How Much Do Ecommerce Managers Make?

It’s no secret that the ecommerce market is booming right now. For years, consumers have been rapidly making the shift towards online shopping, in search of variety and convenience. However, since the pandemic, interest in ecommerce has skyrocketed. 

By the end of 2027, experts predict ecommerce will be a $27.15 trillion market. That’s a massive increase from the market value of $10.36 trillion in 2020. 

This is great news for Shopify experts who make a living designing themes, apps, and stores for online sellers. However, it also means there are some fantastic additional opportunities out there for specialists who know their way around the ecommerce landscape. 

If you’re already familiar with tools like Shopify, you might find yourself drawn towards a career in “ecommerce management”, where you’ll be responsible for everything from overseeing store design, to creating strategies for conversion. 

Here’s your guide to how much you can earn as an ecommerce manager.

What is an Ecommerce Manager?

Before we dive into the earning potential of the average ecommerce manager, it’s worth defining what this job role actually entails. On a basic level, ecommerce managers are specialists committed to ensuring the online transactions for a business run smoothly. 

As an ecommerce manager, your job will be making sure an online business can generate as much revenue as possible. This could mean you do extensive research into the company’s target audience, and come up with strategies on how to increase sales. It could also involve investing in UX and UI design plans to improve the appeal of an online store. 

Some of the most important tasks of an ecommerce manager can include:

• Overseeing store design: Even if you’re not responsible for building an online store as an ecommerce manager, it’ll be your job to ensure the website is working as it should be. Most ecommerce managers oversee the look, feel, and design of a website, working to ensure everything from the interface to the checkout experience is as streamlined as possible. 
• Website upgrade planning: Based on what you know about ecommerce store design, user experience and conversion rates, you’ll also need to come up with plans to make the store more effective. This could mean you work with other designers to constantly A/B test and optimize the store design with new features. If you already have experience with Shopify design elements, this will definitely come in handy, as it will allow you to experiment. 
• Monitoring and analytics: To ensure an ecommerce website is delivering the best possible return on investment, ecommerce managers need to invest heavily in analysis. They’ll monitor tools like Google Analytics, and keep track of internal data sources for sales and inventory. As an ecommerce manager, you may need to use the information you collect to create reports supporting your strategy suggestions for the business owner. 
• Strategy development: Ecommerce managers are often the driving force behind the strategy for any ecommerce business. Using the data collected from research analysis, an ecommerce manager should be able to suggest ways of improving the site’s performance. They can design and execute roadmaps for optimizing site performance. Sometimes, ecommerce managers even determine where to use the budget for site upgrades. 
• Security and maintenance: Some ecommerce managers also play a role in ensuring a site remains secure and compliant. They’ll check the security levels of any apps and tools used within the ecommerce website to make sure they’re up-to-date. If you’re working as an ecommerce manager, you can expect to spend a lot of time looking for ways to protect the business from common attack vectors and threats. 
• Managing Teams: As a manager, you’ll be taking on a leadership role in the business, which means guiding and supporting a range of other staff members. You might work alongside marketing teams on strategies for SEO and PPC campaigns. You may also need to work alongside product teams to decide which items should be listed on the store, based on previous conversion rates and levels of demand. 

What does an Ecommerce Manger Earn?

So, how much do ecommerce managers make?

The answer to this question can vary, depending on who you ask. PayScale suggests the average ecommerce manager salary is somewhere around $65,273 per year. However, other companies like Glassdoor place the average income closer to $87,279 per year. 

For the most part, you can expect to earn a decent income as an ecommerce manager. However, it’s worth remembering there are a number of factors which can influence how much you earn. For instance, your level of experience will have a significant impact on your earning potential. The more time you’ve had to prove yourself as a successful ecommerce manager, the more likely it is business leaders will be willing to pay more for your services. 

Other points which could affect your salary include:

• Expertise: The expertise you bring into an ecommerce manager role can make you a lot more valuable to some companies. For instance, if you know how to update and improve the design of a Shopify website to generate more conversions, you can take on the web design and ecommerce manager roles in a business at the same time. This could significantly increase your earning potential, and make it easier to find new roles. 
• Location: Salary often varies in every industry depending on where you live. In the United States, for instance, larger metropolitan areas typically pay more for ecommerce managers than smaller rural locations. These days, you can easily work as an ecommerce manager from just about anywhere in the world thanks to the rise of remote work.
• Job structure: If you specifically work for one company as an ecommerce manager, then you’ll be limited to accepting the salary they’re willing to offer. However, if you start a career as a freelancer, offering everything from web design consultation to ecommerce management, you can set your own prices for your services.

How Can Ecommerce Managers Increase Their Salary?

As with most roles, it’s possible to increase your earning potential as an ecommerce manager, with the right strategy. The first step for most employees will be increasing their education. If you expand your skill set, you’ll be able to offer your boss more value, which generally means a higher income. 

For instance, if you can learn everything there is to know about UX and UI design, you’ll be able to offer your employers expertise on how to enhance the functionality of their ecommerce website. This will prevent them from having to seek out additional, specialist support. You could also increase your skills in everything from SEO to theme creation, and Shopify store management.

Outside of expanding your skillset, the best way to increase your salary as an ecommerce manager is generally to negotiate with your employer. As demand for ecommerce experts continues to grow, you might be able to ask for a better income if you have the expertise to back up your request. Developing your professional brand, and making sure you can prove your value to any business owner will make it much easier for you to get the income you deserve. 

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