Category manager vs content manager

The differences between category managers and content 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 category manager and a content manager. Additionally, a category manager has an average salary of $102,035, which is higher than the $75,124 average annual salary of a content manager.

The top three skills for a category manager include strategic sourcing, category strategy and supplier performance. The most important skills for a content manager are digital marketing, content strategy, and content creation.

Category manager vs content manager overview

	Category Manager	Content Manager
Yearly salary	$102,035	$75,124
Hourly rate	$49.06	$36.12
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	108,424	108,058
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 74%	Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	10	10

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.

What does a content manager do?

A Content Manager is focused on creating, improving, and maintaining content to achieve the business goals. They lead a team of copywriters and content executives.

Category manager vs content manager salary

Category managers and content managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Category Manager	Content Manager
Average salary	$102,035	$75,124
Salary range	Between $74,000 And $138,000	Between $50,000 And $111,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Nevada	Washington
Best paying company	McKinsey & Company Inc	Meta
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Technology

Differences between category manager and content manager education

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

	Category Manager	Content Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 74%	Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Most common major	Business	English
Most common college	University of Georgia	University of Georgia

Category manager vs content manager demographics

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

	Category Manager	Content Manager
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 55.7% Female, 44.3%	Male, 49.1% Female, 50.9%
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 category manager and content manager duties and responsibilities

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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Content manager example responsibilities.

Manage social media, blogging, SEO strategy, and outreach.
Assign stories to freelancers and manage that editorial process, including optimizing original content for SEO.
Manage, coordinate, and confirm all content updates in the content management system including UI messaging and user assistance.
Manage social media marketing, including Instagram
Manage implementation of marketing automation software and lead integration with CRM to improve tracking and visibility into campaign performance.
Web management responsibilities include WordPress and basic HTML.

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Category manager vs content manager skills

Common category manager skills

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

Common content manager skills

Digital Marketing, 9%
Content Strategy, 7%
Content Creation, 6%
Project Management, 6%
Web Content, 6%
Content Development, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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