Visual Merchandiser job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

16

O*NET task statements

O*NET occupation

Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers

O*NET-SOC 27-1026.00

Preparation

Job Zone 3 of 5

medium preparation

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$39,390

BLS May 2025

Data Government data groups this job as Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers (O*NET-SOC 27-1026.00). O*NET 31.0 lists “Visual Merchandiser” as a job title for this occupation only (evidence: O*NET's Sample of Reported Titles (titles job holders report), O*NET job-incumbent data, the SOC Index, the U.S. Employment and Training Administration, professional associations and employer job postings). Figures on this page are for that occupation. TryHired has no separate career page for this title yet.

1. Plan commercial displays to entice and appeal to customers. importance 4.4 of 5
2. Arrange properties, furniture, merchandise, backdrops, or other accessories, as shown in prepared sketches. importance 4.2 of 5
3. Change or rotate window displays, interior display areas, or signage to reflect changes in inventory or promotion. importance 4.2 of 5
4. Place prices or descriptive signs on backdrops, fixtures, merchandise, or floor. importance 4.1 of 5
5. Consult with store managers, buyers, sales associates, housekeeping staff, or engineering staff to determine appropriate placement of displays or products. importance 4.0 of 5
6. Maintain props, products, or mannequins, inspecting them for imperfections, doing touch-ups, cleaning up after customers, or applying preservative coatings as necessary. importance 4.0 of 5
7. Develop ideas or plans for merchandise displays or window decorations. importance 3.9 of 5
8. Assemble or set up displays, furniture, or products in store space, using colors, lights, pictures, or other accessories to display the product. importance 3.9 of 5
9. Install booths, exhibits, displays, carpets, or drapes, as guided by floor plan of building or specifications. importance 3.8 of 5
10. Select themes, lighting, colors, or props to be used. importance 3.8 of 5
11. Consult with advertising or sales staff to determine type of merchandise to be featured and time and place for each display. importance 3.7 of 5
12. Attend training sessions or corporate planning meetings to obtain new ideas for product launches. importance 3.7 of 5
13. Collaborate with others to obtain products or other display items. importance 3.6 of 5
14. Construct or assemble displays or display components from fabric, glass, paper, or plastic, using hand tools or woodworking power tools, according to specifications. importance 3.6 of 5
15. Obtain plans from display designers or display managers and discuss their implementation with clients or supervisors. importance 3.4 of 5
16. Take photographs of displays or signage. importance 3.3 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Getting Information, Thinking Creatively, Performing General Physical Activities, Handling and Moving Objects and Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Dress mannequins for displays.
• Supervise or train staff members on daily tasks, such as visual merchandising.
• Store, pack, and maintain inventory records of props, products, or display items.
• Use computers to produce signage.
• Prepare sketches, floor plans, or models of proposed displays.
• Instruct sales staff in color coordination of clothing racks or counter displays.

Knowledge areas: Customer and Personal Service, Sales and Marketing, English Language and Administration and Management.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Microsoft Excel, Adobe Creative Cloud software, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Autodesk AutoCAD, SAS. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists short-term on-the-job training as typical once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 3 of 5 (medium preparation). Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board.

The most common answer among visual merchandisers surveyed by O*NET is a high school diploma or equivalent (39%).

Job title: Visual Merchandiser
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Visual Merchandiser to plan and erect commercial displays, such as those in windows and interiors of retail stores and at trade exhibitions.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- 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.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in active listening, speaking and critical thinking
- Working knowledge of Customer and Personal Service and Sales and Marketing
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Microsoft Excel or Adobe Creative Cloud software]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

For Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers, the median annual wage was $39,390 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $18.94. BLS estimates about 165,220 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers to grow 2.7% from 2025 to 2035, with about 17,200 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

• Read a real visual merchandiser posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Plan commercial displays to entice and appeal to customers”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only visual merchandiser work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (active listening and speaking): a real situation, what you did and what changed.