Co-manager vs assistant department manager

The differences between co-managers and assistant department managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a co-manager and an assistant department manager. Additionally, a co-manager has an average salary of $64,962, which is higher than the $43,686 average annual salary of an assistant department manager.

The top three skills for a co-manager include payroll, customer service and food safety. The most important skills for an assistant department manager are standard operating procedure, customer service, and work ethic.

Co-manager vs assistant department manager overview

	Co-Manager	Assistant Department Manager
Yearly salary	$64,962	$43,686
Hourly rate	$31.23	$21.00
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	258,234	199,757
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	6	6

What does a co-manager do?

A co-manager's role is to supervise business operations and perform administrative tasks as support to a manager. One of the primary functions of a co-manager is to delegate tasks of team members and arrange schedules. They also evaluate progress, produce the necessary documentation, maintain a record of data, identify issues and opportunities, and assist in coordinating with other employees. A co-manager may also have the task of hiring and training new workforce members, enforcing policies and regulations at all times.

What does an assistant department manager do?

An assistant department manager is responsible for supporting the assigned department operations under the supervision of the head department manager. Assistant department managers oversee the performance of the staff, ensuring the highest productivity with quality services. They also assist in budget allocation, coordinating with the senior management for expenses reports, and suggest cost reduction strategies. An assistant department manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills, especially on coordinating with business partners for project deliverables and maximize the staff's potential by arranging department training and programs.

Co-manager vs assistant department manager salary

Co-managers and assistant department managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Co-Manager	Assistant Department Manager
Average salary	$64,962	$43,686
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $119,000	Between $26,000 And $72,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	-
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	-
Best paying company	GUESS	-
Best paying industry	Retail	-

Differences between co-manager and assistant department manager education

There are a few differences between a co-manager and an assistant department manager in terms of educational background:

	Co-Manager	Assistant Department Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	SUNY College of Technology at Delhi	SUNY College of Technology at Delhi

Co-manager vs assistant department manager demographics

Here are the differences between co-managers' and assistant department managers' demographics:

	Co-Manager	Assistant Department Manager
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 44.3% Female, 55.7%	Male, 50.4% Female, 49.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 7.1% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 7.0% White, 61.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between co-manager and assistant department manager duties and responsibilities

Co-manager example responsibilities.

Partner in managing operations of multiple retail outlets, including hiring, performance management, scheduling, and merchandising management.
Supervise an ethnically diverse staff ensuring in stock availability, quality control, cleanliness, and overall customer satisfaction.
Provide a quick and convenient trip for customers through efficient communication, having item prices memorize and mental math.
Prepare and review opening and closing sales reports, as well as opening and closing the POS systems every day.
Retail POS system database maintenance to ensure accurate information for store operating reports.
Develop and train associates for entry level management position with emphasizes on leadership and delegation.

Assistant department manager example responsibilities.

Manage daily operations, approve and monitor payroll management system for non-exempt staff and student assistants.
Implement inventory management system to effectively manage on-hands, assist with correct replenishment and maintain an acceptable level of over-stock.
Help and teach employees with using slicers, fryers, and serving customers.
Reconcile payments using POS software including credit, cash, exchanges, returns and gift card purchases.
Assist department manager with everyday conditioning to ensure the department is ran at the highest level of efficiency.
Handle POS balancing by counting cash at the end of each shift and ensuring that any discrepancies are immediately addressed.

Co-manager vs assistant department manager skills

Common co-manager skills

Payroll, 8%
Customer Service, 7%
Food Safety, 6%
Loss Prevention, 6%
Perform Routine Maintenance, 5%
Store Sales, 5%

Common assistant department manager skills

Standard Operating Procedure, 16%
Customer Service, 10%
Work Ethic, 10%
Sales Associates, 8%
Payroll, 6%
Cleanliness, 6%

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Co-Manager vs Assistant Department Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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