U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsBuy merchandise or commodities, other than farm products, for resale to consumers at the wholesale or retail level, including both durable and nondurable goods. Analyze past buying trends, sales records, price, and quality of merchandise to determine value and yield. Select, order, and authorize payment for merchandise according to contractual agreements. May conduct meetings with sales personnel and introduce new products. Includes assistant wholesale and retail buyers of nonfarm products.
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:
| Employment (1) | Employment RSE (3) |
Mean hourly wage |
Mean annual wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 108,220 | 1.5 % | $27.07 | $56,300 | 0.7 % |
Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% (Median) |
75% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly Wage | $13.98 | $18.00 | $23.87 | $32.38 | $43.25 |
| Annual Wage (2) | $29,070 | $37,430 | $49,650 | $67,360 | $89,970 |
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 17,660 | 0.93 | $29.66 | $61,690 |
| Wholesale Electronic Markets and Agents and Brokers | 6,660 | 0.84 | $29.86 | $62,100 |
| Grocery and Related Product Merchant Wholesalers | 6,480 | 0.91 | $28.05 | $58,340 |
| Grocery Stores | 4,990 | 0.20 | $20.03 | $41,660 |
| Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | 4,330 | 0.72 | $25.40 | $52,830 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions Merchant Wholesalers | 2,070 | 1.51 | $31.73 | $66,000 |
| Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | 2,890 | 1.32 | $25.81 | $53,670 |
| Paper and Paper Product Merchant Wholesalers | 1,640 | 1.31 | $26.64 | $55,410 |
| Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order Houses | 3,070 | 1.26 | $25.78 | $53,620 |
| Miscellaneous Durable Goods Merchant Wholesalers | 3,060 | 1.12 | $27.25 | $56,670 |
Top paying industries for this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural Gas Distribution | (8) | (8) | $41.51 | $86,350 |
| Insurance Carriers | 80 | 0.01 | $37.33 | $77,640 |
| Electrical Equipment Manufacturing | 30 | 0.03 | $34.09 | $70,900 |
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services | 230 | 0.02 | $33.96 | $70,640 |
| Petroleum and Petroleum Products Merchant Wholesalers | 320 | 0.35 | $33.73 | $70,150 |
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 14,120 | 1.01 | 1.19 | $26.67 | $55,470 |
| New York | 8,660 | 1.04 | 1.22 | $31.58 | $65,700 |
| Texas | 8,090 | 0.80 | 0.94 | $27.75 | $57,730 |
| Pennsylvania | 6,120 | 1.12 | 1.31 | $27.51 | $57,230 |
| New Jersey | 5,550 | 1.47 | 1.73 | $32.90 | $68,430 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | 2,260 | 1.99 | 2.34 | $26.87 | $55,890 |
| Hawaii | 870 | 1.53 | 1.79 | $19.90 | $41,390 |
| New Jersey | 5,550 | 1.47 | 1.73 | $32.90 | $68,430 |
| Oregon | 2,080 | 1.33 | 1.56 | $22.46 | $46,730 |
| Vermont | 340 | 1.18 | 1.39 | $21.32 | $44,350 |
Top paying States for this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 5,550 | 1.47 | 1.73 | $32.90 | $68,430 |
| New York | 8,660 | 1.04 | 1.22 | $31.58 | $65,700 |
| Minnesota | 2,950 | 1.15 | 1.35 | $30.11 | $62,620 |
| Rhode Island | 190 | 0.43 | 0.51 | $29.50 | $61,370 |
| Maryland | 2,460 | 1.00 | 1.18 | $29.44 | $61,240 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division | 6,950 | 1.40 | 1.64 | $34.64 | $72,060 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division | 4,540 | 1.19 | 1.40 | $25.57 | $53,180 |
| Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division | 2,520 | 1.26 | 1.48 | $28.55 | $59,390 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 2,480 | 1.48 | 1.73 | $31.43 | $65,380 |
| Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX | 1,990 | 0.80 | 0.94 | $30.69 | $63,830 |
| Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division | 1,960 | 1.08 | 1.27 | $30.26 | $62,940 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA | 1,940 | 0.88 | 1.04 | $29.99 | $62,380 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, IL Metropolitan Division | 1,820 | 0.51 | 0.60 | $28.01 | $58,260 |
