Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2016

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)
109,440 1.8 % $28.87 $60,040 0.8 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $14.48 $18.99 $25.65 $34.82 $47.03
Annual Wage (2) $30,110 $39,510 $53,340 $72,430 $97,830


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 18,380 0.80 $33.41 $69,500
Grocery and Related Product Merchant Wholesalers 5,510 0.74 $28.16 $58,570
Wholesale Electronic Markets and Agents and Brokers 5,350 0.60 $28.90 $60,120
Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order Houses 5,170 1.42 $27.89 $58,010
Grocery Stores 5,080 0.19 $22.85 $47,520

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order Houses 5,170 1.42 $27.89 $58,010
Book Stores and News Dealers 1,050 1.19 $21.46 $44,630
Paper and Paper Product Merchant Wholesalers 1,410 1.18 $29.05 $60,430
Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions Merchant Wholesalers 1,650 1.10 $38.05 $79,150
Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 2,410 0.98 $29.33 $61,010

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing 130 0.08 $46.77 $97,270
Oil and Gas Extraction 40 0.02 $43.20 $89,860
Utility System Construction 30 0.01 $43.11 $89,660
Ship and Boat Building 60 0.04 $40.69 $84,630
Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing 70 0.05 $40.59 $84,420


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 18,330 1.15 1.47 $28.51 $59,300
Texas 9,290 0.79 1.01 $28.33 $58,920
New York 8,130 0.89 1.15 $34.65 $72,070
Ohio 4,340 0.81 1.04 $29.03 $60,390
Illinois 4,010 0.68 0.87 $31.11 $64,700




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 3,080 2.58 3.31 (8) (8)
Maine 840 1.41 1.80 $26.25 $54,600
Oregon 2,410 1.35 1.73 $24.93 $51,850
Vermont 400 1.32 1.69 $21.73 $45,200
Minnesota 3,650 1.30 1.66 $31.83 $66,200




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York 8,130 0.89 1.15 $34.65 $72,070
New Jersey 2,120 0.54 0.69 $33.17 $69,000
Minnesota 3,650 1.30 1.66 $31.83 $66,200
Connecticut 1,150 0.69 0.89 $31.78 $66,110
Massachusetts 3,550 1.03 1.32 $31.72 $65,990





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)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 6,440 1.53 1.96 $27.92 $58,070
New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 6,210 0.94 1.21 $36.98 $76,910
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 2,960 1.55 1.99 $32.84 $68,310
Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division 2,560 0.70 0.90 $32.30 $67,170
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division 2,540 1.60 2.05 $31.04 $64,570
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 2,510 0.85 1.10 $28.02 $58,280
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 2,450 1.01 1.30 $29.74 $61,850
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 1,920 0.75 0.97 $33.15 $68,960
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 1,830 1.61 2.07 $26.00 $54,080
Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division 1,780 1.14 1.46 $35.22 $73,260




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)
Joplin, MO 210 2.77 3.55 $18.72 $38,930
Portland-South Portland, ME 500 2.50 3.21 $29.24 $60,820
Framingham, MA NECTA Division 370 2.14 2.74 $31.29 $65,090
Pittsfield, MA 90 2.13 2.73 $26.23 $54,550
Taunton-Middleborough-Norton, MA NECTA Division 110 1.97 2.52 $33.63 $69,950
Eugene, OR 270 1.84 2.36 $22.84 $47,510
Green Bay, WI 300 1.73 2.23 $30.89 $64,240
Knoxville, TN 640 1.67 2.14 $26.98 $56,120
Santa Rosa, CA 310 1.62 2.07 $24.63 $51,230
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 1,830 1.61 2.07 $26.00 $54,080




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)
Dutchess County-Putnam County, NY Metropolitan Division 30 0.22 0.28 $51.32 $106,750
Odessa, TX 30 0.46 0.59 $41.42 $86,150
Peabody-Salem-Beverly, MA NECTA Division 70 0.73 0.93 $41.33 $85,970
Boulder, CO 160 0.89 1.14 $40.59 $84,420
Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL Metropolitan Division 510 0.45 0.58 $39.78 $82,740
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL 160 0.77 0.99 $37.43 $77,850
New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 6,210 0.94 1.21 $36.98 $76,910
West Palm Beach-Boca Raton-Delray Beach, FL Metropolitan Division 250 0.42 0.54 $36.44 $75,800
Trenton, NJ (8) (8) (8) $35.96 $74,800
North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL 200 0.72 0.92 $35.83 $74,530

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)
Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area 200 1.05 1.35 $22.28 $46,330
Northeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 160 0.68 0.87 $23.21 $48,280
North Northeastern Ohio non-metropolitan area (non-contiguous) 140 0.43 0.55 $27.46 $57,110
Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area 140 1.05 1.34 $23.30 $48,470
South Georgia nonmetropolitan area 140 0.74 0.95 $25.19 $52,390

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 50 2.83 3.62 $26.67 $55,480
Southeast Alaska nonmetropolitan area 70 1.93 2.48 $25.81 $53,690
Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 120 1.65 2.12 $19.75 $41,080
Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 130 1.37 1.75 $21.59 $44,900
Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area 50 1.33 1.70 $24.79 $51,570

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)
Northwest Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $40.94 $85,160
Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area 70 0.32 0.41 $35.01 $72,820
Western Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 50 0.34 0.43 $32.15 $66,870
Northeast Kansas nonmetropolitan area 120 0.84 1.07 $30.93 $64,330
Northeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area 100 0.84 1.08 $30.43 $63,290


About May 2016 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

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 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 2016 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2016 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2016 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2016 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2016 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2017