Merchandise displayers and window trimmers
SOC Code: 27-1026
Merchandise displayers and window trimmers carries a 32% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $37,350 and +3.2% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 193,000 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 32% AI exposure, Merchandise displayers and window trimmers sits 5 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 37% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
42/100
Merchandise displayers and window trimmers, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage F $37,350
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth C +3.2%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) C+ 32% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Merchandise displayers and window trimmers in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry with non-declining BLS pace
Merchandise displayers and window trimmers keeps an HS / some college bar (333 of 832) and sits in Average (378 of 832). Lower formal gates with a non-shrinking employment line - skill and AI desks matter more than credentials here.
Where Merchandise displayers and window trimmers sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Merchandise displayers and window trimmers sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
32% Lower than most lower than 63% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Merchandise displayers and window trimmers vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Merchandise displayers and window trimmers is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Merchandise displayers and window trimmers's Medium automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 27-1026) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Merchandise displayers and window trimmers be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Merchandise displayers and window trimmers. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Dress mannequins for displays.
- 2. Plan commercial displays to entice and appeal to customers.
- 3. Arrange properties, furniture, merchandise, backdrops, or other accessories, as shown in prepared sketches.
- 4. Change or rotate window displays, interior display areas, or signage to reflect changes in inventory or promotion.
- 5. Place prices or descriptive signs on backdrops, fixtures, merchandise, or floor.
- 6. Consult with store managers, buyers, sales associates, housekeeping staff, or engineering staff to determine appropriate placement of displays or products.
- 7. Maintain props, products, or mannequins, inspecting them for imperfections, doing touch-ups, cleaning up after customers, or applying preservative coatings as necessary.
- 8. Supervise or train staff members on daily tasks, such as visual merchandising.
- 9. Develop ideas or plans for merchandise displays or window decorations.
- 10. Assemble or set up displays, furniture, or products in store space, using colors, lights, pictures, or other accessories to display the product.
Key Skills Required
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Reading Comprehension
- Social Perceptiveness
- Coordination
- Time Management
- Writing
- Active Learning
Knowledge Areas
- Customer and Personal Service
- Sales and Marketing
- English Language
- Administration and Management
- Design
- Computers and Electronics
- Communications and Media
- Mathematics
- Personnel and Human Resources
- Education and Training
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Merchandise displayers and window trimmers?
Merchandise displayers and window trimmers has an AI exposure score of 32%, indicating a medium level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Merchandise displayers and window trimmers?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Merchandise displayers and window trimmers is projected to grow by 3.2% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 193,000 workers.
What skills are needed for Merchandise displayers and window trimmers?
Key skills for Merchandise displayers and window trimmers include Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking, and others. Typical entry-level education is High school diploma or equivalent.
How much do Merchandise displayers and window trimmers earn?
The median annual wage for Merchandise displayers and window trimmers is $37,350, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Merchandise displayers and window trimmers?
The typical entry-level education for Merchandise displayers and window trimmers is High school diploma or equivalent. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Short-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Merchandise displayers and window trimmers?
Merchandise displayers and window trimmers roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Medium automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Merchandise displayers and window trimmers: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (32% here).
- Architecture teachers, postsecondary · AI exposure 32%
- Area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary · AI exposure 32%
- Audiovisual equipment installers and repairers · AI exposure 32%
- Bus drivers, school · AI exposure 32%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+3.2% here).
- Anesthesiologists · growth +3.2%
- Brickmasons and blockmasons · growth +3.2%
- Commercial and industrial designers · growth +3.2%
- Counter and rental clerks · growth +3.2%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 26 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Merchandise displayers and window trimmers' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Merchandise displayers and window trimmers side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).