How to become an Online Merchant
Official title: Online Merchants
Also called: Online Services Manager
Conduct retail activities of businesses operating exclusively online. May perform duties such as preparing business strategies, buying merchandise, managing inventory, implementing marketing activities, fulfilling and shipping online orders, and balancing financial records.
Main tasks
- Fill customer orders by packaging sold items and documentation for direct shipping or by transferring orders to manufacturers or third-party distributors.
- Receive and process payments from customers, using electronic transaction services.
- Create, manage, or automate orders or invoices, using order management or invoicing software.
- Deliver e-mail confirmation of completed transactions and shipment.
- Correspond with online customers via electronic mail, telephone, or other electronic messaging to address questions or complaints about products, policies, or shipping methods.
- Purchase new or used items from online or physical sources for resale via retail or auction Web site.
- Determine and set product prices.
- Calculate purchase subtotals, taxes, and shipping costs for submission to customers.
How to become one
Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree
Ways in
- Apprenticeship: E-Commerce Specialist.
- College: Business & Commerce degrees, Offered by 35 universities in the US
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Median pay: $83,050 a year The middle half earn $62,640 to $114,010.
- About 1,157,600 people work in this job now, and about 1,202,300 are projected by 2035. (+3.9%)
- People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.
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Questions people ask
How do I become an Online Merchant?
Ways in include: Business & Commerce degrees; E-Commerce Specialist.
How much does an Online Merchant earn in the US?
Median full-time pay is $83,050 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $62,640 to $114,010.
Is an Online Merchant a growing career in the US?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 4% by 2035, from about 1,157,600 to about 1,202,300 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Do you need a degree to become an Online Merchant?
Not always. 57% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Business & Commerce degrees; E-Commerce Specialist.
Will AI change the work of an Online Merchant?
People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.
Sources
- Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.