Department manager vs office manager/receptionist

The differences between department managers and office managers/receptionist 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 office manager/receptionist. Additionally, a department manager has an average salary of $67,160, which is higher than the $39,696 average annual salary of an office manager/receptionist.

The top three skills for a department manager include inventory management, sales promotions and cleanliness. The most important skills for an office manager/receptionist are patients, customer service, and payroll.

Department manager vs office manager/receptionist overview

	Department Manager	Office Manager/Receptionist
Yearly salary	$67,160	$39,696
Hourly rate	$32.29	$19.08
Growth rate	5%	-8%
Number of jobs	330,327	58,318
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 33%
Average age	43	47
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 office manager/receptionist do?

An office manager/receptionist specializes in performing administrative duties in an office or department. One of their primary responsibilities is to greet visitors or clients, answer inquiries, respond to calls and correspondence, arrange appointments, manage schedules, and receive documents or messages. They may also assess staff performance, disseminate information, delegate tasks, and provide support for team members. Furthermore, should there be any issues, it is essential to address and resolve them, all while adhering to the company's policies and standards.

Department manager vs office manager/receptionist salary

Department managers and office managers/receptionist have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Department Manager	Office Manager/Receptionist
Average salary	$67,160	$39,696
Salary range	Between $39,000 And $115,000	Between $27,000 And $57,000
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 office manager/receptionist education

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

	Department Manager	Office Manager/Receptionist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 33%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	SUNY College of Technology at Delhi	California State University - Bakersfield

Department manager vs office manager/receptionist demographics

Here are the differences between department managers' and office managers/receptionist' demographics:

	Department Manager	Office Manager/Receptionist
Average age	43	47
Gender ratio	Male, 51.8% Female, 48.2%	Male, 7.0% Female, 93.0%
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, 10.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.8% Asian, 5.2% White, 60.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	9%	8%

Differences between department manager and office manager/receptionist 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.

Office manager/receptionist example responsibilities.

Demonstrate self-motivation through QuickBooks training.
Establish and maintain QuickBooks accounting systems.
Greet patients; handle overall daily business operations of a busy chiropractic office.
Engage in active communication with patients by developing and maintaining a professional and friendly relationship.
Generate bi-weekly payroll, along with reconciling monthly summaries, calculating payroll tax liabilities and preparing quarterly tax reports.
Process and distribute incoming and outgoing mail and packages via USPS and messenger services.

Department manager vs office manager/receptionist skills

Common department manager skills

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

Common office manager/receptionist skills

Patients, 21%
Customer Service, 15%
Payroll, 10%
Appointment Scheduling, 8%
Front Desk, 6%
Office Equipment, 3%

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Department Manager
Department Manager vs Office Manager/Receptionist

Updated January 8, 2025

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