How much do category managers make?

Category managers make a median salary of around $120,000 in a year. The lowest-paid 10% earned around $75,000, while the highest-paid 10% earned over $197,000 in a year. The salary of a category manager can vary greatly depending on several factors. These factors include education and experience, industry and company, and location.

Is category manager a good career?

Yes, being a category manager is a good career choice for people who enjoy supply chain management, marketing, and analytics. Being a category manager is an excellent career option for this role, which has significant room for growth and professional development, combines relevant category expertise with sourcing experience. This combination creates a dynamic role for someone looking for an interesting and well-paying position.

What are the 4 P's of category management?

The four P's of category management are: product, price, placement, and promotion. When all brought together, these four P's will ensure that a category manager successfully fulfills the unique duties of their job.

What degree do you need to be a category manager?

You need at least an associate's degree in business to be a category manager. While the minimum requirement for a category manager is an associate's degree, most employers seek out category managers with a bachelor's degree.

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

What is a category manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A category manager is a person responsible for overseeing a particular product category or group of products within a company. They are responsible for analyzing market data, identifying trends, and developing strategies to optimize sales and profitability.They work closely with suppliers and internal teams to manage inventory levels, negotiate favorable pricing, and develop marketing campaigns. A successful category manager must have strong analytical and communication skills to effectively manage and drive business growth.

ScoreCategory ManagerUS Average

Salary

7.7

Avg. Salary $102,035

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 44.28%

male 55.72%

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

What are the pros and cons of being a category manager?

Pros

Opportunity to work with cross-functional teams and learn about different aspects of business
High level of responsibility and autonomy in decision-making
Competitive compensation and benefits packages
Chance to develop strategic thinking and analytical skills
Opportunity for career advancement within the company

Cons

High level of stress and pressure to meet sales targets and performance metrics
Long hours and weekend work may be required during peak seasons
Need for constant monitoring of market trends and competitor activity
Risk of burnout due to high workload
Potential for conflict with other departments over resource allocation or project prioritization.

Key steps to become a category manager

Explore category manager education requirements

Most common category manager degrees

Bachelor's

73.7 %

Master's

14.2 %

Associate

8.1 %

Start to develop specific category manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Strategic Sourcing	8.12%
Category Strategy	7.88%
Supplier Performance	5.25%
Supplier Relationships	4.15%
Customer Service	3.89%

Complete relevant category manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New 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 a category manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real category manager resumes.

Research category manager duties and 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.

Prepare your category manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your category manager resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a category manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable category manager resume templates

Build a professional category manager resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your category manager resume.

Apply for category manager jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a 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 category managers rate their job?

5/5

Based on 2 ratings

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Category manager reviews

5.0

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.

5.0

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019