Service department manager vs department lead

The differences between service department managers and department leads can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a service department manager and a department lead. Additionally, a department lead has an average salary of $42,113, which is higher than the $41,773 average annual salary of a service department manager.

The top three skills for a service department manager include food safety, food quality and direct reports. The most important skills for a department lead are cleanliness, safety procedures, and customer service.

Service department manager vs department lead overview

	Service Department Manager	Department Lead
Yearly salary	$41,773	$42,113
Hourly rate	$20.08	$20.25
Growth rate	6%	-
Number of jobs	114,922	204,534
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Average age	47	43
Years of experience	6	6

What does a service department manager do?

A service department manager is responsible for leading the service department operations by assisting the staff in customer interaction, providing the highest customer service, and negotiating contracts and partnerships with clients. Service department managers coordinate with the sales and marketing team for brand promotions and advising the staff in selling new products to potential customers. They also handle and resolve high-level complaints, process replacements, and issue refunds as needed. A service department manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills, especially in encouraging and supporting the team members to meet the department's goals and objectives.

What does a department lead do?

A department lead's responsibilities will vary in an organization or company. It will, most of the time, revolve around overseeing the progress of work in a particular area and evaluating department staff's performance. Other responsibilities include setting goals and implementing the company's policies and guidelines. They may also carry out administrative tasks such as approving and signing paperwork, producing reports and presentations, and crafting guidelines and strategies to help reach goals. Furthermore, as a department head, it is important to encourage staff and shape them into valuable company members.

Service department manager vs department lead salary

Service department managers and department leads have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Service Department Manager	Department Lead
Average salary	$41,773	$42,113
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $60,000	Between $22,000 And $79,000
Highest paying City	Vancouver, WA	New Haven, CT
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Rhode Island
Best paying company	HNTB	Tufts Medical Center
Best paying industry	Government	Manufacturing

Differences between service department manager and department lead education

There are a few differences between a service department manager and a department lead in terms of educational background:

	Service Department Manager	Department Lead
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	California State University - Bakersfield	SUNY College of Technology at Delhi

Service department manager vs department lead demographics

Here are the differences between service department managers' and department leads' demographics:

	Service Department Manager	Department Lead
Average age	47	43
Gender ratio	Male, 64.3% Female, 35.7%	Male, 54.7% Female, 45.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 5.7% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 6.9% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	8%	9%

Differences between service department manager and department lead duties and responsibilities

Service department manager example responsibilities.

Manage service plumbers & HVAC technicians in daily operations, interview & hire new employees.
Manage parts and service department operations while consistently meeting or exceeding industry standards for profitability and CSI.
Process inventory through store computer system, POS register system and completion of all require paperwork.
Enter schedule edits into KRONOS.
Operate POS system and perform cashier duties.
Enter schedule edits for entire store into KRONOS time clock system.

Department lead example responsibilities.

Implement inventory management system to effectively manage on-hands, assist with correct replenishment and maintain an acceptable level of over-stock.
Operate POS system, and receive payment by cash, check, credit cards, vouchers, or automatic debit.
Oversee the completion of all POS transactions, maintain cash office records and assistant in training of all new cashiers.
Conduct geotechnical and geological investigations and mineral resource evaluations for commercial, industrial and governmental clients using the above-mentioned drilling techniques.
Develop unique SQL, cloudbase, and ADHOC telephony query techniques resulting in the identification of previously undiscovered nefarious networks.

Service department manager vs department lead skills

Common service department manager skills

Food Safety, 49%
Food Quality, 43%
Direct Reports, 1%
Customer Satisfaction, 1%
Payroll, 1%
Warranty Claims, 1%

Common department lead skills

Cleanliness, 12%
Safety Procedures, 11%
Customer Service, 10%
Store Management, 8%
Inventory Management, 7%
Sales Floor, 6%

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Service Department Manager
Service Department Manager vs Department Lead

Updated January 8, 2025

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