Online Merchants
Business and Financial Operations Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 13-1199.06
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.
- Data source: BLSPublished: 2026-08
Very high· relative
LowFour relative bandsVery highGroup-level value
Scale, basis and source
Four relative bands (Low / Moderate / High / Very high)
831 detailed occupations in the BLS Employment Projections table. Assigned per National Employment Matrix (NEM) code, so occupations sharing a NEM code carry the same band
- Data source: AnthropicPublished: 2026-03
0.185
0.000Range of values carried here0.745Group-level value
Scale, basis and source
Observed exposure index, 0–1 as published
Mapped onto O*NET tasks
Published per SOC 2018 occupation; every O*NET occupation with the same SOC 2018 code carries this value
- Data source: ILOPublished: 2025
0.42–0.44· 2 ISCO-08 groups
Scale, basis and source
Generative AI exposure index, 0–1 as published
Published per ISCO-08 unit group. Linked to this occupation, wholly or in part, by applying U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (ISCO-08 to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to 2018 SOC) as published
What kind of figure this source publishes
The BLS category is a relative rank, not an absolute level, and it is not a first-hand measurement: it groups an occupation's percentile ranks across several published studies into four bands. It is not an employment or wage forecast, not a probability of adoption, and it does not separate automation from augmentation.
ILO value for each linked ISCO-08 group
- ISCO-08 2422Policy Administration Professionals0.42
- ISCO-08 3339Business Services Agents Not Elsewhere Classified0.44
Task-level exposure
Show 23 hidden tasks34 rated tasks · 31 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (91.2%)
β = direct exposure (E1) + 0.5 × exposure when tools are available (E2), per the source repository's definition.
- Source unit: O*NET 27.2 tasks → O*NET 31.0 occupation code
- All rated tasks are in the O*NET 31.0 task list.
- Source
- OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" exposure rubric
- Release
- gh-main-0471612
- License
- MIT License, Copyright (c) 2024 OpenAI
| Task (O*NET 30.2) | Claude.aiRaw / share % | APIRaw / share % |
|---|---|---|
Prepare or organize online storefront marketing material, including product descriptions or subject lines, optimizing content to search engine criteria.13-1199.06 | 0.210035.6 | 0.430065.2 |
Create or distribute offline promotional material, such as brochures, pamphlets, business cards, stationary, or signage.13-1199.06 | 0.130022.0 | 0.03004.5 |
Compose descriptions of merchandise for posting to online storefront, auction sites, or other shopping Web sites.13-1199.06 | 0.090015.3 | 0.130019.7 |
Develop or revise business plans for online business, emphasizing factors such as product line, pricing, inventory, or marketing strategy.13-1199.06 | 0.080013.6 | 0.01001.5 |
Create or maintain database of customer accounts.13-1199.06 | 0.02003.4 | 0.04006.1 |
Devise, select, or purchase domain name and web address.13-1199.06 | 0.02003.4 | 0.00000.0 |
Correspond with online customers via electronic mail, telephone, or other electronic messaging to address questions or complaints about products, policies, or shipping methods.13-1199.06 | 0.01001.7 | 0.01001.5 |
Integrate online retailing strategy with physical or catalogue retailing operations.13-1199.06 | 0.01001.7 | 0.00000.0 |
Design customer interface of online storefront, using web programming or e-commerce software.13-1199.06 | 0.01001.7 | 0.00000.0 |
Calculate revenue, sales, and expenses, using financial accounting or spreadsheet software.13-1199.06 | 0.01001.7 | 0.00000.0 |
Promote products in online communities through weblog or discussion-forum postings, e-mail marketing programs, or online advertising.13-1199.06 | 0.00000.0 | 0.01001.5 |
Values in this tab are predicted labels, not observations. Eloundou et al. (2023) published two rating regimes — human raters and GPT-4 — and the β shown here is derived from the GPT-4 rater basis alone; the same task can take a different value under the other regime. The unit and the meaning differ from the observed shares (%) in the other tabs, so do not place them on the same axis.
