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Department manager vs head manager

The differences between department managers and head 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 a head manager. Additionally, a head manager has an average salary of $123,587, which is higher than the $67,160 average annual salary of a department manager.

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

Department manager vs head manager overview

Department ManagerHead Manager
Yearly salary$67,160$123,587
Hourly rate$32.29$59.42
Growth rate5%6%
Number of jobs330,327351,761
Job satisfaction4-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 46%Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age4344
Years of experience66

Department manager vs head manager salary

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

Department ManagerHead Manager
Average salary$67,160$123,587
Salary rangeBetween $39,000 And $115,000Between $77,000 And $196,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NYWashington, DC
Highest paying stateNew JerseyNew Jersey
Best paying companyRalph LaurenCiti
Best paying industryManufacturingFinance

Differences between department manager and head manager education

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

Department ManagerHead Manager
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 46%Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeSUNY College of Technology at DelhiUniversity of Pennsylvania

Department manager vs head manager demographics

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

Department ManagerHead Manager
Average age4344
Gender ratioMale, 51.8% Female, 48.2%Male, 58.1% Female, 41.9%
Race ratioBlack 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, 6.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage9%10%

Differences between department manager and head 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.
    • Show more

Head manager example responsibilities.

  • Manage all brewery operations including special project management, raw material ordering and handling, production scheduling, and client interfacing.
  • Direct inbound and outbound logistics operations, such as transportation or warehouse activities, safety performance, and logistics quality management.
  • Organize the collection of monthly payments and maintain accounts receivable/accounts payable and process evictions.

Department manager vs head manager skills

Common department manager skills
  • Inventory Management, 38%
  • Sales Promotions, 17%
  • Cleanliness, 13%
  • Customer Service, 8%
  • Sales Floor, 3%
  • Product Knowledge, 2%
Common head manager skills
  • Customer Service, 23%
  • Safety Procedures, 14%
  • Payroll, 10%
  • Financial Reports, 5%
  • Bank Deposits, 5%
  • POS, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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