Retail supervisor vs store manager

The differences between retail supervisors 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 retail supervisor and a store manager. Additionally, a store manager has an average salary of $46,950, which is higher than the $34,740 average annual salary of a retail supervisor.

The top three skills for a retail supervisor include POS, cash handling and product knowledge. The most important skills for a store manager are store management, retail store, and customer service.

Retail supervisor vs store manager overview

	Retail Supervisor	Store Manager
Yearly salary	$34,740	$46,950
Hourly rate	$16.70	$22.57
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	240,666	446,127
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age	43	44
Years of experience	6	6

What does a retail supervisor do?

The retail supervisor's main job responsibility is to oversee the work of retail staff in a physical store environment. They check and monitor employee activity, coordinate the receiving and shipping of merchandise, and assist customers in their purchases, ensuring smooth day-to-day overall operation. They work for any type of retail store, whether it is clothing, home goods, or an electronics store. In addition, they typically work in a mixed environment that consists of both an office and a sales floor.

What does a store manager do?

A store manager is responsible for monitoring the daily operations, making sure of its smooth and efficient performance with the best services provided to the customers. Store managers' duty also includes tracking the budget of the store to ensure that all expenses are meeting the sales goals. A store manager must also be able to plan and share strategies to boost sales performance and provide the needed support for the employees by communicating with them regularly, listening on suggestions, and taking necessary actions for complaints as required.

Retail supervisor vs store manager salary

Retail supervisors and store managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Retail Supervisor	Store Manager
Average salary	$34,740	$46,950
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $43,000	Between $30,000 And $73,000
Highest paying City	Peabody, MA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Delaware
Best paying company	Live Nation Entertainment	Meta
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Manufacturing

Differences between retail supervisor and store manager education

There are a few differences between a retail supervisor and a store manager in terms of educational background:

	Retail Supervisor	Store Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	SUNY College of Technology at Delhi	University of Pennsylvania

Retail supervisor vs store manager demographics

Here are the differences between retail supervisors' and store managers' demographics:

	Retail Supervisor	Store Manager
Average age	43	44
Gender ratio	Male, 41.0% Female, 59.0%	Male, 51.2% Female, 48.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 6.9% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	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	9%	10%

Differences between retail supervisor and store manager duties and responsibilities

Retail supervisor example responsibilities.

Assist store leadership in effectively leading, managing and developing store and/or department operations and associates to maximize sales and profitability.
Prepare food and ensure cleanliness of work area as well as served as a retail sales associate in the gift shop.
Prepare receipts for food using cash registers, computers, calculators, POS systems and other acceptable payment methods.
Maintain restaurant cleanliness, and delegate restaurant duties as necessary.
Monitor and submit weekly payroll and expense reports with modifications when need.
Perform management operations flawlessly and economically schedule employees, while maintaining weekly payroll.

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.

Retail supervisor vs store manager skills

Common retail supervisor skills

POS, 8%
Cash Handling, 8%
Product Knowledge, 7%
Cleanliness, 6%
Sales Floor, 5%
Wine, 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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Retail Supervisor
Retail Supervisor vs Store Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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