E-commerce product manager vs category manager

The differences between e-commerce product managers and category managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 8-10 years to become both an e-commerce product manager and a category manager. Additionally, a category manager has an average salary of $102,035, which is higher than the $66,418 average annual salary of an e-commerce product manager.

The top three skills for an e-commerce product manager include digital marketing, google analytics and project management. The most important skills for a category manager are strategic sourcing, category strategy, and supplier performance.

E-commerce product manager vs category manager overview

	E-Commerce Product Manager	Category Manager
Yearly salary	$66,418	$102,035
Hourly rate	$31.93	$49.06
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	110,613	108,424
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 74%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	10	10

What does an e-commerce product manager do?

An E-commerce product manager spearheads and oversees the daily operations of a company's E-commerce platforms, ensuring everything runs smoothly and efficiently. It is their duty to manage e-commerce teams, streamline product roadmaps, set goals and guidelines, research new business opportunities, and develop strategies to optimize operations. They must also create social media campaigns and programs to increase brand awareness and online presence, thus translating into sales. Moreover, as a manager, it is vital to monitor the progress of operations while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

What does a category manager do?

Category managers are usually employed in the retail industry. They are primarily responsible for the sales enhancement of a specific group of products. The managers are involved in pricing, marketing, inventory, and vendor management. Their daily tasks include meeting with suppliers to talk about the plans, conducting orientation to the market research company, and updating category reports. Qualified applicants must have a degree in business administration or a related field as well as relevant job experience in a related job.

E-commerce product manager vs category manager salary

E-commerce product managers and category managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	E-Commerce Product Manager	Category Manager
Average salary	$66,418	$102,035
Salary range	Between $49,000 And $89,000	Between $74,000 And $138,000
Highest paying City	Philadelphia, PA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	Nevada
Best paying company	Cargill	McKinsey & Company Inc
Best paying industry	Finance	Manufacturing

Differences between e-commerce product manager and category manager education

There are a few differences between an e-commerce product manager and a category manager in terms of educational background:

	E-Commerce Product Manager	Category Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 74%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Georgia	University of Georgia

E-commerce product manager vs category manager demographics

Here are the differences between e-commerce product managers' and category managers' demographics:

	E-Commerce Product Manager	Category Manager
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 62.7% Female, 37.3%	Male, 55.7% Female, 44.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between e-commerce product manager and category manager duties and responsibilities

E-commerce product manager example responsibilities.

Lead development of a business plan for B2C portal.
Manage social media outlets create content (words and images) for social sites Facebook.
Maintain responsibility for the delivery of all new assets on a timely basis and manage QA processes.
Manage the implementation of the company's first ERP system and its integration with the front end and CMS.
Develop and manage Magento base e-commerce platform.
Program lead responsible for expanding online chat capabilities while effectively managing the ROI

Category manager example responsibilities.

Lead team to manage predominantly seasonal fashion apparel by reacting to trends with appropriate buys and proactive exit strategies.
Manage and create purchase plans and OTB's.
Design and manage all BTL plans for the brands.
Manage multiple sources of data to mine for business voids and opportunities at both macro and micro levels.
Deliver profit and sales forecasts, manage merchandising budget, and used IRI data to produce optimal product mix.
Lead a high performance jewelry merchandising team in a digital commerce environment through television, e-commerce, and social media.

E-commerce product manager vs category manager skills

Common e-commerce product manager skills

Digital Marketing, 13%
Google Analytics, 9%
Project Management, 5%
Customer Service, 4%
B Testing, 4%
A/B, 4%

Common category manager skills

Strategic Sourcing, 8%
Category Strategy, 8%
Supplier Performance, 5%
Supplier Relationships, 4%
Customer Service, 4%
Cost Savings, 4%

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E-Commerce Product Manager
E-Commerce Product Manager vs Category Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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