Online Merchants

Career Overview

Conduct retail activities of businesses operating exclusively online. May perform duties such as preparing business strategies, buying merchandise, managing inventory, implementing marketing activities, fulfilling and shipping online orders, and balancing financial records.

Also Known As

  • Online Services Manager

Alternate Job Titles

  • E-Commerce Account Manager
  • E-Commerce Administrator
  • E-Commerce Analyst
  • E-Commerce Assistant
  • E-Commerce Associate
  • E-Commerce Business Analyst
  • E-Commerce Business Channel Specialist
  • E-Commerce Clerk
  • E-Commerce Coordinator
  • E-Commerce Developer
  • E-Commerce Digital Marketing Manager (Electronic Commerce Digital Marketing Manager)
  • E-Commerce Manager
  • E-Commerce Marketing Manager
  • E-Commerce Merchandiser
  • E-Commerce Merchant

What You'll Do

In this role, your typical responsibilities include:

  • Fill customer orders by packaging sold items and documentation for direct shipping or by transferring orders to manufacturers or third-party distributors.
  • Receive and process payments from customers, using electronic transaction services.
  • Create, manage, or automate orders or invoices, using order management or invoicing software.
  • Deliver e-mail confirmation of completed transactions and shipment.
  • Correspond with online customers via electronic mail, telephone, or other electronic messaging to address questions or complaints about products, policies, or shipping methods.
  • Purchase new or used items from online or physical sources for resale via retail or auction Web site.
  • Determine and set product prices.

Knowledge You'll Use

You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:

  • English Language
  • Sales and Marketing
  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Communications and Media
  • Administration and Management
  • Computers and Electronics

Essential Skills

Success in this career requires strong skills in:

  1. Reading Comprehension

Key Abilities

This career requires key abilities in:

  • Written Comprehension
  • Oral Expression
  • Written Expression
  • Problem Sensitivity
  • Oral Comprehension
  • Speech Recognition
  • Near Vision
  • Speech Clarity
  • Deductive Reasoning
  • Inductive Reasoning

Work Style

People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:

  • Dependability
  • Attention to Detail
  • Achievement Orientation
  • Integrity
  • Initiative

What Matters in This Career

This career tends to satisfy these work values:

  • Independence
  • Achievement
  • Working Conditions
  • Relationships
  • Recognition

Education & Preparation

Typical Education: Bachelor's Degree

Related Work Experience Needed: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years

On-the-Job Training: Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months

Education Details: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

Experience Required: A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

Technology You'll Use

Popular Technologies & Software

  • Adobe Photoshop
  • AJAX
  • Apple macOS
  • C#
  • Extensible markup language XML
  • Facebook
  • Google Analytics
  • Hypertext markup language HTML
  • Intuit QuickBooks
  • JavaScript

Tools & Equipment

  • Credit card machines
  • Desktop computers
  • Dot matrix printers
  • External hard drives
  • Label printers
  • Laser facsimile machines
  • Personal computers
  • Tablet computers
  • Thumb drives

Work Environment

  • E-Mail
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
  • Telephone Conversations
  • Freedom to Make Decisions
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams

Salary & Job Market

Wages reported for the broader Business Operations Specialists, All Other occupational group (BLS 2024), which includes Online Merchants.
Salary PercentileAnnual Wage
Entry-Level (10th percentile)$46,230
Median$81,270
Top Earners (90th percentile)$147,830

Workers Employed Nationally: 1,128,200

Related Careers

If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:


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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.

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