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Department manager vs lead manager

The differences between department managers and lead 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 lead manager. Additionally, a lead manager has an average salary of $101,883, 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 lead manager are safety procedures, sales floor, and gross margin.

Department manager vs lead manager overview

Department ManagerLead Manager
Yearly salary$67,160$101,883
Hourly rate$32.29$48.98
Growth rate5%6%
Number of jobs330,327385,395
Job satisfaction4-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 46%Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Average age4344
Years of experience66

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 lead manager do?

A lead manager is primarily in charge of overseeing the progress of a particular office or department. Although the responsibilities will vary depending on their industry, it will typically revolve around producing progress reports, reviewing documentation and transactions, managing the budget, procuring supplies, and devising strategies to generate leads and reach goals faster. Furthermore, as a lead manager, it is essential to spearhead projects and encourage staff, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

Department manager vs lead manager salary

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

Department ManagerLead Manager
Average salary$67,160$101,883
Salary rangeBetween $39,000 And $115,000Between $73,000 And $140,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NYNew York, NY
Highest paying stateNew JerseyAlaska
Best paying companyRalph LaurenTrulia
Best paying industryManufacturingRetail

Differences between department manager and lead manager education

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

Department ManagerLead Manager
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 46%Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeSUNY College of Technology at DelhiUniversity of Pennsylvania

Department manager vs lead manager demographics

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

Department ManagerLead Manager
Average age4344
Gender ratioMale, 51.8% Female, 48.2%Male, 54.2% Female, 45.8%
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 lead 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

Lead manager example responsibilities.

  • Lead a team of in home geek squad agents that have the highest productivity in the company.
  • Define processes and procedures for manual and automate testing and implement tools to achieve the overall QA objectives.
  • Manage social media networks for increase public visibility through Facebook.
  • Manage employee payroll activities and effectively evaluate employee performance for promotion opportunities.
  • Manage several customer service incidents and tend to emergencies including the administration lifesaving CPR to a gym patron.
  • Require to be certify in CPR, a and first aid.
    • Show more

Department manager vs lead manager skills

Common department manager skills
  • Inventory Management, 38%
  • Sales Promotions, 17%
  • Cleanliness, 13%
  • Customer Service, 8%
  • Sales Floor, 3%
  • Product Knowledge, 2%
Common lead manager skills
  • Safety Procedures, 15%
  • Sales Floor, 12%
  • Gross Margin, 12%
  • PET, 9%
  • Performance Evaluations, 8%
  • Product Knowledge, 7%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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