Best Jobs For Former Store Managers [2026]

The landscape for store managers has changed dramatically, leading many to reconsider their career paths. With evolving retail environments and increasing automation, confidence among store managers has declined.

While the number of graduates pursuing degrees relevant to store management remains stable, fewer individuals are entering the profession. This trend raises an important question:

Where are former store managers heading now?

To explore this, we analyzed the resumes of ex-store managers to identify their next career moves. We sifted through thousands of data points and narrowed our focus to the top 100 jobs.

Some surprising and noteworthy transitions emerged, prompting us to highlight a selection of these positions.

Best Jobs For Former STORE MANAGERS

While some of these roles may be more appealing than others, they all present unique opportunities for growth and change.

The complete list of job options can be found below.

Detailed Ranking of the Most Common Jobs of Former STORE MANAGERS

Rank	Job Title	%
1	Assistant Manager	3.15%
2	General Manager	2.55%
3	Assistant Store Manager	2.39%
4	Customer Service Representative	1.86%
5	Operations Manager	1.67%
6	Sales Associate	1.66%
7	Manager	1.52%
8	District Manager	1.27%
9	Sales Representative	1.22%
10	Office Manager	1.13%
11	Sales Manager	1.02%
12	Administrative Assistant	1.0%
13	Owner	0.71%
14	Account Executive	0.67%
15	Account Manager	0.66%
16	Sales Consultant	0.6%
17	Team Leader	0.5%
18	Cashier	0.45%
19	Supervisor	0.45%
20	Owner/operator	0.45%
21	Department Manager	0.4%
22	Server	0.39%
23	Branch Manager	0.39%
24	Project Manager	0.38%
25	District Sales Manager	0.38%
26	Service Manager	0.37%
27	Co-Manager	0.37%
28	Human Resources Manager	0.36%
29	Internship	0.34%
30	Area Manager	0.33%
31	Substitute Teacher	0.33%
32	Human Resources Coordinator	0.31%
33	Specialist	0.28%
34	Retail Sales Consultant	0.27%
35	Technician	0.26%
36	Teller	0.25%
37	Teacher	0.25%
38	Customer Service Trainer	0.24%
39	Property Manager	0.24%
40	Consultant	0.24%
41	Regional Manager	0.24%
42	Office Assistant	0.23%
43	Training Manager	0.23%
44	Customer Service Manager	0.23%
45	Security Officer	0.22%
46	Shift Supervisor	0.22%
47	Assistant General Manager	0.21%
48	Operations Director	0.21%
49	Shift Manager	0.21%
50	Personal Banker	0.2%
51	Store Director	0.2%
52	Volunteer	0.2%
53	Customer Service Associate	0.2%
54	Receptionist	0.19%
55	Vice President	0.19%
56	Pharmacist Technician	0.19%
57	Service Advisor	0.18%
58	Associate	0.18%
59	Machine Operator	0.18%
60	Executive Assistant	0.18%
61	Marketing Manager	0.18%
62	Business Developer	0.17%
63	Insurance Agent	0.17%
64	Business Manager	0.17%
65	Recruiter	0.17%
66	Sales Person	0.17%
67	Sales Specialist	0.17%
68	Buyer	0.17%
69	Coordinator	0.16%
70	Merchandising Manager	0.16%
71	Shift Leader	0.16%
72	Driver	0.16%
73	Retail Sales Manager	0.16%
74	Certified Nursing Assistant	0.16%
75	Medical Assistant	0.16%
76	Merchandiser	0.16%
77	Warehouse Manager	0.15%
78	Director Of Sales	0.15%
79	Territory Manager	0.15%
80	Regional Sales Manager	0.15%
81	Warehouse Associate	0.15%
82	Product Manager	0.15%
83	Director	0.14%
84	Registered Nurse	0.14%
85	Owner/manager	0.14%
86	Agent	0.14%
87	Operation Supervisor	0.14%
88	Sales Leader	0.14%
89	Market Manager	0.14%
90	Technical Support Specialist	0.14%
91	Program Manager	0.13%
92	Assistant	0.13%
93	Senior Manager	0.13%
94	Store Team Leader	0.13%
95	Marketing Director	0.13%
96	Realtor	0.13%
97	Maintenance Technician	0.13%
98	Accounts Payable Clerk	0.13%
99	Associate Manager	0.13%
100	Territory Sales Manager	0.13%

Most Common Jobs For Former STORE MANAGERS

These roles are solid choices, each leveraging skills developed as a store manager or serving as a stepping stone to a new career direction.

How We Determined the Best Jobs of Former STORE MANAGERS

Leveraging data from our database of over 7 million resumes, we analyzed work histories that included a role as a store manager. We identified subsequent job titles that appeared frequently in their resumes, ranking them by occurrence.

To compile our list of intriguing jobs, we examined the ranked list for positions that:

Appeared in fewer than 1% of all new jobs
Were not included in the top 100 most common jobs in our database

Author

Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.

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