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Category manager, marketing vs category manager

The differences between category managers, marketing 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 category manager, marketing and a category manager. Additionally, a category manager, marketing has an average salary of $104,562, which is higher than the $102,035 average annual salary of a category manager.

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

Category manager, marketing vs category manager overview

Category Manager, MarketingCategory Manager
Yearly salary$104,562$102,035
Hourly rate$50.27$49.06
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs112,118108,424
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 73%Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Average age3939
Years of experience1010

What does a category manager, marketing do?

A category manager of marketing typically works at retail establishments where they are in charge of managing a particular category of products such as clothing, household supplies, electronics, etc. Among their responsibilities include setting sales and marketing objectives, managing marketing teams, gathering and analyzing data to determine product line ups, coordinating staff, overseeing the inventory of supplies, and participate in creating marketing materials. Moreover, as a manager, it is essential to lead and encourage the workforce to reach goals, all while enforcing the company's policies and regulations.

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.

Category manager, marketing vs category manager salary

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

Category Manager, MarketingCategory Manager
Average salary$104,562$102,035
Salary rangeBetween $79,000 And $138,000Between $74,000 And $138,000
Highest paying City-San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state-Nevada
Best paying company-McKinsey & Company Inc
Best paying industry-Manufacturing

Differences between category manager, marketing and category manager education

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

Category Manager, MarketingCategory Manager
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 73%Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of GeorgiaUniversity of Georgia

Category manager, marketing vs category manager demographics

Here are the differences between category managers, marketing' and category managers' demographics:

Category Manager, MarketingCategory Manager
Average age3939
Gender ratioMale, 61.0% Female, 39.0%Male, 55.7% Female, 44.3%
Race ratioBlack 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 Percentage10%10%

Differences between category manager, marketing and category manager duties and responsibilities

Category manager, marketing example responsibilities.

  • Manage, allocate, and evaluate all marketing budgets, ROI, and individual account performance reporting.
  • Direct and manage clean label starch launch campaigns across NOAM, EMEA, and ASPAC, reporting on monthly ROI.
  • Develop and manage marketing programs and partner integration for industry marketing in government, healthcare and education markets.
  • Coordinate production including copywriting, list buying, and working with designers and printers.
  • Utilize Nielsen and internal sales indicators to analyze category trends to develop customer actionable strategies for impact against retail channels.
  • Procure raw material, MRO and packaging materials to meet production requirements for several production facilities international and domestic.

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.
  • Show more

Category manager, marketing vs category manager skills

Common category manager, marketing skills
  • Digital Marketing, 13%
  • Project Management, 8%
  • Strategic Sourcing, 7%
  • Channel Marketing, 5%
  • Integrated Marketing, 5%
  • Market Research, 5%
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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