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Department manager salary

Average department manager salary

$67,160

$32.29 hourly rate

Entry-level department manager salary
$39,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Average Department Manager Salary

The average salary for a Department Manager is reported to be $67,160 per year, or about $32 per hour. This figure can fluctuate significantly depending on various factors such as geographical location, industry sector, and the individual's level of experience. Typically, department managers in retail or manufacturing sectors tend to earn higher salaries due to the responsibilities involved.

Salary by Experience Level

Entry-level department managers often start with lower compensation, typically around $50,000 per year, while those with extensive experience can earn upwards of $90,000 annually. This progression illustrates the importance of gaining relevant experience and skills in advancing one's career.

Geographic Influence on Salary

Department managers in states like California and New York often see higher salaries compared to those in less populated areas. The demand for skilled managers in urban centers drives competitive compensation packages.

Career Opportunities

As organizations expand, the need for effective department managers continues to grow, offering ample job opportunities. Aspiring department managers should explore roles in diverse sectors, including retail, healthcare, and logistics, to find the best fit for their skills.

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Where can a Department Manager earn more?

Compare salary by location
Vs
103k
83k
63k
43k
23k
Columbus, OH$86,890
Colorado Springs, CO$52,745
Compare salary by company
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162k
142k
122k
102k
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Ralph Lauren$150,371
PepsiCo$111,824

Department manager salaries by experience level

Department manager salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Indeed, Glassdoor, Ziprecruiter and Comparably, the average salary for a department manager typically falls between $38,672 and $74,989.
zippia
$67,160yearly
glassdoor[1]
$62,931yearly
indeed[2]
$38,672yearly
comparably[3]
$74,989yearly
Salary.com[4]
$49,589yearly
ZipRecruiter[5]
$48,001yearly

Average department manager salary by state

The highest-paying states for department managers are New Jersey, New York, and California. The lowest average department manager salary states are Kentucky, West Virginia, and Mississippi.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for department managers

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1New Jersey$95,153$45.75
2New York$85,519$41.11
3Virginia$79,162$38.06
4Maryland$76,081$36.58
5Texas$69,020$33.18
6Wisconsin$73,016$35.10
7Pennsylvania$65,201$31.35
8California$79,584$38.26
9Michigan$69,648$33.48
10Ohio$70,387$33.84
11Connecticut$66,108$31.78
12Delaware$70,963$34.12
13Minnesota$70,998$34.13
14New Hampshire$58,948$28.34
15Nevada$60,930$29.29
16District of Columbia$87,617$42.12
17Florida$58,806$28.27
18Georgia$62,485$30.04
19Rhode Island$66,970$32.20
20Hawaii$71,563$34.41
21Iowa$55,290$26.58
22Montana$53,579$25.76
23Tennessee$52,645$25.31
24Oregon$60,996$29.32
25Louisiana$52,521$25.25
26Washington$58,844$28.29
27Indiana$54,590$26.25
28North Carolina$54,392$26.15
29Arizona$53,687$25.81
30Massachusetts$58,990$28.36
31South Dakota$55,880$26.87
32Illinois$52,902$25.43
33Idaho$54,661$26.28
34Colorado$52,324$25.16
35Nebraska$53,723$25.83
36Kansas$53,161$25.56
37South Carolina$46,810$22.50
38North Dakota$51,452$24.74
39Missouri$48,170$23.16
40Kentucky$46,131$22.18
41Alabama$48,369$23.25
42Arkansas$48,894$23.51
43Maine$45,439$21.85
44New Mexico$50,437$24.25
45West Virginia$46,024$22.13
46Oklahoma$47,061$22.63
47Vermont$49,686$23.89
48Utah$45,410$21.83
49Alaska$50,318$24.19
50Wyoming$43,881$21.10
51Mississippi$45,480$21.87

Highest paying cities for department managers

The highest-paying cities for department managers are New York, NY, Richmond, CA, and Arlington, VA.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1New York, NY$86,890$41.77
2Richmond, CA$85,476$41.09
3Arlington, VA$80,283$38.60
4Baltimore, MD$76,413$36.74
5Madison, WI$72,726$34.96
6San Antonio, TX$71,708$34.48
7Cleveland, OH$71,695$34.47
8Detroit, MI$70,232$33.77
9Philadelphia, PA$66,240$31.85
10Atlanta, GA$62,077$29.84
11Miami, FL$61,010$29.33
12Las Vegas, NV$60,547$29.11
13Portland, OR$60,071$28.88
14Boston, MA$58,519$28.13
15Greenville, NC$58,436$28.09
16Fort Wayne, IN$56,211$27.02
17Omaha, NE$54,441$26.17
18Phoenix, AZ$53,684$25.81
19Chicago, IL$53,198$25.58
20Colorado Springs, CO$52,745$25.36

