Management trainee vs assistant manager

The differences between management trainees and assistant 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 management trainee and an assistant manager. Additionally, a management trainee has an average salary of $48,477, which is higher than the $39,127 average annual salary of an assistant manager.

The top three skills for a management trainee include enterprise management, management training and customer service. The most important skills for an assistant manager are paperwork, cleanliness, and customer service.

Management trainee vs assistant manager overview

	Management Trainee	Assistant Manager
Yearly salary	$48,477	$39,127
Hourly rate	$23.31	$18.81
Growth rate	-8%	6%
Number of jobs	88,275	566,132
Job satisfaction	-	4.5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 81%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Average age	43	44
Years of experience	6	6

What does a management trainee do?

A management trainee's responsibilities will vary in the assigned industry or department. Most of the time, they function as administrative support where the tasks include processing documents and keeping records, preparing presentations, and analyzing reports. There are also instances when a management trainee must take part in implementing policies, crafting strategies, and observe in handling revenue and budget reports. Furthermore, a management trainee works under the supervision of a manager or supervisor, and it is essential to adhere to all policies and regulations at all times.

What does an assistant manager do?

An assistant manager provides assistance and support to the direct manager in ensuring that the business runs smoothly with guaranteed satisfaction. An associate manager helps organize daily projects and manages employees to make sure that tasks are being done in a timely and accurate manner. Assistant managers are also expected to develop a good relationship with the whole workforce and clients to contribute to a successful and healthy workplace. An assistant manager is also required to present practical strategies for business growth, monitor daily operations, and communicate with clients for any possible suggestions and complaints.

Management trainee vs assistant manager salary

Management trainees and assistant managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Management Trainee	Assistant Manager
Average salary	$48,477	$39,127
Salary range	Between $38,000 And $61,000	Between $23,000 And $64,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	New Jersey	New Jersey
Best paying company	BNSF Railway	Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Finance

Differences between management trainee and assistant manager education

There are a few differences between a management trainee and an assistant manager in terms of educational background:

	Management Trainee	Assistant Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 81%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Georgia

Management trainee vs assistant manager demographics

Here are the differences between management trainees' and assistant managers' demographics:

	Management Trainee	Assistant Manager
Average age	43	44
Gender ratio	Male, 61.8% Female, 38.2%	Male, 42.0% Female, 58.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 7.6% White, 61.9% 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	9%	10%

Differences between management trainee and assistant manager duties and responsibilities

Management trainee example responsibilities.

Manage internal marketing programs including telemarketing and email campaigns to increase customer activity.
Manage payroll, payments, social security calculations, all administrative functions and vacation rolls coordination.
Develop management and leadership principles while managing, training, and motivating employees in fast-pace, high-volume sales/customer service business.
Develop workforce management, inventory management, leadership, time-management and prioritization skills through working closely with store and department management.
Perform successful sales in roofing and general construction.
Create Instagram and Facebook posts having to do with new clothing shipments.

Assistant manager example responsibilities.

Manage and approve all advertising and promotional activity (weekly flyers).
Manage a team in order to reach daily, monthly, and yearly monetary, KPI, and loyalty goals.
Assist with customer service, organize employee payroll and scheduling, and manage day-to-day company responsibilities.
Maintain customer base by providing excellent customer service, maintaining facilities cleanliness, preparing daily reports and managing other cashiers.
Provide exceptional customer service by serving food and bartending during the restaurant s busiest hours of operation
Assist customers and operate POS register, unload stock delivery truck, stock merchandise and build displays, make bank deposits.

Management trainee vs assistant manager skills

Common management trainee skills

Enterprise Management, 14%
Management Training, 11%
Customer Service, 9%
Product Knowledge, 8%
Cash Management, 5%
Store Training, 4%

Common assistant manager skills

Paperwork, 10%
Cleanliness, 9%
Customer Service, 7%
Math, 7%
Basic Math, 6%
Payroll, 4%

Management Trainee vs. similar jobs

Management Trainee related careers

Management Trainee related jobs

Management Trainee jobs by location

Zippia Careers
Sales Industry
Management Trainee
Management Trainee vs Assistant Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse sales jobs