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The differences between assistant store manager & merchandise managers and area 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 assistant store manager & merchandise manager and an area manager. Additionally, an area manager has an average salary of $73,472, which is higher than the $61,782 average annual salary of an assistant store manager & merchandise manager.
The top three skills for an assistant store manager & merchandise manager include customer service, sales floor and store operations. The most important skills for an area manager are customer service, safety standards, and logistics.
| Assistant Store Manager & Merchandise Manager | Area Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $61,782 | $73,472 |
| Hourly rate | $29.70 | $35.32 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 321,218 | 341,983 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
An assistant store manager and merchandise manager is a management professional who is responsible for assisting the store manager in supervising the operations and employees of the store while managing the purchase and delivery of products. This manager is required to reach sales goals and improve the store shortage program by working with the management team and associates. The manager must coordinate the flow of merchandise to the sales floor and expedite all shipments of products to avoid shortage. This manager should also provide excellent customer service and implement visual merchandise presentation.
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.
Assistant store manager & merchandise managers and area managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assistant Store Manager & Merchandise Manager | Area Manager | |
| Average salary | $61,782 | $73,472 |
| Salary range | Between $44,000 And $85,000 | Between $50,000 And $107,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | - | New York |
| Best paying company | - | Clifford Chance |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between an assistant store manager & merchandise manager and an area manager in terms of educational background:
| Assistant Store Manager & Merchandise Manager | Area Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between assistant store manager & merchandise managers' and area managers' demographics:
| Assistant Store Manager & Merchandise Manager | Area Manager | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 43.6% Female, 56.4% | Male, 69.1% Female, 30.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |