General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations graduates earn a median $75,399 four years after finishing — $27,039/yr above the $48,360 high-school baseline. At a typical $16,906/yr net price ($67,624 over four years), that pays back in about 2.5 years. Federal data pools 78 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 2,502 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations ranks #59 of 202 bachelor's fields by earnings — pays more than 71% of majors.
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baylor University | TX | $125,167 |
| 2 | Western Governors University | UT | $107,585 |
| 3 | Bellevue University | NE | $98,487 |
| 4 | Texas A&M University-College Station | TX | $93,141 |
| 5 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus | OH | $86,245 |
| 6 | Weber State University | UT | $82,549 |
| 7 | Purdue University-Main Campus | IN | $82,441 |
| 8 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | WI | $82,081 |
| 9 | Kennesaw State University | GA | $79,147 |
| 10 | Ball State University | IN | $78,401 |
| 11 | University of Alabama at Birmingham | AL | $76,648 |
| 12 | CUNY Bernard M Baruch College | NY | $76,565 |
College Scorecard field-of-study (2026), program-level median earnings for this CIP · our ranking.
How we compute this. Earnings are the national median for graduates of this field measured 1 and 4 years after completion (Scorecard field-of-study, bachelor's). Premium = 4-year earnings − the $48,360 high-school baseline. Payback = a representative 4-year net cost (median college net price × 4) ÷ premium. Field medians blend every school — a specific program can pay far more or less. Full method on the methodology page; the field ranking is on ROI by major.