Can you be a visual merchandiser with no experience?

Yes, you can be a visual merchandiser with no experience if you have relevant skills or education. However, it would be more advantageous to also have some work experience in sales. Most visual merchandisers have postsecondary education, especially a bachelor's degree in a related field like art, marketing, or graphic design. Also, having skills and knowledge of Photoshop and visual design tools can help you gain good job offers for entry-level positions.

How much money does a visual merchandiser make?

A visual merchandiser makes about $55,000 yearly (about $4,629 monthly or $27 hourly). In general, as most jobs go, factors like location, company, and experience can determine your exact pay.

What is a visual merchandiser and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted Expert

Abby Guido

A visual merchandiser designs and creates compelling product displays in retail stores or showrooms to attract customers and increase sales. They work with store managers, buyers, and marketing teams to develop visual concepts and themes that align with the brand's image and target audience. Visual merchandisers use creativity and artistic skills to arrange products, props, lighting, and signage in a visually appealing manner. They also monitor sales trends and adjust displays accordingly.

What general advice would you give to a Visual Merchandiser?

Abby Guido

Assistant Professor, Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Temple University

We've all heard the buzz about networking, and there is so much buzz because it works. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is both up to date and active. Connect with all of your past professors, classmates, and anyone and everyone you meet in a professional setting. I often tell students to get into the habit of searching for any classroom guests, or guest lecturers, to connect, thank them for their time, and build their network. Share content. Write articles, or reshare those you find interesting.

Every job I have ever received in my career has been through someone else I know. I share this with students to help them see the value in relationships. I always remember the students that took the time to write a handwritten thank-you note. And I think of them when I get an email asking if I know any students are looking for work.

ScoreVisual MerchandiserUS Average

Salary

3.0

Avg. Salary $38,037

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

5.5

Growth Rate 10%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

7.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.49%

Asian 5.34%

Black or African American 8.50%

Hispanic or Latino 13.83%

Unknown 5.10%

White 66.75%

Gender

female 72.69%

male 27.31%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress Level

5.5

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

6.0

Complexity Level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

7.8

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Visual Merchandiser?

Pros

Variety in day-to-day tasks
Opportunities for growth and advancement
Possibility of travel for store set-up and displays
Potential for flexible scheduling
Chance to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment

Cons

High-pressure deadlines and expectations
Long hours, including nights and weekends
Frequent changes in company direction and focus
Requires strong attention to detail and ability to multitask
Can be repetitive or monotonous at times

Key steps to become a visual merchandiser

Explore visual merchandiser education requirements

Most common visual merchandiser degrees

Bachelor's

57.0 %

Associate

24.2 %

High School Diploma

12.5 %

Start to develop specific visual merchandiser skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	24.80%
Ladders	16.79%
Sales Floor	10.26%
Store Management	5.95%
Drive Sales	5.66%

Complete relevant visual merchandiser training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New visual merchandisers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a visual merchandiser based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real visual merchandiser resumes.

Research visual merchandiser duties and responsibilities

Manage backroom/stock room inventory by organizing pallets, stacking and storing product inventory.
Provide support to all meeting and VTC rooms.
Merchandise mens, ladies, kids, and accessories departments.
Operate audio board, PowerPoint, camera, and video switcher.

Prepare your visual merchandiser resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your visual merchandiser resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a visual merchandiser resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Visual Merchandiser Resume templates

Build a professional Visual Merchandiser resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Visual Merchandiser resume.

Apply for visual merchandiser jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a visual merchandiser job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do visual merchandisers rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Visual Merchandiser reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2023

Cons

Can't say anything I buy the product that sells or does not a sale makes me profit. Always liked inventory.

A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2022

Pros

Flexible schedule

A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2020