
Columbus, GA$51,567
Pascagoula, MS$51,456
Abilene, TX$51,456
Kingsport, TN$51,305
Albany, GA$51,305
Gulfport, MS$51,287
Alexandria, LA$51,095
Fort Smith, AR$50,949
El Paso, TX$50,791
Las Cruces, NM$50,529
Harlingen, TX$50,381
Pocatello, ID$50,371
Florence, AL$50,295
Brownsville, TX$50,284
Mcallen, TX$50,161
Dothan, AL$50,080
Columbus, MS$49,733
Altus, OK$49,461
Lawton, OK$49,351
Pierre, SD$49,141
What Skills Can Increase a Category Merchant's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Customer Service (Mentioned in 12.75% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
Product Knowledge (Mentioned in 1.54% Job Postings): Product knowledge is the ability to communicate information and answer questions about a product or service. It is considered an important knowledge area for any role that puts you in front of customers, investors or the media.
Services Marketing (Mentioned in 1.01% Job Postings): Services marketing is a form of marketing businesses that provide a service to their customers use to increase brand awareness and sales
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Category Merchant's salary.
Services Marketing: Can increase your salary by up to 15%.
Results Oriented: Can increase your salary by up to 15%.
Category Management: Can increase your salary by up to 15%.
Category Merchant Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Category Merchant roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 80% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the MFG Durable and Construction
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 40% above the average.
In contrast, Category Merchant positions in MFG Nondurable or Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Category Merchant as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Category Merchant
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
MFG Durable
$81,658
$39.0
40%
Construction
$75,825
$36.0
30%
Internet
$72,909
$35.0
25%
Aerospace & Defense
$69,993
$34.0
20%
Hospitality & Leisure
$67,076
$32.0
15%
How Education impacts a Category Merchant's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Category Merchants enter the field with a No Diploma degree,
higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data,
the median salary for a Category Merchant with a No Diploma is between
$61,099
and $67,620).
Category Merchant Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Category Merchant's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$52,004
Average$58,327/year
$61,990
$4,334
Average$4,861/month
$5,166
$1,000
Average$1,122/week
$1,192
$25
Average$28/hour
$30
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$61,990
$5,166
$1,192
$30
Average
$58,327
$4,861
$1,122
$28
25th Percentile
$52,004
$4,334
$1,000
$25
Salaries of Jobs related to Category Merchant
Merchant Manager$120,875
Senior Merchant$113,013
Chief Merchant$99,768
Assistant Category Merchant$95,504
MERCHANT MARINER$86,493
Assistant Merchant$79,706
Associate Category Merchant$74,104
Merchant Seaman$69,001
Merchant Sales$61,414
Merchant Underwriter$60,616
Associate Merchant$60,412
Salary Trends for Category Merchant
Salaries for a Category Merchant can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $56,691 in 2023
to around $56,203 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Category Merchant salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Category Merchant Over Time
$???
$56,691
$56,723
$56,203
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$56,691
2024
$56,723
2025
$56,203
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Category Merchant
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Category Merchant
Here are companies hiring for Category Merchant and their salaries, click below for more details.
C$128,509/per year
C R Bard IncBiotechnologythe United States
H$124,697/per year
Henry Schein CanadaBiotechnologythe United States
N$123,899/per year
Nordex IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$120,416/per year
Nipro CorpBiotechnologythe United States
E$115,870/per year
EnovisBiotechnologythe United States
A$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - EnergyBiotechnologythe United States
M$112,110/per year
MiniMed IncBiotechnologythe United States
L$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug DevelopmentBiotechnologythe United States
L$110,229/per year
Life Technologies CorpBiotechnologythe United States
Z$106,224/per year
Zimmer BiometBiotechnologythe United States
P$103,077/per year
Promontory TherapeuticsBiotechnologythe United States
S$102,181/per year
Steris PLCBiotechnologythe United States
G$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty LtdBiotechnologythe United States
E$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicinesBiotechnologythe United States
R$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLCBiotechnologythe United States
P$94,235/per year
Pleno IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$93,666/per year
Simulaids IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CASBiotechnologythe United States
O$86,468/per year
Onward TechnologyBiotechnologythe United States
L$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics IncBiotechnologythe United States
E$84,682/per year
Eyeco LtdBiotechnologythe United States
P$84,523/per year
PaerosolBiotechnologythe United States
I$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$82,815/per year
Stateside PPEBiotechnologythe United States
D$82,041/per year
Digi BioBiotechnologythe United States
Find Your Next Category Merchant Job
Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Category Merchant job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.
For Employees
Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.
Get a Salary Increase
Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.
Search Job Openings
For Employers
Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.
Adjust Employee Salary
Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.
Price My Industry Jobs
FAQ about Category Merchant
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Category Merchant?
The MFG Durable industry offers the highest average compensation for Category Merchant roles,
with salaries approximately 40% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
