Merchandising supervisor vs department manager

The differences between merchandising supervisors and 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 merchandising supervisor and a department manager. Additionally, a department manager has an average salary of $67,160, which is higher than the $34,175 average annual salary of a merchandising supervisor.

The top three skills for a merchandising supervisor include customer service, HR and drive sales. The most important skills for a department manager are inventory management, sales promotions, and cleanliness.

Merchandising supervisor vs department manager overview

	Merchandising Supervisor	Department Manager
Yearly salary	$34,175	$67,160
Hourly rate	$16.43	$32.29
Growth rate	10%	5%
Number of jobs	179,796	330,327
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	6	6

What does a merchandising supervisor do?

Merchandising supervisors are professionals who create a pleasing shopping environment to entice customers to purchase additional products and gain maximum profit. These supervisors are required to identify trends and make sales predictions based on product popularity, past sales data, and information gained by attending product shows. They are required to make attractive point-of-sales displays so that the customers can easily locate the merchandise. Merchandising supervisors must also handle inventory levels by keeping track and submitting order requests to the purchasing department.

What does a department manager do?

Department managers oversee the operations of the department they are assigned to. They manage all aspects of the operation, including finance, sales, quality control, and human resources. They set department goals and the steps the team needs to take to ensure that the goals are met. Department managers are also in charge of training team members so that these team members will be able to work together harmoniously. They should also be able to keep the team's goal in sight and adjust their strategy as needed.

Merchandising supervisor vs department manager salary

Merchandising supervisors and department managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Merchandising Supervisor	Department Manager
Average salary	$34,175	$67,160
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $41,000	Between $39,000 And $115,000
Highest paying City	-	New York, NY
Highest paying state	-	New Jersey
Best paying company	-	Ralph Lauren
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between merchandising supervisor and department manager education

There are a few differences between a merchandising supervisor and a department manager in terms of educational background:

	Merchandising Supervisor	Department Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	SUNY College of Technology at Delhi	SUNY College of Technology at Delhi

Merchandising supervisor vs department manager demographics

Here are the differences between merchandising supervisors' and department managers' demographics:

	Merchandising Supervisor	Department Manager
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 43.7% Female, 56.3%	Male, 51.8% Female, 48.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 6.7% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 7.0% White, 61.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between merchandising supervisor and department manager duties and responsibilities

Merchandising supervisor example responsibilities.

Manage a group of supervisors and hold weekly SWAS meetings.
Assist store leadership in effectively leading, managing and developing store and/or department operations and associates to maximize sales and profitability.
Co-Manage the firearms and hunting departments with hardlines management team.
Handle SWAS meetings for all merchandise specializing in top merchandise.
Supervise merchandising and associate relations for the hardlines area of the store.
Lead IMS team ensuring trucks are unloaded and perpetual inventory are accurate.

Department manager example responsibilities.

Participate in company's ISO certification program, successfully achieving ISO [] and AS9100 certification.
Manage and delegate over lumber-building materials department including millwork department.
Manage electronics, wireless connection center, layaway and online order/pickup departments.
Develop schedules; manage payroll; multitask extensively to ensure competing requirements are complete.
Monitor and maximize sales and payroll by identifying sales opportunities and managing controllable expenses.
Manage geotechnical aspects of an EIR/EIS for a coastal development in an environmentally sensitive lagoon.

Merchandising supervisor vs department manager skills

Common merchandising supervisor skills

Customer Service, 24%
HR, 20%
Drive Sales, 18%
Store Operations, 15%
Sales Floor, 5%
Store Management, 2%

Common department manager skills

Inventory Management, 38%
Sales Promotions, 17%
Cleanliness, 13%
Customer Service, 8%
Sales Floor, 3%
Product Knowledge, 2%

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Merchandising Supervisor
Merchandising Supervisor vs Department Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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