Anyone who has sated their desire for fudge or a stick of peppermint at a candy shop can has experienced the work of a candy shop owner. Candy shop owners display their candies on shelves and in glass cabinets to attract customers and increase revenues. While many of these shops are small, candy shop owners may also hire, train and supervise store clerks. They must also count inventory, order products when needed and track sales and expenses. Salaries for candy shop owners vary, depending on the customer traffic they generate and where they work within the United States.
Salary Between $25,000 and $30,000
The average annual salary of a candy shop owner was $27,000 as of 2014, according to the job site Indeed. Candy shop owners' salaries usually consist of the revenues they earn minus expenses, including product and overhead costs -- rent and electricity -- and labor. The minimum educational requirement for managing or owning a retail store, including a candy store, is typically a high school diploma or GED. Many candy shop owners also have one or more years of experience managing retail or candy stores before deciding to open their own stores. Other important qualifications include physical stamina and determination and math, interpersonal, supervisory, merchandising, organizational and decision-making skills.
Top Pay in New York State and D.C.
In 2014, salaries for candy shop owners varied most significantly within the West region, according to Indeed, where they earned the lowest salaries of $18,000 in Hawaii and the highest salaries of $30,000 in California. Those in the South made $23,000 to $33,000 per year in Louisiana and Washington, D.C., respectively. Candy shop owners averaged $20,000 in Nebraska and South Dakota and $30,000 in Illinois -- the lowest and highest salaries in the Midwest. In the Northeast, they made the most in New York and the least in Maine at $33,000 and $23,000, respectively.
Earn More Than Small Food Store Owners
While candy shop owners made $27,000 per year in 2014, Indeed reported average salaries of $24,000 for small food store owners for the same year. Small food stores include grocery and convenience stores, for example. Gift store owners, who may also sell candy, made $31,000 per year on average -- 14.8 percent more than candy shop owners.
Slow to Average Job Growth
The BLS estimates a 4 percent increase in jobs for first-line supervisors of retail sales workers, which is slower than the 11 percent national average for all occupations. Candy sales have traditionally remained strong, and Franchise Help projects a 13 percent increase in sales for seasonal and boxed assorted chocolates from 2010 to 2014 -- the top selling candies in the industry. If this trend continues, candy shop owners will have more opportunities to start their own stores. They may find more opportunities in high growth areas or in smaller towns that don't have candy stores.
