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The differences between inventory managers and managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an inventory manager and a manager. Additionally, an inventory manager has an average salary of $62,768, which is higher than the $58,651 average annual salary of a manager.
The top three skills for an inventory manager include PET, direct reports and customer service. The most important skills for a manager are customer service, payroll, and food safety.
| Inventory Manager | Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $62,768 | $58,651 |
| Hourly rate | $30.18 | $28.20 |
| Growth rate | -6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 30,717 | 1,236,194 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.57 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 47 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
An inventory manager is responsible for supervising the overall inventory operations, monitoring supplies and materials, and checking the accuracy of data reports from the inventory associates. Inventory managers' duties include validating stock levels using record software tools, determining the availability of stocks for purchase orders, inspecting the incoming and outgoing shipments, and addressing product concerns by communicating with suppliers and third-party vendors. An inventory manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills to handle the staff's performance and manage customers' inquiries and complaints.
Managers are responsible for a specific department, function, or employee group. They oversee their assigned departments and all the employees under the department. Managers are responsible that the department they are handling is functioning well. They set the department goals and the steps they must take to achieve the goals. They are also in charge of assessing the performance of their departments and their employees. Additionally, managers are responsible for interviewing prospective candidates for department vacancies and assessing their fit to the needs of the department. Managers also set the general working environment in the department, and they are expected to ensure that their employees remain motivated.
Inventory managers and managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Inventory Manager | Manager | |
| Average salary | $62,768 | $58,651 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $91,000 | Between $37,000 And $92,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | NVIDIA | - |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Finance |
There are a few differences between an inventory manager and a manager in terms of educational background:
| Inventory Manager | Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between inventory managers' and managers' demographics:
| Inventory Manager | Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 69.4% Female, 30.6% | Male, 51.0% Female, 49.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 13.1% Asian, 8.5% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |