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General merchandise manager vs merchandise lead

The differences between general merchandise managers and merchandise leads can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a general merchandise manager and a merchandise lead. Additionally, a general merchandise manager has an average salary of $113,362, which is higher than the $35,572 average annual salary of a merchandise lead.

The top three skills for a general merchandise manager include customer service, inventory control and front end. The most important skills for a merchandise lead are sales floor, customer service, and customer satisfaction.

General merchandise manager vs merchandise lead overview

General Merchandise ManagerMerchandise Lead
Yearly salary$113,362$35,572
Hourly rate$54.50$17.10
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs277,17772,605
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 49%Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age4443
Years of experience66

General merchandise manager vs merchandise lead salary

General merchandise managers and merchandise leads have different pay scales, as shown below.

General Merchandise ManagerMerchandise Lead
Average salary$113,362$35,572
Salary rangeBetween $69,000 And $185,000Between $27,000 And $45,000
Highest paying City-Green Bay, WI
Highest paying state-Rhode Island
Best paying company-PepsiCo
Best paying industry-Retail

Differences between general merchandise manager and merchandise lead education

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

General Merchandise ManagerMerchandise Lead
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 49%Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaSUNY College of Technology at Delhi

General merchandise manager vs merchandise lead demographics

Here are the differences between general merchandise managers' and merchandise leads' demographics:

General Merchandise ManagerMerchandise Lead
Average age4443
Gender ratioMale, 45.5% Female, 54.5%Male, 42.5% Female, 57.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 6.3% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 7.0% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage10%9%

Differences between general merchandise manager and merchandise lead duties and responsibilities

General merchandise manager example responsibilities.

  • Train and manage FOH staff and improve overall quality, organization and professionalism of restaurant and bakery.
  • Maximize sales in jewelry, electronics, home appliances, and all apparel departments.
  • Assist in all administrative responsibilities including opening and closing store, organization standards, scheduling and payroll processing.
  • Train and manage FOH staff and improve overall quality, organization and professionalism of restaurant and bakery.

Merchandise lead example responsibilities.

  • Manage merchandising for lumber, building materials, paint, hardware, plumbing, electrical, and the garden department.
  • Facilitate price checks and pitch in to bag groceries as needed.
  • Coordinate all POS arrangements and merchandise as strategically design in floor plans.
  • Assist in all administrative responsibilities including opening and closing store, organization standards, scheduling and payroll processing.
  • Assist in CAO roll-out to other stores in district.
  • Coordinate production of sketch books for presentation of final dress line to sales force and top management of company.

General merchandise manager vs merchandise lead skills

Common general merchandise manager skills
  • Customer Service, 26%
  • Inventory Control, 10%
  • Front End, 10%
  • Sales Floor, 8%
  • Loss Prevention, 6%
  • Inventory Management, 5%
Common merchandise lead skills
  • Sales Floor, 17%
  • Customer Service, 8%
  • Customer Satisfaction, 7%
  • Store Management, 7%
  • POS, 6%
  • Product Knowledge, 6%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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