| Task (O*NET 27.2) | βE1 + 0.5 × E2 |
|---|---|
Disclose merchant information and terms and policies of transactions in online or offline materials.O*NET Task ID 15708 | 1.0 |
Deliver e-mail confirmation of completed transactions and shipment.O*NET Task ID 15709 | 1.0 |
Create, manage, or automate orders or invoices, using order management or invoicing software.O*NET Task ID 15710 | 1.0 |
Create or maintain database of customer accounts.O*NET Task ID 15711 | 1.0 |
Transfer digital media, such as music, video, or software, to customers via the Internet.O*NET Task ID 15715 | 1.0 |
Initiate online auctions through auction hosting sites or auction management software.O*NET Task ID 15722 | 1.0 |
Implement security practices to preserve assets, minimize liabilities, or ensure customer privacy, using parallel servers, hardware redundancy, fail-safe technology, information encryption, or firewalls.O*NET Task ID 15723 | 1.0 |
Devise, select, or purchase domain name and web address.O*NET Task ID 15724 | 1.0 |
Design customer interface of online storefront, using web programming or e-commerce software.O*NET Task ID 15727 | 1.0 |
Calculate purchase subtotals, taxes, and shipping costs for submission to customers.O*NET Task ID 15730 | 1.0 |
Prepare or organize online storefront marketing material, including product descriptions or subject lines, optimizing content to search engine criteria.O*NET Task ID 15732 | 1.0 |
Compose descriptions of merchandise for posting to online storefront, auction sites, or other shopping Web sites.O*NET Task ID 15734 | 1.0 |
Calculate revenue, sales, and expenses, using financial accounting or spreadsheet software.O*NET Task ID 15735 | 1.0 |
Participate in online forums or conferences to stay abreast of online retailing trends, techniques, or security threats.O*NET Task ID 15702 | 0.5 |
Upload digital media, such as photos, video, or scanned images to online storefront, auction sites, or other shopping Web sites.O*NET Task ID 15703 | 0.5 |
Order or purchase merchandise to maintain optimal inventory levels.O*NET Task ID 15704 | 0.5 |
Integrate online retailing strategy with physical or catalogue retailing operations.O*NET Task ID 15706 | 0.5 |
Determine and set product prices.O*NET Task ID 15707 | 0.5 |
Create or distribute offline promotional material, such as brochures, pamphlets, business cards, stationary, or signage.O*NET Task ID 15712 | 0.5 |
Collaborate with search engine shopping specialists to place marketing content in desired online locations.O*NET Task ID 15713 | 0.5 |
Cancel orders based on customer requests or inventory or delivery problems.O*NET Task ID 15714 | 0.5 |
Select and purchase technical web services, such as web hosting services, online merchant accounts, shopping cart software, payment gateway software, or spyware.O*NET Task ID 15716 | 0.5 |
Promote products in online communities through weblog or discussion-forum postings, e-mail marketing programs, or online advertising.O*NET Task ID 15717 | 0.5 |
Measure and analyze Web site usage data to maximize search engine returns or refine customer interfaces.O*NET Task ID 15719 | 0.5 |
Investigate sources, such as auctions, estate sales, liquidators, wholesalers, or trade shows for new items, used items, or collectibles.O*NET Task ID 15720 | 0.5 |
Investigate products or markets to determine areas for opportunity or viability for merchandising specific products, using online or offline sources.O*NET Task ID 15721 | 0.5 |
Develop or revise business plans for online business, emphasizing factors such as product line, pricing, inventory, or marketing strategy.O*NET Task ID 15725 | 0.5 |
Determine location for product listings to maximize exposure to online traffic.O*NET Task ID 15726 | 0.5 |
Correspond with online customers via electronic mail, telephone, or other electronic messaging to address questions or complaints about products, policies, or shipping methods.O*NET Task ID 15728 | 0.5 |
Compose images of products, using video or still cameras, lighting equipment, props, or photo or video editing software.O*NET Task ID 15729 | 0.5 |
Purchase new or used items from online or physical sources for resale via retail or auction Web site.O*NET Task ID 15733 | 0.5 |
β = E1 + 0.5 × E2 · E1 = tasks where direct LLM access alone cuts time by at least 50%, E2 = tasks where software built on top of an LLM cuts time by at least 50%. Values take only 0 / 0.5 / 1.0.
Data sources & licenses — O*NET®, Anthropic Economic Index, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page
All O*NET 31.0 task statements (34)
All O*NET 31.0 task statements for this occupation (English, as published; task type core or supplemental). Exposure values are not listed here; they are in the table above, next to each task statement as worded in the O*NET version each source used.