| Nassau-Suffolk, NY Metropolitan Division | 1,790 | 1.49 | 1.75 | $31.86 | $66,270 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ | 1,760 | 1.05 | 1.23 | $31.38 | $65,280 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO | 1,600 | 8.30 | 9.75 | $27.39 | $56,980 |
| Prescott, AZ | 160 | 3.04 | 3.57 | $25.04 | $52,080 |
| Brockton-Bridgewater-Easton, MA NECTA Division | 230 | 2.66 | 3.12 | $30.91 | $64,280 |
| Framingham, MA NECTA Division | 330 | 2.14 | 2.52 | $31.63 | $65,780 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 160 | 1.91 | 2.24 | $28.56 | $59,410 |
| Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, CA Metropolitan Division | 1,670 | 1.76 | 2.07 | $27.91 | $58,050 |
| Honolulu, HI | 730 | 1.73 | 2.04 | $19.85 | $41,280 |
| Eugene-Springfield, OR | 240 | 1.73 | 2.04 | $18.22 | $37,910 |
| Springfield, MO | 310 | 1.69 | 1.99 | $20.20 | $42,020 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | 150 | 1.64 | 1.92 | $27.71 | $57,640 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trenton-Ewing, NJ | 160 | 0.73 | 0.85 | $35.38 | $73,600 |
| New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division | 6,950 | 1.40 | 1.64 | $34.64 | $72,060 |
| Newark-Union, NJ-PA Metropolitan Division | 830 | 0.87 | 1.02 | $33.68 | $70,050 |
| North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | 160 | 0.69 | 0.81 | $33.63 | $69,950 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | 30 | 0.79 | 0.93 | $33.46 | $69,590 |
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | 110 | 0.46 | 0.53 | $33.41 | $69,480 |
| Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown, NY | 200 | 0.82 | 0.96 | $33.05 | $68,740 |
| Taunton-Norton-Raynham, MA NECTA Division | 60 | 1.28 | 1.50 | $32.03 | $66,610 |
| Pittsfield, MA | 40 | 1.22 | 1.44 | $31.91 | $66,360 |
| Nassau-Suffolk, NY Metropolitan Division | 1,790 | 1.49 | 1.75 | $31.86 | $66,270 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | 220 | 1.20 | 1.41 | $23.59 | $49,070 |
| Southwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area | 160 | 1.32 | 1.55 | $27.99 | $58,210 |
| East Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | 160 | 0.69 | 0.81 | $22.25 | $46,270 |
| Capital/Northern New York nonmetropolitan area | 150 | 0.81 | 0.96 | $22.74 | $47,290 |
| Other New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area | 150 | 1.51 | 1.78 | $23.46 | $48,810 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nantucket Island and Martha's Vineyard nonmetropolitan area | 40 | 3.15 | 3.70 | $34.17 | $71,060 |
| Southeast Alaska nonmetropolitan area | 70 | 2.09 | 2.45 | $19.78 | $41,150 |
| Other New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area | 150 | 1.51 | 1.78 | $23.46 | $48,810 |
| North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area | 140 | 1.51 | 1.77 | $19.40 | $40,350 |
| Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area | 140 | 1.35 | 1.59 | $21.79 | $45,320 |
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nantucket Island and Martha's Vineyard nonmetropolitan area | 40 | 3.15 | 3.70 | $34.17 | $71,060 |
| Southwestern Washington nonmetropolitan area | 40 | 0.64 | 0.76 | $33.09 | $68,830 |
| Central Texas nonmetropolitan area | 110 | 0.77 | 0.91 | $30.43 | $63,300 |
| Southwestern New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area | 40 | 1.11 | 1.30 | $30.39 | $63,210 |
| Linn County, Oregon nonmetropolitan area | 40 | 1.15 | 1.35 | $30.18 | $62,780 |
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(8) Estimate not released.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OES estimates and related information:
May 2010 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2010 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2010 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2010 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order
List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order
Download May 2010 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files
Last Modified Date: May 17, 2011