Department Managers are the most in-demand in these five cities:

  1. New York, NY
  2. Richmond, CA
  3. Arlington, VA
  4. Baltimore, MD
  5. Madison, WI

Department manager salary details

A department manager's salary ranges from $39,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $115,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average department manager salary graph
Average department manager salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a department manager's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$115,000$9,583$55
75th Percentile$89,000$7,417$43
Average$67,160$5,597$32
25th Percentile$50,000$4,167$24
10th Percentile$39,000$3,250$19

Highest paying department manager jobs

The highest paying types of department managers are stock manager, lead manager, and associate manager.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Manager On Duty$37,423$3,119$17.99318,375
Store Manager And Buyer$68,964$5,747$33.16154,677
Co-Manager$64,962$5,413$31.23258,234
Produce Manager$37,310$3,109$17.94157,993
Manager$58,651$4,888$28.201,236,194
Co-Manager/Store Manager$41,516$3,460$19.96359,826

Top companies hiring department managers now:

  1. Walmart jobs (25,693)
  2. Nordstrom jobs (1,975)
  3. Hobby Lobby jobs (631)
  4. Target jobs (553)
  5. Sears Holdings jobs (606)

Which companies pay department managers the most?

Department manager salaries at Ralph Lauren and Pace University are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average department manager salary at companies like Barry-Wehmiller and Goldman Sachs are highly competitive.

RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rate
1Ralph Lauren$150,371$72.29
2Pace University$141,124$67.85
3Barry-Wehmiller$137,340$66.03
4Goldman Sachs$133,578$64.22
5University of Maryland Medical System$131,933$63.43
6Baystate Health$129,221$62.13
7Intel$127,740$61.41
8Mattel$125,658$60.41
9M&T Bank$122,476$58.88
10Abercrombie & Fitch Co$121,074$58.21
11Plastic Omnium Auto Exteriors$119,378$57.39
12Technip USA Corporation$118,036$56.75
13QuintilesIMS$117,989$56.73
14Magna International$117,287$56.39
15Qualcomm$117,020$56.26
16Intertek$116,736$56.12
17D.A. Davidson Companies$116,501$56.01
18MITRE$114,700$55.14
19CVS Health$112,974$54.31
20PepsiCo$111,824$53.76

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$79,000$77,000$75,000$73,000$71,000$69,000
MaleFemale

Department manager salary trends

The average department manager salary has risen by $8,237 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average department manager earned $58,923 annually, but today, they earn $67,160 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for department managers over the last decade.

Compare department manager salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average department manager salary over time

Compare department manager salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Department manager salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2025$67,200$32.29+3.0%
2024$65,200$31.33+1.8%
2023$64,000$30.77+2.7%
2022$62,300$29.94-1.3%
2021$63,100$30.32+1.9%

Recently added department manager salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
Franklin TempletonManager, Fee DepartmentSaint Petersburg, FL06/30/2025$110,000
Michael BakerWater/Wastewater Department Manager Orange County or LA CA (Hybrid)Santa Ana, CA06/29/2025$185,000
PerspectaGrowth Department Manager-Navy Mission SupportReston, VA06/29/2025$146,000
Winco FoodsBulk Foods Department ManagerMidwest City, OK06/29/2025$48,961
H&MDepartment ManagerNorth Charleston, SC06/29/2025$39,695
Good Foods Co-Op Inc.Prepared Foods Department ManagerLexington, KY06/29/2025$39,500
BncollegeNew York-Department Manager-CafeDelhi, NY06/29/2025$39,653
Barnes & Noble EducationNew York-Department Manager-CafeDelhi, NY06/28/2025$39,653
Floor & DecorTile Department ManagerDanbury, CT06/28/2025$41,010
Sportsman's Warehouse259-ELK Grove-Department MGR-WageElk Grove, CA06/28/2025$37,566

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