General merchandise manager vs store manager

The differences between general merchandise managers and store 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 general merchandise manager and a store manager. Additionally, a general merchandise manager has an average salary of $113,362, which is higher than the $46,950 average annual salary of a store manager.

The top three skills for a general merchandise manager include customer service, inventory control and front end. The most important skills for a store manager are store management, retail store, and customer service.

General merchandise manager vs store manager overview

	General Merchandise Manager	Store Manager
Yearly salary	$113,362	$46,950
Hourly rate	$54.50	$22.57
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	277,177	446,127
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	6	6

General merchandise manager vs store manager salary

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

	General Merchandise Manager	Store Manager
Average salary	$113,362	$46,950
Salary range	Between $69,000 And $185,000	Between $30,000 And $73,000
Highest paying City	-	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	-	Delaware
Best paying company	-	Meta
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between general merchandise manager and store manager education

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

	General Merchandise Manager	Store Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

General merchandise manager vs store manager demographics

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

	General Merchandise Manager	Store Manager
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5%	Male, 51.2% Female, 48.8%
Race ratio	Black 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, 6.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 6.3% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between general merchandise manager and store manager 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.

Store manager example responsibilities.

Store achieve highest UPT in company for FY11.
Assist the DM and help to manage the district in her absence.
Manage the store's inventory with GNC guidelines; receiving, checking and shelving all merchandising orders.
Train and develop to manage multi-unit operations.
Create implementation plans to support execution of Starbucks initiatives to achieve both operational excellence and business results.
Develop and implement operational strategies utilizing less payroll expenses and allot hour usage to accomplish logistical and operational excellence.

General merchandise manager vs store manager 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 store manager skills

Store Management, 8%
Retail Store, 5%
Customer Service, 5%
PET, 5%
Loss Prevention, 5%
Sales Floor, 4%

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General Merchandise Manager
General Merchandise Manager vs Store Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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