| Task (O*NET 31.0) | Type |
|---|---|
| Upload digital media, such as photos, video, or scanned images to online storefront, auction sites, or other shopping Web sites. | Core |
| Order or purchase merchandise to maintain optimal inventory levels. | Core |
| Maintain inventory of shipping supplies, such as boxes, labels, tape, bubble wrap, loose packing materials, or tape guns. | Core |
| Determine and set product prices. | Core |
| Disclose merchant information and terms and policies of transactions in online or offline materials. | Core |
| Deliver e-mail confirmation of completed transactions and shipment. | Core |
| Create, manage, or automate orders or invoices, using order management or invoicing software. | Core |
| Create or maintain database of customer accounts. | Core |
| Collaborate with search engine shopping specialists to place marketing content in desired online locations. | Core |
| Cancel orders based on customer requests or inventory or delivery problems. | Core |
| Promote products in online communities through weblog or discussion-forum postings, e-mail marketing programs, or online advertising. | Core |
| Fill customer orders by packaging sold items and documentation for direct shipping or by transferring orders to manufacturers or third-party distributors. | Core |
| Measure and analyze Web site usage data to maximize search engine returns or refine customer interfaces. | Core |
| Investigate products or markets to determine areas for opportunity or viability for merchandising specific products, using online or offline sources. | Core |
| Develop or revise business plans for online business, emphasizing factors such as product line, pricing, inventory, or marketing strategy. | Core |
| Determine location for product listings to maximize exposure to online traffic. | Core |
| Correspond with online customers via electronic mail, telephone, or other electronic messaging to address questions or complaints about products, policies, or shipping methods. | Core |
| Compose images of products, using video or still cameras, lighting equipment, props, or photo or video editing software. | Core |
| Calculate purchase subtotals, taxes, and shipping costs for submission to customers. | Core |
| Receive and process payments from customers, using electronic transaction services. | Core |
| Prepare or organize online storefront marketing material, including product descriptions or subject lines, optimizing content to search engine criteria. | Core |
| Purchase new or used items from online or physical sources for resale via retail or auction Web site. | Core |
| Compose descriptions of merchandise for posting to online storefront, auction sites, or other shopping Web sites. | Core |
| Calculate revenue, sales, and expenses, using financial accounting or spreadsheet software. | Core |
| Participate in online forums or conferences to stay abreast of online retailing trends, techniques, or security threats. | Supplemental |
| Integrate online retailing strategy with physical or catalogue retailing operations. | Supplemental |
| Create or distribute offline promotional material, such as brochures, pamphlets, business cards, stationary, or signage. | Supplemental |
| Transfer digital media, such as music, video, or software, to customers via the Internet. | Supplemental |
| Select and purchase technical web services, such as web hosting services, online merchant accounts, shopping cart software, payment gateway software, or spyware. | Supplemental |
| Investigate sources, such as auctions, estate sales, liquidators, wholesalers, or trade shows for new items, used items, or collectibles. | Supplemental |
| Initiate online auctions through auction hosting sites or auction management software. | Supplemental |
| Implement security practices to preserve assets, minimize liabilities, or ensure customer privacy, using parallel servers, hardware redundancy, fail-safe technology, information encryption, or firewalls. | Supplemental |
| Devise, select, or purchase domain name and web address. | Supplemental |
| Design customer interface of online storefront, using web programming or e-commerce software. | Supplemental |
0.21/ 3· Robot exposure index
Scale, basis and source
Each physical task is graded 0–3 by the setting in which robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated could do it (0 none · 1 purpose-built robot settings such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line · 2 structured facilities such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port · 3 unstructured settings such as a private home or a construction site), and the grades are averaged by share of working time
Physical tasks among this occupation's O*NET 29.3 tasks
Anthropic estimated the grades and time shares with Claude Opus 5 using web search, as of 2026.
The robot exposure index is a different measure from the AI exposure figures on this site and cannot be added to or compared with them. It does not measure actual adoption or cost, and 0 also covers occupations with no physical tasks.
Tier of each physical task
Robot environment tiers (E0–E3)
E0 noneDetails
Rated not doable by robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated, even in a purpose-built setting
E1 purpose-built robot settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting built around the machine, such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line
E2 structured facilitiesDetails
Rated doable in a human work facility that an institution keeps to a working standard, such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port
E3 unstructured settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting that no institution keeps to a working standard, such as a private home or a construction site
Only tasks classified as physical are listed; other tasks have no tier in the source.
| Task (O*NET 29.3) | Robot environment tier |
|---|---|
| Maintain inventory of shipping supplies, such as boxes, labels, tape, bubble wrap, loose packing materials, or tape guns. | E2 structured facilities |
| Fill customer orders by packaging sold items and documentation for direct shipping or by transferring orders to manufacturers or third-party distributors. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Compose images of products, using video or still cameras, lighting equipment, props, or photo or video editing software. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Purchase new or used items from online or physical sources for resale via retail or auction Web site. | E0 none |
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
Values for the whole SOC 13-1199 group (Business operations specialists, all other), not for this O*NET occupation alone.
