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The differences between category managers and pricing 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 pricing manager. Additionally, a pricing manager has an average salary of $109,525, which is higher than the $102,035 average annual salary of a category manager.
The top three skills for a category manager include strategic sourcing, category strategy and supplier performance. The most important skills for a pricing manager are analytics, pricing strategy, and strategic pricing.
| Category Manager | Pricing Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $102,035 | $109,525 |
| Hourly rate | $49.06 | $52.66 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 108,424 | 119,997 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 10 |
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.
Pricing managers are employees who oversee the pricing needs of the organization. They identify the best pricing schemes for the company's product or service offerings. To do this, pricing managers analyze industry trends and current events. They study the target market and their spending behavior. They also coordinate with different departments, such as the production department to get the cost of production and the human resources department to get overhead costs. They also factor in different operational costs. Once they get this data, they determine the best pricing for the goods. Pricing managers also have a say in company tie-ups and client proposals to ensure that the company will not get the losing end of the stick with such partnerships.
Category managers and pricing managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Category Manager | Pricing Manager | |
| Average salary | $102,035 | $109,525 |
| Salary range | Between $74,000 And $138,000 | Between $80,000 And $149,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Arizona |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | McKinsey & Company Inc |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a category manager and a pricing manager in terms of educational background:
| Category Manager | Pricing Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between category managers' and pricing managers' demographics:
| Category Manager | Pricing Manager | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 55.7% Female, 44.3% | Male, 57.8% Female, 42.2% |
| 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% |