Counter manager vs department manager

The differences between counter managers and 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 counter manager and a department manager. Additionally, a department manager has an average salary of $67,160, which is higher than the $42,396 average annual salary of a counter manager.

The top three skills for a counter manager include cleanliness, store management and fragrance. The most important skills for a department manager are inventory management, sales promotions, and cleanliness.

Counter manager vs department manager overview

	Counter Manager	Department Manager
Yearly salary	$42,396	$67,160
Hourly rate	$20.38	$32.29
Growth rate	-	5%
Number of jobs	32,169	330,327
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 47%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	6	6

What does a counter manager do?

A counter manager is a person who leads a team of employees in the retail departments of bakeries, cosmetics, and delis. Counter managers take both administrative and leadership responsibilities. They support managers in procedure enforcement, customer relations, and staff communication. It is their job to oversee service management and keep track of the inventory. Among other duties, they tend to include employee recruitment and training, goal setup, conflict resolution, corporate finance, and budgeting.

What does a department manager do?

Department managers oversee the operations of the department they are assigned to. They manage all aspects of the operation, including finance, sales, quality control, and human resources. They set department goals and the steps the team needs to take to ensure that the goals are met. Department managers are also in charge of training team members so that these team members will be able to work together harmoniously. They should also be able to keep the team's goal in sight and adjust their strategy as needed.

Counter manager vs department manager salary

Counter managers and department managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Counter Manager	Department Manager
Average salary	$42,396	$67,160
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $61,000	Between $39,000 And $115,000
Highest paying City	-	New York, NY
Highest paying state	-	New Jersey
Best paying company	-	Ralph Lauren
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between counter manager and department manager education

There are a few differences between a counter manager and a department manager in terms of educational background:

	Counter Manager	Department Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 47%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	SUNY College of Technology at Delhi	SUNY College of Technology at Delhi

Counter manager vs department manager demographics

Here are the differences between counter managers' and department managers' demographics:

	Counter Manager	Department Manager
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 15.1% Female, 84.9%	Male, 51.8% Female, 48.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 6.9% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 7.0% White, 61.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between counter manager and department manager duties and responsibilities

Counter manager example responsibilities.

Set and achieve Burberry and Nordstrom personal sales goals while supporting the goals of the team.
Manage with integrity, honesty and knowledge that promote the culture, values and mission of Nordstrom.
Manage accounts payable/receivable, administering an expansive QuickBooks database.
Assist all customers with a high level of customer service to enhance their experience using update technology and POS systems.
Display strong organizational leadership skills within fragrance department.
Execute POS system operations including management of personal client registry.

Department manager example responsibilities.

Participate in company's ISO certification program, successfully achieving ISO [] and AS9100 certification.
Manage and delegate over lumber-building materials department including millwork department.
Manage electronics, wireless connection center, layaway and online order/pickup departments.
Develop schedules; manage payroll; multitask extensively to ensure competing requirements are complete.
Monitor and maximize sales and payroll by identifying sales opportunities and managing controllable expenses.
Manage geotechnical aspects of an EIR/EIS for a coastal development in an environmentally sensitive lagoon.

Counter manager vs department manager skills

Common counter manager skills

Cleanliness, 16%
Store Management, 15%
Fragrance, 14%
Business Results, 9%
Customer Service, 7%
Merchandise Transfers, 6%

Common department manager skills

Inventory Management, 38%
Sales Promotions, 17%
Cleanliness, 13%
Customer Service, 8%
Sales Floor, 3%
Product Knowledge, 2%

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Counter Manager
Counter Manager vs Department Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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