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The differences between shop managers and shop leads can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a shop manager, becoming a shop lead takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a shop lead has an average salary of $48,007, which is higher than the $36,580 average annual salary of a shop manager.
The top three skills for a shop manager include customer service, taking care and work ethic. The most important skills for a shop lead are customer service, safety procedures, and math.
| Shop Manager | Shop Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $36,580 | $48,007 |
| Hourly rate | $17.59 | $23.08 |
| Growth rate | - | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 83,627 | 16,766 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | High School Diploma, 33% |
| Average age | 43 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
As the name entails, shop managers manage an establishment's day-to-day operations, ensuring it runs effectively and smoothly. Their responsibilities include making business strategies, developing promotional materials, and ensuring that sales teams are motivated. As the shop manager, you will also oversee the store's organizational and operational standards, undertake administrative tasks, and monitor inventory levels. The requirements to become a store manager include having a high school diploma, at least three years of work experience in the retail industry, and leadership skills.
A shop lead is responsible for overseeing their crew. They ensure the safety of their crew by giving regular training. They also ensure the quality and quantity of the work put out by the shop. They manage the daily work of their shop, assist machinists, report to shop managers, and handle customer service.
Shop managers and shop leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Shop Manager | Shop Lead | |
| Average salary | $36,580 | $48,007 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $52,000 | Between $28,000 And $81,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Chicago, IL |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Rivian | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Retail | - |
There are a few differences between a shop manager and a shop lead in terms of educational background:
| Shop Manager | Shop Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | High School Diploma, 33% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | SUNY College of Technology at Delhi | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between shop managers' and shop leads' demographics:
| Shop Manager | Shop Lead | |
| Average age | 43 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 78.2% Female, 21.8% | Male, 87.3% Female, 12.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 6.9% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 5.1% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 6% |