Brand manager vs category manager

The differences between brand managers and category managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 8-10 years to become both a brand manager and a category manager. Additionally, a category manager has an average salary of $102,035, which is higher than the $97,789 average annual salary of a brand manager.

The top three skills for a brand manager include brand management, digital marketing and customer service. The most important skills for a category manager are strategic sourcing, category strategy, and supplier performance.

Brand manager vs category manager overview

	Brand Manager	Category Manager
Yearly salary	$97,789	$102,035
Hourly rate	$47.01	$49.06
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	127,429	108,424
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	10	10

What does a brand manager do?

A brand manager is an individual responsible for adapting a brand strategy that targets the potential market for a company's product while maintaining its integrity. Brand managers assist in developing products while managing budgets for the advertising and promotion of their new products. They usually work under the supervision of marketing managers or chief marketing officers (CMOs) to implement and execute their marketing initiatives. Brand managers also provide an analysis of sales forecasts and create reports on product sales.

What does a category manager do?

Category managers are usually employed in the retail industry. They are primarily responsible for the sales enhancement of a specific group of products. The managers are involved in pricing, marketing, inventory, and vendor management. Their daily tasks include meeting with suppliers to talk about the plans, conducting orientation to the market research company, and updating category reports. Qualified applicants must have a degree in business administration or a related field as well as relevant job experience in a related job.

Brand manager vs category manager salary

Brand managers and category managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Brand Manager	Category Manager
Average salary	$97,789	$102,035
Salary range	Between $72,000 And $131,000	Between $74,000 And $138,000
Highest paying City	Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	Nevada
Best paying company	Meta	McKinsey & Company Inc
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Manufacturing

Differences between brand manager and category manager education

There are a few differences between a brand manager and a category manager in terms of educational background:

	Brand Manager	Category Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Georgia	University of Georgia

Brand manager vs category manager demographics

Here are the differences between brand managers' and category managers' demographics:

	Brand Manager	Category Manager
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 51.5% Female, 48.5%	Male, 55.7% Female, 44.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between brand manager and category manager duties and responsibilities

Brand manager example responsibilities.

Direct and coordinate photo shoots; conduct live training sessions; manage marketing asset library; CRM strategy.
Manage paid search campaigns including keyword generation, ad copy testing, landing page optimization, PPC and SEM.
Manage global product development teams with cross-functional oversight for manufacturing, sourcing, finance, design and supply chain management.
Manage POS merchandising and distribution of promotional items.
Develop and manage new health brand strategy including creation of healthcare professional/dietitian program.
Obtain certification through a cheese and wine class.

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Category manager example responsibilities.

Lead team to manage predominantly seasonal fashion apparel by reacting to trends with appropriate buys and proactive exit strategies.
Manage and create purchase plans and OTB's.
Design and manage all BTL plans for the brands.
Manage multiple sources of data to mine for business voids and opportunities at both macro and micro levels.
Deliver profit and sales forecasts, manage merchandising budget, and used IRI data to produce optimal product mix.
Lead a high performance jewelry merchandising team in a digital commerce environment through television, e-commerce, and social media.

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Brand manager vs category manager skills

Common brand manager skills

Brand Management, 8%
Digital Marketing, 7%
Customer Service, 5%
Project Management, 5%
Brand Marketing, 5%
Product Development, 4%

Common category manager skills

Strategic Sourcing, 8%
Category Strategy, 8%
Supplier Performance, 5%
Supplier Relationships, 4%
Customer Service, 4%
Cost Savings, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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