Online Merchants
Manage activities for businesses that operate only online.
Quick Facts
Wages: |
Median wages for the broader occupation, Business Operations Specialists, All Other, are
$33.78
/ hour.
|
Education: |
|
On the Job: |
Typical Work Tasks
- Obtain information about goods or services.
- Identify strategic business investment opportunities.
- Market products, services, or events.
- Determine the value of goods or services.
Read more about the job
|
Job Title Examples: |
E-Commerce Retailer
E-tailer
Web Retailer
See more job title examples
|
View All Career Information
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
On the Job
Online Merchants work for companies that only sell products online. They may design business strategies, manage the company's inventory, ship orders, or balance financial records.
Typical Work Tasks
People who work in this career often:
- Obtain information about goods or services.
- Identify strategic business investment opportunities.
- Market products, services, or events.
- Determine the value of goods or services.
- Update professional knowledge.
- Maintain data in information systems or databases.
- Analyze business or financial data.
- Calculate data to inform organizational operations.
- Create images of data, locations, or products.
- Create marketing materials.
Typical Working Conditions
- Using e-mail.
- Working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions.
- Freedom to make decisions without supervision.
- The freedom to determine tasks, priorities, and goals.
- Sitting.
- Dealing with external customers.
- Meeting strict deadlines.
- Responsibility for outcomes and results.
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Education & Credentials
This is a new or emerging specialty. The information on this page is based on the broader career that this specialty is part of,
Business Operations Specialists, All Other.
Educational Requirements
Not available
Education level attained (national data)
Education Level Attained (national data)Education Level Attained | Percentage of workers in this occupation |
Less than high school diploma | 1.4 |
High school diploma or equivalent | 9.7 |
Some college, no degree | 16.7 |
Associate degree | 7.7 |
Bachelors degree | 40.5 |
Masters degree | 20.2 |
Doctoral (Ph.D) or professional degree | 3.9 |
Work Experience and Training Requirements
Nationally, this career typically requires:
- No related work experience for entry.
- Little or no on-the-job training to become competent.
Transfer Options
Enrolling in a community college can be a great place to start your four-year degree. While all 31 Minnesota State community colleges,
technical colleges and universities offer all or part of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum
(a 40-credit package of general education courses accepted for transfer to other state colleges and universities, the University of Minnesota,
and some private colleges and universities), not all two-year colleges offer degrees intended to transfer to a four-year bachelor's degree.
If you plan to transfer to obtain a four-year bachelor's degree, it is important to know which degree path is right for you:
- Associate of Arts (AA) degrees offered at community colleges are designed to transfer into liberal arts four-year majors.
- Associate of Science (AS) and Associate of Fine Arts (AFA) degrees offered at community and technical colleges transfer into specific four-year majors and will likely require completing additional general education courses at a university.
- Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degrees offered at technical and community colleges are not designed to transfer. They lead to immediate entry into the workplace.
- Diplomas and certificates offered at technical colleges are not designed to transfer. They lead to immediate entry into the workplace.
Talk to a transfer specialist as early as possible to determine the best associate degree for your goals. Be sure to review your Degree Audit Report (DARS) each semester to best prepare for transfer. Get more help understanding transfer using the tools below.
Helpful High School Courses
Examples of helpful classes that help you prepare for this career:
- Accounting
- Business English
- Business Law
- Computer Applications
- Economics
- Entrepreneurship
- International Business
- Marketing
- Public Speaking
- Social Media
In Minnesota, your school may have developed a Program of Study in this career area.
A Program of Study is an academic and career plan developed by your high school to help move you towards a career
and college path. A Program of Study can help you:
- Select high school classes that prepare you for college and getting a job
- Understand how the classes you're taking in high school lead to a career
- Identify extra-curricular activities that are related to your career interest
- See what classes at your school offer early college credit that will save you time and money towards your college expenses
- Graduate from high school prepared for your next step toward the career you choose
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Skills & Knowledge
Most Important Skills for Online Merchants
- Thinking Critically—Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Reading—Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Listening—Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Monitoring Performance—Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Managing Money—Determining how money will be spent to get the work done, and accounting for these expenditures.
- Speaking—Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Helping Others—Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Making Decisions—Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Writing—Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Learning New Things—Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Most Important Knowledge Areas for Online Merchants
- Sales and Marketing—Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
- English Language—Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Clerical—Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
- Customer and Personal Service—Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Computers and Electronics—Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
- Administration and Management—Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
- Mathematics—Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- Economics and Accounting—Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
- Communications and Media—Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
- Production and Processing—Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Interests
Different careers may be a good fit for your personality or interests. This career is:
- Enterprising—Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
- Conventional—Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Learn more about your interests. Take the MnCareers Interest Assessment.
Describe Your Skills
This is a new or emerging career specialty. Skill statements are still under development.
Careers that Use Similar Skills
This is a new or emerging career specialty. Information on similar careers is still under development.
View more careers in the Business, Management, and Administration cluster
View more careers in the Merchandising pathway
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Please visit CareerOneStop to search Tools & Technology.
Jobs
Real-time job data provided by Gartner TalentNeuron
Job Title Examples
E-Commerce Retailer,
E-tailer,
Web Retailer,
E-Commerce Merchant,
E-Merchant,
Internet Merchant,
Internet Retailer
Where Do Online Merchants Work?
Online Merchants often work in the following industries.
Source: You can learn about our data sources in the About Us section.