How To Become An Assistant Category Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is an assistant category manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

If category management means managing the customization of product categories to make them meet customers' needs, what is an assistant category manager's job? Well, this person assists the category manager in ensuring that categories of products are managed appropriately. They also employ their skills in the area of sales and marketing so they can make more sales.

Because the position is a managerial one, an assistant category manager has to have managerial skills. These skills include communication, effective planning, analytical skills, and organization skills. This person must have a good eye for detail and be knowledgeable in marketing and sales.

However, before you can gain employment as an assistant category manager and start earning an average of $58,999 per year, you need to have a bachelor's degree in business administration. You could even specialize in marketing and retailing. Also, a certification as a certified professional category manager (CPCM) will increase your chances.

ScoreAssistant Category ManagerUS Average

Salary

5.6

Avg. Salary $71,249

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.5

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.23%

Asian 8.15%

Black or African American 3.04%

Hispanic or Latino 8.67%

Unknown 5.32%

White 74.58%

Gender

female 58.97%

male 41.03%

Age - 38

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 38

Stress level

7.5

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.5

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an assistant category manager

Explore assistant category manager education requirements

Most common assistant category manager degrees

Bachelor's

74.9 %

Master's

11.8 %

Associate

6.1 %

Start to develop specific assistant category manager skills

Skills	Percentages
IRI	11.68%
POS	9.49%
Gross Margin	8.15%
Category Strategies	6.32%
Vendor Relationships	5.96%

Complete relevant assistant category manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New assistant category managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an assistant category manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real assistant category manager resumes.

Research assistant category manager duties and responsibilities

Create and manage purchase orders, while negotiating contracts for optimal ROI.
Manage relationships with primary suppliers including monitoring and purchasing commodities, forecasting, marketing initiatives and quality control.
Evaluate and convey the success of promotion execution through IRI and dunnhumby analysis.
Aid in the management of assign category, including product launch coordination, POS displays, and interdepartmental coordination.

Apply for assistant category manager jobs

Now it's time to start searching for an assistant category manager job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do assistant category managers rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Assistant category manager reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2022

Pros

Reviewing Brand Performance and competitive information. Also, I enjoying identifying the white space and opportunities to grow.

Cons

Super tight deadlines.

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019