Grain merchandisers may buy grain products to sell in a variety of industries.
Grain merchandisers, also known as purchasing agents or buyers, purchase grain either to process further into another product or to resell to customers. The average salary of a grain merchandiser depends on which industry he is employed in, as well as the cost of living of the area in which he lives.
Average Salary
The average salary of a grain merchandiser is $62,450 as of May 2009, reports the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The median salary is $53,150; in the 10th percentile merchandisers earn less than $30,250 a year, and in the 25th percentile they earn less than $40,130, while those in the 75th percentile earn over $73,630, and those in the 90th percentile earn over $101,480 annually.
Industry
Grain merchandisers working for merchant wholesalers of grocery and related products earn an average of $68,260 as of 2009, while those working for merchant wholesalers of farm product raw material earn an average of $58,840. The management of companies and enterprises employ grain merchandisers for an annual average salary of $66,560, and merchant wholesalers of miscellaneous nondurable goods offer an average of $60,580. Grain merchandisers working in beverage manufacturing earn an average of $70,100 a year, according to BLS data.
Location
The BLS names Kansas as the top-paying state for grain merchandisers as of 2009 with a salary average of $82,920, followed by Connecticut at $79,620 and California at $72,480. North and South Dakota are the two states with the highest concentration of employed grain merchandisers, offering respective salary averages of $55,180 and $51,220, while Nebraska ranks third and offers a salary average of $62,010.
Advancement
Grain merchandisers typically move up in their career by pursuing a managerial or supervisory role with their employer, such as purchasing manager, a position which would include overseeing a team of merchandisers. Another option is for merchandisers to seek higher wages in more competitive industries. The BLS reports that as of 2009, grain merchandisers working in architectural, engineering and related services earn an average income of $78,300, while those working in electric power generation, transmission and distribution earn an average of $79,540. Computer systems design is the top-paying industry for grain merchandisers with a salary average of $90,670 annually.
