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The differences between area managers and retail operation managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an area manager and a retail operation manager. Additionally, a retail operation manager has an average salary of $76,518, which is higher than the $73,472 average annual salary of an area manager.
The top three skills for an area manager include customer service, safety standards and logistics. The most important skills for a retail operation manager are POS, retail operations, and payroll.
| Area Manager | Retail Operation Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $73,472 | $76,518 |
| Hourly rate | $35.32 | $36.79 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 341,983 | 408,776 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
An Area Manager's responsibility is to oversee the business operations of all company branches within a particular area. Among the tasks involve creating strategies to achieve the sales target, monitoring and evaluating the performance and progress of stores including their workforce, adhering to the budget and regulations of the company, and focus on attaining the image and financial goals. Moreover, an Area Manager must communicate and coordinate with fellow managers and hire employees that would be a vital member of the company.
A retail operation manager is an individual who is responsible for managing the daily operations of retail stores while maintaining their physical space tidy and organized. Retail operation manager must ensure proper staffing at all stores as well as train employees to enhance their job performance and retention. They are required to conduct inventory analysis to ensure optimal stock levels. Retail operation managers must also visit retail locations so that they can evaluate the sales performance and level of customer satisfaction of each store.
Area managers and retail operation managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Area Manager | Retail Operation Manager | |
| Average salary | $73,472 | $76,518 |
| Salary range | Between $50,000 And $107,000 | Between $47,000 And $124,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New York | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Clifford Chance | Accenture |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between an area manager and a retail operation manager in terms of educational background:
| Area Manager | Retail Operation Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between area managers' and retail operation managers' demographics:
| Area Manager | Retail Operation Manager | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 69.1% Female, 30.9% | Male, 56.8% Female, 43.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |