Department manager vs produce manager

The differences between department managers and produce 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 produce manager. Additionally, a department manager has an average salary of $67,160, which is higher than the $37,310 average annual salary of a produce manager.

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

Department manager vs produce manager overview

	Department Manager	Produce Manager
Yearly salary	$67,160	$37,310
Hourly rate	$32.29	$17.94
Growth rate	5%	-21%
Number of jobs	330,327	157,993
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
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 produce manager do?

A produce manager works at a grocery store and is responsible for maintaining and creating the produce display. Each grocery store has standard operating procedures for sales and production, and the produce manager has to work within those guidelines to improve the sales and net profit of the store. They help negotiate prices with suppliers, ensure that they deliver the best quality stock on time, prioritize, and place orders based on the demand for such items as organic or locally grown produce. The produce manager also timely provides pricing updates, and he/she or she supervises the placement of shelf tags.

Department manager vs produce manager salary

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

	Department Manager	Produce Manager
Average salary	$67,160	$37,310
Salary range	Between $39,000 And $115,000	Between $26,000 And $52,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Los Angeles, CA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Hawaii
Best paying company	Ralph Lauren	Citi
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Retail

Differences between department manager and produce manager education

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

	Department Manager	Produce Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	SUNY College of Technology at Delhi	SUNY College of Technology at Delhi

Department manager vs produce manager demographics

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

	Department Manager	Produce Manager
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 51.8% Female, 48.2%	Male, 74.1% Female, 25.9%
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, 9.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 6.4% White, 62.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between department manager and produce 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.

Produce manager example responsibilities.

Manage receipts, handling of perishables, co-packing and re-packing, maintenance and dispatch of goods.
Conduct quality control evaluations to ensure cleanliness and customer satisfaction.
Include all bread, ice cream, frozen foods, beer and wine, meat dept.
Balance monthly the FTD report, greet and serve the customers.
Lead the grocery, frozen, bulk, and beer and wine departments.
Break down pallets load with produce and stack them in the cooler where they belong.

Department manager vs produce manager skills

Common department manager skills

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

Common produce manager skills

Cleanliness, 13%
Pallets, 12%
Customer Service, 9%
Food Safety, 8%
Pallet Jack, 6%
Food Handling, 6%

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Department Manager
Department Manager vs Produce Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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