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The differences between department leads and associate/team leads 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 lead and an associate/team lead. Additionally, an associate/team lead has an average salary of $54,721, which is higher than the $42,113 average annual salary of a department lead.
The top three skills for a department lead include cleanliness, safety procedures and customer service. The most important skills for an associate/team lead are excellent interpersonal, product knowledge, and quality standards.
| Department Lead | Associate/Team Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $42,113 | $54,721 |
| Hourly rate | $20.25 | $26.31 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 204,534 | 247,018 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A department lead's responsibilities will vary in an organization or company. It will, most of the time, revolve around overseeing the progress of work in a particular area and evaluating department staff's performance. Other responsibilities include setting goals and implementing the company's policies and guidelines. They may also carry out administrative tasks such as approving and signing paperwork, producing reports and presentations, and crafting guidelines and strategies to help reach goals. Furthermore, as a department head, it is important to encourage staff and shape them into valuable company members.
An associate/team lead oversees the performance of team members while ensuring that clients get to receive optimal services. Their responsibilities typically include establishing guidelines and objectives, managing schedules, generating leads, performing market research and analysis, and developing strategies to optimize the daily operations. They may communicate with clients and assist them by identifying their needs, answering inquiries, and resolving issues and concerns. Moreover, as an associate/team lead, it is essential to guide and encourage staff to reach goals, all while enforcing the company's policies and regulations.
Department leads and associate/team leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Department Lead | Associate/Team Lead | |
| Average salary | $42,113 | $54,721 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $79,000 | Between $28,000 And $104,000 |
| Highest paying City | New Haven, CT | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Tufts Medical Center | Citi |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | - |
There are a few differences between a department lead and an associate/team lead in terms of educational background:
| Department Lead | Associate/Team Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | SUNY College of Technology at Delhi | SUNY College of Technology at Delhi |
Here are the differences between department leads' and associate/team leads' demographics:
| Department Lead | Associate/Team Lead | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 54.7% Female, 45.3% | 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, 8.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.9% Asian, 7.0% White, 61.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |