Department manager vs assistant department manager

The differences between department managers and assistant 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 manager and an assistant department manager. Additionally, a department manager has an average salary of $67,160, which is higher than the $43,686 average annual salary of an assistant department manager.

The top three skills for a department manager include inventory management, sales promotions and cleanliness. The most important skills for an assistant department manager are standard operating procedure, customer service, and work ethic.

Department manager vs assistant department manager overview

	Department Manager	Assistant Department Manager
Yearly salary	$67,160	$43,686
Hourly rate	$32.29	$21.00
Growth rate	5%	6%
Number of jobs	330,327	199,757
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	6	6

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.

What does an assistant department manager do?

An assistant department manager is responsible for supporting the assigned department operations under the supervision of the head department manager. Assistant department managers oversee the performance of the staff, ensuring the highest productivity with quality services. They also assist in budget allocation, coordinating with the senior management for expenses reports, and suggest cost reduction strategies. An assistant department manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills, especially on coordinating with business partners for project deliverables and maximize the staff's potential by arranging department training and programs.

Department manager vs assistant department manager salary

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

	Department Manager	Assistant Department Manager
Average salary	$67,160	$43,686
Salary range	Between $39,000 And $115,000	Between $26,000 And $72,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	-
Highest paying state	New Jersey	-
Best paying company	Ralph Lauren	-
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	-

Differences between department manager and assistant department manager education

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

	Department Manager	Assistant Department Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	SUNY College of Technology at Delhi	SUNY College of Technology at Delhi

Department manager vs assistant department manager demographics

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

	Department Manager	Assistant Department Manager
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 51.8% Female, 48.2%	Male, 50.4% Female, 49.6%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 7.0% White, 61.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between department manager and assistant department manager duties and responsibilities

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.

Assistant department manager example responsibilities.

Manage daily operations, approve and monitor payroll management system for non-exempt staff and student assistants.
Implement inventory management system to effectively manage on-hands, assist with correct replenishment and maintain an acceptable level of over-stock.
Help and teach employees with using slicers, fryers, and serving customers.
Reconcile payments using POS software including credit, cash, exchanges, returns and gift card purchases.
Assist department manager with everyday conditioning to ensure the department is ran at the highest level of efficiency.
Handle POS balancing by counting cash at the end of each shift and ensuring that any discrepancies are immediately addressed.

Department manager vs assistant department manager skills

Common department manager skills

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

Common assistant department manager skills

Standard Operating Procedure, 16%
Customer Service, 10%
Work Ethic, 10%
Sales Associates, 8%
Payroll, 6%
Cleanliness, 6%

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Department Manager vs Assistant Department Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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