Department director vs department manager

The differences between department directors 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 department director and a department manager. Additionally, a department director has an average salary of $97,804, which is higher than the $67,160 average annual salary of a department manager.

The top three skills for a department director include patient care, patients and healthcare. The most important skills for a department manager are inventory management, sales promotions, and cleanliness.

Department director vs department manager overview

	Department Director	Department Manager
Yearly salary	$97,804	$67,160
Hourly rate	$47.02	$32.29
Growth rate	28%	5%
Number of jobs	73,424	330,327
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Average age	47	43
Years of experience	6	6

What does a department director do?

A Department Director spearheads and oversees the operations of a department, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. Although their responsibilities vary upon the functions of a department, they typically have the power to decide on projects and programs. Their responsibilities include setting goals, establishing budgets and guidelines, representing the department at meetings and media coverages, liaising with external business partners, managing staff, and monitoring the progress of operations. Moreover, a Department Director leads and encourages staff to reach goals while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

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.

Department director vs department manager salary

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

	Department Director	Department Manager
Average salary	$97,804	$67,160
Salary range	Between $64,000 And $148,000	Between $39,000 And $115,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	New York, NY
Highest paying state	New Jersey	New Jersey
Best paying company	Anna Jaques Hospital	Ralph Lauren
Best paying industry	Finance	Manufacturing

Differences between department director and department manager education

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

	Department Director	Department Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	SUNY College of Technology at Delhi

Department director vs department manager demographics

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

	Department Director	Department Manager
Average age	47	43
Gender ratio	Male, 52.8% Female, 47.2%	Male, 51.8% Female, 48.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 7.9% White, 62.4% 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	12%	9%

Differences between department director and department manager duties and responsibilities

Department director example responsibilities.

Manage and direct bureau operations, and provide oversight of criminal investigations of statewide importance.
Establish and develop relationships with ERP and consulting vendors with the goal of maximizing comparative advantage and cost efficient solution development.
Ensure compliance with all CMS regulations.
Provide public education in the areas of fire department capabilities and history as well as CPR classes.
Follow up and coordination of rehabilitation services.
Cross-Train pre-operative and PACU staff to optimize efficiency.

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.

Department director vs department manager skills

Common department director skills

Patient Care, 15%
Patients, 14%
Healthcare, 13%
Oversight, 8%
Human Resources, 5%
Payroll, 4%

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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Department Director
Department Director vs Department Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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