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The differences between lead assistants 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 lead assistant and an assistant department manager. Additionally, an assistant department manager has an average salary of $43,686, which is higher than the $31,987 average annual salary of a lead assistant.
The top three skills for a lead assistant include customer service, sales floor and payroll. The most important skills for an assistant department manager are standard operating procedure, customer service, and work ethic.
| Lead Assistant | Assistant Department Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $31,987 | $43,686 |
| Hourly rate | $15.38 | $21.00 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 86,609 | 199,757 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A lead assistant is responsible for monitoring the operations of a specific business department, under the supervision of a team lead. Lead assistants provide support on training new staff, implementing strategic policies, identifying business opportunities, and developing services that would bring more revenues and profitability for the organization. They also respond to customers' inquiries, handling complaints, and ensuring immediate resolution for all concerns to maintain customers' satisfaction and a good reputation for the business. A lead assistant must have excellent communication and leadership skills to manage the team's needs, meeting operational goals timely and efficiently.
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.
Lead assistants and assistant department managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Assistant | Assistant Department Manager | |
| Average salary | $31,987 | $43,686 |
| Salary range | Between $21,000 And $46,000 | Between $26,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | - |
| Highest paying state | New York | - |
| Best paying company | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a lead assistant and an assistant department manager in terms of educational background:
| Lead Assistant | Assistant Department Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | SUNY College of Technology at Delhi | SUNY College of Technology at Delhi |
Here are the differences between lead assistants' and assistant department managers' demographics:
| Lead Assistant | Assistant Department Manager | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 40.8% Female, 59.2% | Male, 50.4% Female, 49.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 7.0% White, 61.0% 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% |