Softlines supervisor vs department supervisor

The differences between softlines supervisors and department supervisors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a softlines supervisor and a department supervisor. Additionally, a department supervisor has an average salary of $47,300, which is higher than the $46,630 average annual salary of a softlines supervisor.

The top three skills for a softlines supervisor include retail environment, apparel and plan-o-grams. The most important skills for a department supervisor are store management, product knowledge, and plumbing.

Softlines supervisor vs department supervisor overview

	Softlines Supervisor	Department Supervisor
Yearly salary	$46,630	$47,300
Hourly rate	$22.42	$22.74
Growth rate	-	6%
Number of jobs	54,240	216,893
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 33%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	6	6

Softlines supervisor vs department supervisor salary

Softlines supervisors and department supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Softlines Supervisor	Department Supervisor
Average salary	$46,630	$47,300
Salary range	Between $38,000 And $57,000	Between $33,000 And $66,000
Highest paying City	-	Lakewood, NJ
Highest paying state	-	New Jersey
Best paying company	-	Club
Best paying industry	-	Finance

Differences between softlines supervisor and department supervisor education

There are a few differences between a softlines supervisor and a department supervisor in terms of educational background:

	Softlines Supervisor	Department Supervisor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 33%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Georgia	SUNY College of Technology at Delhi

Softlines supervisor vs department supervisor demographics

Here are the differences between softlines supervisors' and department supervisors' demographics:

	Softlines Supervisor	Department Supervisor
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 8.8% Female, 91.2%	Male, 57.9% Female, 42.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.9% Asian, 6.3% White, 62.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 6.8% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between softlines supervisor and department supervisor duties and responsibilities

Softlines supervisor example responsibilities.

Implement inventory management system to effectively manage on-hands, assist with correct replenishment and maintain an acceptable level of over-stock.
Train associates in apparel and other departments.
Fashion merchandising to create attractive visual displays for easy add on sales within women's and men's apparel.
Assist with and preform numerous responsibilities, including administrative, policy and procedures, personnel issues, payroll preparation and submission.
Drive the achievement of financial goals by managing customer inventory flow process and SWAS planning.

Department supervisor example responsibilities.

Achieve a high degree of customer relations, in-stock, and store appearance.
Manage geotechnical aspects of an EIR/EIS for a coastal development in an environmentally sensitive lagoon.
Maintain an ISO certify department.
Home depot sales associate , 2/2012 to7/1012
Obtain good working knowledge of EDI.
Assist customers, complete callbacks and diamond counts

Softlines supervisor vs department supervisor skills

Common softlines supervisor skills

Retail Environment, 25%
Apparel, 24%
Plan-O-Grams, 20%
Customer Service, 12%
Business Results, 7%
Sales Volume, 5%

Common department supervisor skills

Store Management, 21%
Product Knowledge, 19%
Plumbing, 18%
Math, 8%
Customer Satisfaction, 6%
Store Sales, 6%

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Softlines Supervisor
Softlines Supervisor vs Department Supervisor

Updated January 8, 2025

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