Department supervisor vs assistant department manager

The differences between department supervisors and assistant department 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 supervisor and an assistant department manager. Additionally, a department supervisor has an average salary of $47,300, which is higher than the $43,686 average annual salary of an assistant department manager.

The top three skills for a department supervisor include store management, product knowledge and plumbing. The most important skills for an assistant department manager are standard operating procedure, customer service, and work ethic.

Department supervisor vs assistant department manager overview

	Department Supervisor	Assistant Department Manager
Yearly salary	$47,300	$43,686
Hourly rate	$22.74	$21.00
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	216,893	199,757
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	6	6

What does a department supervisor do?

A department supervisor's role is to oversee and ensure a business operation's efficiency in a particular area. Acting as a leader, it is their responsibility to develop strategies on meeting goals within a timeline and ensure that the workforce is functioning effectively in a harmonious environment. Furthermore, a department supervisor is in charge of setting goals such as budget and results, evaluating employees' performances and activities, training new members of the workforce, handling and resolving issues, and enforcing the company's policies and regulations.

What does an assistant department manager do?

An assistant department manager is responsible for supporting the assigned department operations under the supervision of the head department manager. Assistant department managers oversee the performance of the staff, ensuring the highest productivity with quality services. They also assist in budget allocation, coordinating with the senior management for expenses reports, and suggest cost reduction strategies. An assistant department manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills, especially on coordinating with business partners for project deliverables and maximize the staff's potential by arranging department training and programs.

Department supervisor vs assistant department manager salary

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

	Department Supervisor	Assistant Department Manager
Average salary	$47,300	$43,686
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $66,000	Between $26,000 And $72,000
Highest paying City	Lakewood, NJ	-
Highest paying state	New Jersey	-
Best paying company	Club	-
Best paying industry	Finance	-

Differences between department supervisor and assistant department manager education

There are a few differences between a department supervisor and an assistant department manager in terms of educational background:

	Department Supervisor	Assistant Department Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	SUNY College of Technology at Delhi	SUNY College of Technology at Delhi

Department supervisor vs assistant department manager demographics

Here are the differences between department supervisors' and assistant department managers' demographics:

	Department Supervisor	Assistant Department Manager
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 57.9% Female, 42.1%	Male, 50.4% Female, 49.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 6.8% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 7.0% White, 61.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between department supervisor and assistant department manager duties and responsibilities

Department supervisor example responsibilities.

Achieve a high degree of customer relations, in-stock, and store appearance.
Manage geotechnical aspects of an EIR/EIS for a coastal development in an environmentally sensitive lagoon.
Maintain an ISO certify department.
Home depot sales associate , 2/2012 to7/1012
Obtain good working knowledge of EDI.
Assist customers, complete callbacks and diamond counts

Assistant department manager example responsibilities.

Manage daily operations, approve and monitor payroll management system for non-exempt staff and student assistants.
Implement inventory management system to effectively manage on-hands, assist with correct replenishment and maintain an acceptable level of over-stock.
Help and teach employees with using slicers, fryers, and serving customers.
Reconcile payments using POS software including credit, cash, exchanges, returns and gift card purchases.
Assist department manager with everyday conditioning to ensure the department is ran at the highest level of efficiency.
Handle POS balancing by counting cash at the end of each shift and ensuring that any discrepancies are immediately addressed.

Department supervisor vs assistant department manager skills

Common department supervisor skills

Store Management, 21%
Product Knowledge, 19%
Plumbing, 18%
Math, 8%
Customer Satisfaction, 6%
Store Sales, 6%

Common assistant department manager skills

Standard Operating Procedure, 16%
Customer Service, 10%
Work Ethic, 10%
Sales Associates, 8%
Payroll, 6%
Cleanliness, 6%

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Department Supervisor vs Assistant Department Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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