- Employment, 2025
- 1.2M
- Projected employment, 2035
- 1.2M
- Change (2025–35)
- +3.9%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $83,050
- Typical education needed for entry
- Bachelor's degree
Korea classification links (KSCO)
Links from the current release of the Korea Occupation Direct Crosswalk v1.1, made by AI Changing Work. Relation values are read from the O*NET-SOC occupation side.
| KSCO code | KSCO title | Relation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 53120 | 온라인 쇼핑 판매원 | Same scope | confirmed |
Relation and status definitions(kr-direct v1.1)
ILO occupational description
AI Changing Work links the ISCO-08 unit groups below to this occupation by applying the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (2018 SOC to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to ISCO-08) as published, without case-by-case selection; each link may be whole or partial.
- ISCO-08 2422Policy Administration Professionals
- ISCO-08 3339Business Services Agents Not Elsewhere Classified
Sources: ILO ISCO-08 — details: Credits
ESCO occupational vocabulary
Each entry below is matched to this occupation in the published ESCO-O*NET Crosswalk (version 1, 2022). The match types are that crosswalk's; the wording is AI Changing Work's.
- eBusiness managerESCO 2431.10.2Same scope
eBusiness managers create and execute a company's electronic strategy plan for selling products and services online. They also improve data integrity, placement of online tools and brand exposure and monitor sales for companies that market products to customers using the internet. They collaborate with the marketing and sales management team using ICT tools to reach sales goals and provide accurate information and offerings to business partners.
- online marketerESCO 2431.10.4This occupation is broader
Online marketers use e-mail, internet and social media in order to market goods and brands.
- online sales channel managerESCO 1221.3.2.1.4This occupation is broader
Online sales channel managers define the sales programme for e-commerces such as goods sold via e-mail, internet and social media. They also assist in planning the of the online sales strategy and identifying marketing opportunities. Online sales channel managers also analyse competitor sites, review the site performance and analytics.
- wholesale merchant in computers, computer peripheral equipment and softwareESCO 3324.4.8This occupation is broader
Wholesale merchants in computers, computer peripheral equipment and software investigate potential wholesale buyers and suppliers and match their needs. They conclude trades involving large quantities of goods.
Source: European Commission, DG EMPL — ESCO API 2026-08-08 (bridge v1.2.1)
License: CC BY 4.0 (EU Reuse Notice)
ESCO reuse terms and the modification notice are in Credits.
France classification links (ROME)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and ROME 4.0 job profiles, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side. Links marked “provisional” were adopted on the judgments of two judges from the same model family (Claude) alone, or by an operator rule applied to their judgments, so they rest on weaker evidence than confirmed links.
| ROME code | ROME title (French) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| E1113 | Responsable e-commerce | This occupation is narrowerprovisional |
| D1438 | Assistant / Assistante e-commerce | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: France Travail — Répertoire Opérationnel des Métiers et des Emplois (ROME 4.0), version 61, last updated 15 June 2026 (https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/repertoire-operationnel-des-metiers-et-des-emplois-rome). Licence Ouverte 2.0.
ROME codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET-SOC occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a France Travail correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: fr-direct v1)
Spain classification links (CNO-11)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and CNO-11 occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| CNO-11 code | CNO-11 title (Spanish) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 1432 | Directores y gerentes de empresas de comercio al por menor | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| 5300 | Comerciantes propietarios de tiendas | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), National Classification of Occupations 2011 (CNO-11, Royal Decree 1591/2010) — www.ine.es · Licensed CC BY 4.0. CNO-11 codes and Spanish titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not an INE correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: es-direct v1)
Germany classification links (KldB)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and KldB occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| KldB code | KldB title (German) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 61282 | Kaufleute im Handel (sonstige spezifische Tätigkeitsangabe) - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | This occupation is narrower |
| 61283 | Kaufleute im Handel (sonstige spezifische Tätigkeitsangabe) - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten | Related, not a match |
Source: © Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Klassifikation der Berufe 2010 – überarbeitete Fassung 2020, https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de. KldB codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own mapping (eigene Zuordnung) and are not a Bundesagentur für Arbeit correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: de-direct v1)
Japan classification links (JSCO)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and JSCO occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| JSCO code | JSCO title (Japanese) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 321 | 小売店主・店長 | Related, not a match |
Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan Standard Occupational Classification (Dec. 2009, MIC Notification No. 555). JSCO codes and Japanese titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a MIC correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: jp-direct v1)
Sources, licenses and AI Changing Work's modification and translation notices for this page: Credits & sources