Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations
Business & Management
Median earnings by degree level
| Degree | Median earnings | Typical range | Schools | Clear the bar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Associate's Degree | $46,098 | $43,001 to $59,740 | 8 | 100% |
| Bachelor's Degree | $55,542 | $47,098 to $61,968 | 44 | 93% |
"Clear the bar" is the share of programs whose graduates out-earn a typical high-school graduate (the federal earnings-premium test). Typical range is the 25th to 75th percentile of program medians.
Job outlook
Projected employment growth +1% (2025 to 2035), about 453,000 openings a year across the occupations this field commonly leads to.
| Occupation | Median pay | Growth | Openings/yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | $48,520 | -3.7% | 113,500 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | $72,080 | -0.9% | 99,800 |
| Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | $78,760 | +7% | 82,000 |
| Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents | $78,660 | +1.4% | 35,100 |
| Marketing Managers | $166,790 | +6.9% | 34,000 |
| Parts Salespersons | $38,630 | +3% | 30,000 |
Occupation pay and outlook: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wages, Employment Projections). A field maps to several occupations, and the same occupations serve many majors, so these are the jobs this major commonly leads to, not positions reserved for its graduates; the openings should not be added up across majors.
Where this is studied
The 8 colleges where the most students complete a specialized sales, merchandising and marketing operations program, of 130 that report one. Ordered by number of completions only: this is where people study it, not a judgement about where to.
- Fashion Institute of Technology
- Florida State College at Jacksonville
- Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia
- Kent State University at Kent
- FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising
- LIM College
- University of North Texas
- Marist University
Earnings source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (release 2026-06-10), median earnings of graduates measured up to four years after completing. Figures describe past graduates and are never a promise. Method: methodology. Report an error.