Senior category manager vs brand manager

The differences between senior category managers and brand managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 8-10 years to become both a senior category manager and a brand manager. Additionally, a senior category manager has an average salary of $116,590, which is higher than the $97,789 average annual salary of a brand manager.

The top three skills for a senior category manager include category strategy, project management and strategic sourcing. The most important skills for a brand manager are brand management, digital marketing, and customer service.

Senior category manager vs brand manager overview

	Senior Category Manager	Brand Manager
Yearly salary	$116,590	$97,789
Hourly rate	$56.05	$47.01
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	66,599	127,429
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 74%	Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	10	10

What does a senior category manager do?

In a retail setting, a senior category manager is in charge of devising strategies to market different product categories. Their responsibilities revolve around coordinating with other departments to gather necessary data, performing market research and analysis to find new business opportunities, identifying the needs of consumers, and keeping abreast of the latest trends. Furthermore, as a senior category manager, it is essential to lead and serve as a mentor to junior category managers, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

What does a brand manager do?

A brand manager is an individual responsible for adapting a brand strategy that targets the potential market for a company's product while maintaining its integrity. Brand managers assist in developing products while managing budgets for the advertising and promotion of their new products. They usually work under the supervision of marketing managers or chief marketing officers (CMOs) to implement and execute their marketing initiatives. Brand managers also provide an analysis of sales forecasts and create reports on product sales.

Senior category manager vs brand manager salary

Senior category managers and brand managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Senior Category Manager	Brand Manager
Average salary	$116,590	$97,789
Salary range	Between $83,000 And $162,000	Between $72,000 And $131,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	Rhode Island
Best paying company	Devon Energy	Meta
Best paying industry	Technology	Manufacturing

Differences between senior category manager and brand manager education

There are a few differences between a senior category manager and a brand manager in terms of educational background:

	Senior Category Manager	Brand Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 74%	Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Georgia	University of Georgia

Senior category manager vs brand manager demographics

Here are the differences between senior category managers' and brand managers' demographics:

	Senior Category Manager	Brand Manager
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 69.6% Female, 30.4%	Male, 51.5% Female, 48.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between senior category manager and brand manager duties and responsibilities

Senior category manager example responsibilities.

Manage relationships, budgets and invoicing for multiple vendors, including the SEM & DR agency and strategic partners.
Lead a marketing team responsible for strategic planning and implementation of B2B and B2C marketing initiatives to achieve business goals.
Project manage large work streams incorporating data and technology to support all business analytics used across the organization.
Coordinate with SOX compliance team and internal & external auditors.
Review SOX documentation, including VISIO process flow diagrams to ensure accuracy.
Execute RFP process, price negotiation, business award, capacity and supply assurance.

Brand manager example responsibilities.

Direct and coordinate photo shoots; conduct live training sessions; manage marketing asset library; CRM strategy.
Manage paid search campaigns including keyword generation, ad copy testing, landing page optimization, PPC and SEM.
Manage global product development teams with cross-functional oversight for manufacturing, sourcing, finance, design and supply chain management.
Manage POS merchandising and distribution of promotional items.
Develop and manage new health brand strategy including creation of healthcare professional/dietitian program.
Obtain certification through a cheese and wine class.

Senior category manager vs brand manager skills

Common senior category manager skills

Category Strategy, 14%
Project Management, 9%
Strategic Sourcing, 8%
Continuous Improvement, 6%
Internal Stakeholders, 4%
Supplier Management, 4%

Common brand manager skills

Brand Management, 8%
Digital Marketing, 7%
Customer Service, 5%
Project Management, 5%
Brand Marketing, 5%
Product Development, 4%

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Senior Category Manager
Senior Category Manager vs Brand Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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