How to Become a Wholesale / Retail Buyer
Choose and purchase the products a retailer or wholesaler sells, negotiating with suppliers on price and terms. It typically requires a bachelor's degree, with a median salary of $77,710 per year and faster than average projected job growth.
Median pay
$77,710/yr
Middle half
$60,800 to $100,820
Job growth
Faster than average
Openings / yr
52,200
Majors that lead here
Key skills
- Negotiation
- Market Analysis
- Forecasting
- Vendor Management
Related careers
- Entrepreneur / Business Founder$213,990 median
- Human Resources Manager$149,280 median
- Sales Manager$148,270 median
- Purchasing Manager$148,080 median
- Fundraising Manager$125,470 median
- Administrative Services Manager$114,130 median
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Wholesale / Retail Buyer make?
The median pay for a Wholesale / Retail Buyer is $77,710 a year, and the middle half of workers earn between $60,800 and $100,820 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025). That covers everyone in the job, not only people starting out, so newer workers sit toward the lower end.
What degree do you need to become a Wholesale / Retail Buyer?
The usual entry point is a bachelor's degree. Common majors are Fashion Merchandising, Agricultural Business, Supply Chain Management, and Business Administration.
Is Wholesale / Retail Buyer a growing field?
Projected job growth for this role from 2024 to 2034 is faster than average (BLS projections via O*NET), with roughly 52,200 U.S. openings a year.
What skills does a Wholesale / Retail Buyer use most?
Common skills for this role are Negotiation, Market Analysis, Forecasting, and Vendor Management.
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Take the major quizWhere these pay figures come from
Career pay is the annual wage of everyone working in that occupation, not only recent graduates, so it includes people who have done the job for decades. The middle half is the 25th to the 75th percentile. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).
All figures are national. What you earn depends on where you work, who you work for, and how far you take the degree.
Job-growth figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).