Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 27-1026

Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers

Median pay sits 49% below the mid peer in Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations (neighbors include Special Effects Artists and Animators, Music Directors and Composers, Fashion Designers, Editors).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers: Special Effects Artists and Animators ($102K) , Music Directors and Composers ($74K) , Fashion Designers ($81K) , Editors ($78K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 27-1026 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Dress mannequins for displays
  2. 2. Plan commercial displays to entice and appeal to customers
  3. 3. Arrange properties, furniture, merchandise, backdrops, or other accessories, as shown in prepared sketches
  4. 4. Change or rotate window displays, interior display areas, or signage to reflect changes in inventory or promotion
  5. 5. Place prices or descriptive signs on backdrops, fixtures, merchandise, or floor
  6. 6. Consult with store managers, buyers, sales associates, housekeeping staff, or engineering staff to determine appropriate placement of dis…
  7. 7. Maintain props, products, or mannequins, inspecting them for imperfections, doing touch-ups, cleaning up after customers, or applying pre…
  8. 8. Supervise or train staff members on daily tasks, such as visual merchandising
  9. 9. Develop ideas or plans for merchandise displays or window decorations
  10. 10. Assemble or set up displays, furniture, or products in store space, using colors, lights, pictures, or other accessories to display the p…
  11. 11. Store, pack, and maintain inventory records of props, products, or display items
  12. 12. Install booths, exhibits, displays, carpets, or drapes, as guided by floor plan of building or specifications

Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers: O*NET ranks Active Listening first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 27-1026 - lead skill Active Listening at 3.5 ; lead knowledge Customer and Personal Service. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Active Listening 3.5
  2. 2. Speaking 3.3
  3. 3. Critical Thinking 3.3
  4. 4. Judgment and Decision Making 3.1
  5. 5. Reading Comprehension 3.0
  6. 6. Social Perceptiveness 3.0
  7. 7. Coordination 3.0
  8. 8. Time Management 3.0

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Customer and Personal Service 3.9
  2. 2. Sales and Marketing 3.8
  3. 3. English Language 3.3
  4. 4. Administration and Management 3.1
  5. 5. Design 2.8
  6. 6. Computers and Electronics 2.8
Pay vs Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations peers
-49%
vs mid peer median $76,910
This role $39,390/yr
$39K
National median
↑ +3%
Growth 2024-2034
20,800
Annual openings
165,220
Estimated US jobs
Special Effects Artists and Animators
Highest-pay peer · $102K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers

1. California $47,010
2. Washington $48,780
3. Minnesota $45,730
4. Oregon $45,200
5. Montana $43,700
6. Alaska $46,530
7. New York $43,660
8. Maryland $43,370
9. Vermont $44,850
10. Maine $45,750

Other Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations titles

  1. 1. Fashion Designers $80,960
  2. 2. Special Effects Artists and Animators $102,030
  3. 3. Music Directors and Composers $73,710
  4. 4. Editors $77,920
  5. 5. Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film $74,990
  6. 6. Set and Exhibit Designers $75,240

Among Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations peers on this card, Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers sits 49% below the mid peer median ($76,910). Its own median is $39,390.

Employment Projections expect +3% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 20,800 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: California at $47,010. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Special Effects Artists and Animators at $102,030. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers pay-rank #35 in Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations

On the Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations median table (36 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers lands at #35, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 27-1026 · national median $39,390 · lower third of Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations (#35/36). Open the full OEWS map or a named state before treating the card median as a local ask.

Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 27-1026

California · top state for Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers

$47K published median

Washington · #2 state pay

$49K · behind California

Special Effects Artists and Animators

Highest-pay peer vs Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers · $102K

Music Directors and Composers

Lower-pay peer beside Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers · $74K

Compare Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers

Against another occupation

Special Effects Artists and Animators card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers land on the Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations median table? ▼
Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers is pay-rank #35 of 36 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials ($41K), Floral Designers ($37K), Photographers ($45K), Craft Artists ($46K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do merchandise displayers and window trimmers do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers. Leading ones include: 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. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for merchandise displayers and window trimmers? ▼
For SOC 27-1026, O*NET importance scores lead with Active Listening (3.5), Speaking (3.3), Critical Thinking (3.3), Judgment and Decision Making (3.1). Knowledge areas emphasize Customer and Personal Service, Sales and Marketing, English Language. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $39,390 as the national median for Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers. The published 10th-90th range is $30,760 to $58,370. Beside Special Effects Artists and Animators ($102,030), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers is +3%. Projected annual openings: about 20,800. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers? ▼
California ($47,010), Washington ($48,780), Minnesota ($45,730) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 27-1026. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics