Counter manager vs shop manager

The differences between counter managers and shop 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 shop manager. Additionally, a counter manager has an average salary of $42,396, which is higher than the $36,580 average annual salary of a shop manager.

The top three skills for a counter manager include cleanliness, store management and fragrance. The most important skills for a shop manager are customer service, taking care, and work ethic.

Counter manager vs shop manager overview

	Counter Manager	Shop Manager
Yearly salary	$42,396	$36,580
Hourly rate	$20.38	$17.59
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	32,169	83,627
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 47%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
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 shop manager do?

As the name entails, shop managers manage an establishment's day-to-day operations, ensuring it runs effectively and smoothly. Their responsibilities include making business strategies, developing promotional materials, and ensuring that sales teams are motivated. As the shop manager, you will also oversee the store's organizational and operational standards, undertake administrative tasks, and monitor inventory levels. The requirements to become a store manager include having a high school diploma, at least three years of work experience in the retail industry, and leadership skills.

Counter manager vs shop manager salary

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

	Counter Manager	Shop Manager
Average salary	$42,396	$36,580
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $61,000	Between $25,000 And $52,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	Massachusetts
Best paying company	-	Rivian
Best paying industry	-	Retail

Differences between counter manager and shop manager education

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

	Counter Manager	Shop Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 47%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	SUNY College of Technology at Delhi	SUNY College of Technology at Delhi

Counter manager vs shop manager demographics

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

	Counter Manager	Shop Manager
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 15.1% Female, 84.9%	Male, 78.2% Female, 21.8%
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, 17.1% Asian, 6.9% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between counter manager and shop 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.

Shop manager example responsibilities.

Manage inventory and payment to suppliers in addition to managing payroll and other administrative tasks.
Manage the units respirator control program.
Manage gift registry for 48 stores consisting of 13,000 annual registries, $9.8MM in sales.
Manage inventory and work orders, train new employees, frequent QA inspections for shipping and receiving.
Conduct employee training that encompass all require OSHA and company safety guidelines to achieve a safe and productive work environment.
Manage data on POS system, mainly items being sell in the shop have to be written down and organize accordingly.

Counter manager vs shop manager skills

Common counter manager skills

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

Common shop manager skills

Customer Service, 26%
Taking Care, 10%
Work Ethic, 8%
Team Training, 6%
Product Knowledge, 5%
Payroll, 3%

Counter Manager vs. similar jobs

Counter Manager related careers

Counter Manager related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Sales Industry
Counter Manager
Counter Manager vs Shop Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse sales jobs