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This question is about department manager salaries.
A good starting salary for a department manager is $29,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for a department manager in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for department managers is $51,807, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for a department manager can vary by state, as we show below.
The following table shows how much an entry level department manager earns in each state. Zippia used data from the BLS, public records, and job postings to create these estimates.
| State | Starting Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
| New Jersey | $68,000 | $5,666 | $1,307 | $32.69 |
| New York | $62,000 | $5,166 | $1,192 | $29.81 |
| Rhode Island | $54,000 | $4,500 | $1,038 | $25.96 |
| District of Columbia | $54,000 | $4,500 | $1,038 | $25.96 |
| Connecticut | $53,000 | $4,416 | $1,019 | $25.48 |
| Delaware | $49,000 | $4,083 | $942 | $23.56 |
| Hawaii | $49,000 | $4,083 | $942 | $23.56 |
| New Hampshire | $47,000 | $3,916 | $903 | $22.6 |
| Maryland | $47,000 | $3,916 | $903 | $22.6 |
| Virginia | $46,000 | $3,833 | $884 | $22.12 |
| Massachusetts | $45,000 | $3,750 | $865 | $21.63 |
| California | $43,000 | $3,583 | $826 | $20.67 |
| Pennsylvania | $41,000 | $3,416 | $788 | $19.71 |
| Maine | $39,000 | $3,250 | $750 | $18.75 |
| Nevada | $37,000 | $3,083 | $711 | $17.79 |
| Vermont | $37,000 | $3,083 | $711 | $17.79 |
| Alaska | $36,000 | $3,000 | $692 | $17.31 |
| Wisconsin | $29,000 | $2,416 | $557 | $13.94 |
| Washington | $29,000 | $2,416 | $557 | $13.94 |
| Ohio | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| North Dakota | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| Michigan | $27,000 | $2,250 | $519 | $12.98 |
| Montana | $27,000 | $2,250 | $519 | $12.98 |
| Oregon | $27,000 | $2,250 | $519 | $12.98 |
| Minnesota | $27,000 | $2,250 | $519 | $12.98 |
| Idaho | $25,000 | $2,083 | $480 | $12.02 |
| Florida | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| Texas | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| North Carolina | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| South Dakota | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| Arizona | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| Wyoming | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| Utah | $22,000 | $1,833 | $423 | $10.58 |
| Nebraska | $22,000 | $1,833 | $423 | $10.58 |
| Georgia | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| West Virginia | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| Iowa | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| New Mexico | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| Colorado | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| Illinois | $20,000 | $1,666 | $384 | $9.62 |
| Kansas | $20,000 | $1,666 | $384 | $9.62 |
| South Carolina | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| Indiana | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| Alabama | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| Mississippi | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| Missouri | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| Louisiana | $18,000 | $1,500 | $346 | $8.65 |
| Tennessee | $18,000 | $1,500 | $346 | $8.65 |
| Arkansas | $18,000 | $1,500 | $346 | $8.65 |
| Oklahoma | $18,000 | $1,500 | $346 | $8.65 |
| Kentucky | $17,000 | $1,416 | $326 | $8.17 |
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for an entry level department manager job is above the national average. Topping the list is New York, NY.
| City | Starting Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
| New York, NY | $80,000 | $6,666 | $1,538 | $38.46 |
| Washington, DC | $70,000 | $5,833 | $1,346 | $33.65 |
| Baltimore, MD | $62,000 | $5,166 | $1,192 | $29.81 |
| Chesapeake, VA | $61,000 | $5,083 | $1,173 | $29.33 |
| Richmond, CA | $58,000 | $4,833 | $1,115 | $27.88 |
| Portland, ME | $53,000 | $4,416 | $1,019 | $25.48 |
| Reno, NV | $51,000 | $4,250 | $980 | $24.52 |
| Cleveland, OH | $44,000 | $3,666 | $846 | $21.15 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $43,000 | $3,583 | $826 | $20.67 |
| Detroit, MI | $38,000 | $3,166 | $730 | $18.27 |

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