Department manager vs department lead

The differences between department managers and department 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 manager and a department lead. Additionally, a department manager has an average salary of $67,160, which is higher than the $42,113 average annual salary of a department lead.

The top three skills for a department manager include inventory management, sales promotions and cleanliness. The most important skills for a department lead are cleanliness, safety procedures, and customer service.

Department manager vs department lead overview

	Department Manager	Department Lead
Yearly salary	$67,160	$42,113
Hourly rate	$32.29	$20.25
Growth rate	5%	-
Number of jobs	330,327	204,534
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
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 a department lead do?

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.

Department manager vs department lead salary

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

	Department Manager	Department Lead
Average salary	$67,160	$42,113
Salary range	Between $39,000 And $115,000	Between $22,000 And $79,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	New Haven, CT
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Rhode Island
Best paying company	Ralph Lauren	Tufts Medical Center
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Manufacturing

Differences between department manager and department lead education

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

	Department Manager	Department Lead
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	SUNY College of Technology at Delhi	SUNY College of Technology at Delhi

Department manager vs department lead demographics

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

	Department Manager	Department Lead
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 51.8% Female, 48.2%	Male, 54.7% Female, 45.3%
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, 8.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 6.9% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between department manager and department lead 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.

Department lead example responsibilities.

Implement inventory management system to effectively manage on-hands, assist with correct replenishment and maintain an acceptable level of over-stock.
Operate POS system, and receive payment by cash, check, credit cards, vouchers, or automatic debit.
Oversee the completion of all POS transactions, maintain cash office records and assistant in training of all new cashiers.
Conduct geotechnical and geological investigations and mineral resource evaluations for commercial, industrial and governmental clients using the above-mentioned drilling techniques.
Develop unique SQL, cloudbase, and ADHOC telephony query techniques resulting in the identification of previously undiscovered nefarious networks.

Department manager vs department lead skills

Common department manager skills

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

Common department lead skills

Cleanliness, 12%
Safety Procedures, 11%
Customer Service, 10%
Store Management, 8%
Inventory Management, 7%
Sales Floor, 6%

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Department Manager
Department Manager vs Department Lead

Updated January 8, 2025

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