Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2010

13-1022 Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products

Buy 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.

National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

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

Industry profile for this occupation: Top

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

Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

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