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The differences between creative services managers 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 creative services manager and a category manager. Additionally, a category manager has an average salary of $102,035, which is higher than the $78,567 average annual salary of a creative services manager.
The top three skills for a creative services manager include graphic design, project management and photography. The most important skills for a category manager are strategic sourcing, category strategy, and supplier performance.
| Creative Services Manager | Category Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $78,567 | $102,035 |
| Hourly rate | $37.77 | $49.06 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 113,897 | 108,424 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 10 |
Creative Services Managers are experienced employees with a creative streak and a strong design background. They are usually assigned to workgroups or special projects related to branding and other similar concepts. They are heavily involved in the planning stage of the project or program. A Corporate Services Manager may be directly hired by the company or outsourced from an advertising agency. They are in charge of managing the branding, choosing the best design elements for the project, and creating design palettes.
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.
Creative services managers and category managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Creative Services Manager | Category Manager | |
| Average salary | $78,567 | $102,035 |
| Salary range | Between $53,000 And $115,000 | Between $74,000 And $138,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Apple | McKinsey & Company Inc |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a creative services manager and a category manager in terms of educational background:
| Creative Services Manager | Category Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Business |
| Most common college | University of Wisconsin - Madison | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between creative services managers' and category managers' demographics:
| Creative Services Manager | Category Manager | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 49.1% Female, 50.9% | Male, 55.7% Female, 44.3% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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 Percentage | 10% | 10% |