Section chief vs section manager

The differences between section chiefs and section managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a section chief, becoming a section manager takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a section manager has an average salary of $95,857, which is higher than the $78,816 average annual salary of a section chief.

The top three skills for a section chief include safety procedures, training programs and professional development. The most important skills for a section manager are career development, project management, and DOD.

Section chief vs section manager overview

	Section Chief	Section Manager
Yearly salary	$78,816	$95,857
Hourly rate	$37.89	$46.09
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	13,655	293,821
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age	49	44
Years of experience	4	6

What does a section chief do?

A section chief's job varies with the type of organization. In most cases, a section chief is the head of a given section in an organization that is tasked with performing certain duties. A section chief is the head of a unit and provides leadership, motivation, and management of a section of employees. Their duties and responsibilities include reviewing and overseeing budgets, expenditure, and section activities.

What does a section manager do?

A section manager is responsible for supervising the overall production processes and operations of an organization. Section managers ensure that their designated sections run accurately and efficiently while following the highest standard protocols and internal regulations. They also identify opportunities to maximize the staff's productivity and perform quality control procedures that would enhance the current processes and fix any inconsistencies. A section manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills to assist the staff and the business in achieving customer satisfaction.

Section chief vs section manager salary

Section chiefs and section managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Section Chief	Section Manager
Average salary	$78,816	$95,857
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $163,000	Between $63,000 And $145,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Santa Rosa, CA
Highest paying state	New York	Rhode Island
Best paying company	Learjet	NVIDIA
Best paying industry	Government	Technology

Differences between section chief and section manager education

There are a few differences between a section chief and a section manager in terms of educational background:

	Section Chief	Section Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred	University of Pennsylvania

Section chief vs section manager demographics

Here are the differences between section chiefs' and section managers' demographics:

	Section Chief	Section Manager
Average age	49	44
Gender ratio	Male, 88.4% Female, 11.6%	Male, 74.1% Female, 25.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 2.1% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%	Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	4%	10%

Differences between section chief and section manager duties and responsibilities

Section chief example responsibilities.

Manage sortie production on 17 USAF E-8C aircraft worth $6.2 billion.
Manage HAZMAT accumulation storage points and documentation.
Manage training time effectively ensuring employees have every opportunity to learn necessary skills to succeed in a combat environment.
Assist in planning, implementing and administering educational training that enhance performance in combat operations for soldiers to accomplish every mission.
Provide leadership and knowledge of federal shipping and logistics regulations by managing adherence to all policies and procedures from higher headquarters.
Complete HAZMAT transport course and establish on-site certifying capability.

Section manager example responsibilities.

Implement ISO quality procedures and lead internal audits
Coordinate and manage the security operations of combat convoys moving and transporting equipment to different locations across hostile areas.
Manage payroll distribution process ensuring timeliness, accuracy, and confidentiality to protect client's privacy and prevent liability of exposure.
Perform contract negotiations, vendor selection, product introduction, ISO quality adherence, cost reductions, and inventory balancing.
Perform ongoing research and analysis of internal business requirements and project logistics.
Plan and request signal logistics support for battalion level operations and maintenance.

Section chief vs section manager skills

Common section chief skills

Safety Procedures, 22%
Training Programs, 9%
Professional Development, 7%
Logistical Support, 6%
Combat, 6%
Corrective Action, 5%

Common section manager skills

Career Development, 9%
Project Management, 9%
DOD, 6%
Performance Reviews, 6%
Continuous Improvement, 5%
RF, 4%

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Section Chief
Section Chief vs Section Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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