Post job

What is a store director and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Jaunelle Celaire

The store director is responsible for overseeing all the activities of a store, which could be in retail, food service, and other industries. Since this job applies to many kinds of settings, the duties of a store director also vary.

In general, the work responsibilities of a store director revolve around setting goals, developing strategies to optimize business processes, negotiating with vendors or suppliers, supervising employees, training new hires, and monitoring sales. In addition, they are also responsible for generating progress reports, communicating company news to all employees, and helping improve the performance of staff members.

The typical requirement for this role is a bachelor's degree in business, management, or any other relevant field. An aspiring store director will also need to have prior working experience, ideally more than two or three years in a similar line of business. More than that, they must have exemplary skills in leadership, organization, and time management to excel in this role.

Store directors earn $44,000 a year, on average. Their salary depends on a variety of factors, including their employer, industry, and level of experience.

What general advice would you give to a store director?

Jaunelle Celaire

Chair, Professor of Voice, University of Alaska Fairbanks

Leadership - the world needs more of these; the ability to lead, craft and grow. Digital literacy - this world is definitely turning digital and virtual is the new trend. Emotional intelligence - there is a vast number of personalities in our world today; individuals grow and it is our job to stay emotionally connected, so we can operate more effectively.
ScoreStore DirectorUS Average
Salary
4.4

Avg. Salary $56,596

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
9.6

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.47%

Asian 6.35%

Black or African American 6.16%

Hispanic or Latino 15.13%

Unknown 4.33%

White 67.55%

Gender

female 28.10%

male 71.90%

Age - 44
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44
Stress level
9.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
9.2

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
3.6

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Store director career paths

Key steps to become a store director

  1. Explore store director education requirements

    Most common store director degrees

    Bachelor's

    62.9 %

    Associate

    18.0 %

    High School Diploma

    9.8 %
  2. Start to develop specific store director skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Payroll12.20%
    Store Sales8.65%
    Food Safety6.58%
    Customer Service4.29%
    Sales Growth3.88%
  3. Complete relevant store director training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New store directors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a store director based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real store director resumes.
  4. Gain additional store director certifications

    Store director certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific store director certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

    The most common certifications for store directors include Food Safety Manager Certification and Certified Manager Certification (CM).

    More About Certifications
  5. Research store director duties and responsibilities

    • Maintain, control, and achieve all KPI set weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly.
    • Develop and implement strategic merchandising plans to achieve revenue objectives and reduce expenditures while ensuring payroll remains within budget goals.
    • Ensure safety and cleanliness of work / customer environment, arranging necessary repairs and upkeep of internal and external property.
    • Maintain excellent store conditions through dynamic product presentation, organization and store cleanliness.
  6. Get store director experience

    Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become a store director. The most common roles before becoming a store director include store manager, general manager team lead and assistant manager.
  7. Prepare your store director resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your store director resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a store director resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable store director resume templates

    Build a professional store director resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your store director resume.
    Store Director Resume
    Store Director Resume
    Store Director Resume
    Store Director Resume
    Store Director Resume
    Store Director Resume
    Store Director Resume
    Store Director Resume
    Store Director Resume
    Store Director Resume
    Store Director Resume
    Store Director Resume
    Store Director Resume
    Store Director Resume
    Store Director Resume
    Store Director Resume
  8. Apply for store director jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a store director job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first store director job

Zippi

Are you a store director?

Share your story for a free salary report.

Average store director salary

The average store director salary in the United States is $56,596 per year or $27 per hour. Store director salaries range between $42,000 and $75,000 per year.

Average store director salary
$56,596 Yearly
$27.21 hourly

What am I worth?

salary-calculator

How do store directors rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Store director reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2022
Cons

Only one day off no time for family


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020
Pros

The people that you meet! Interactive with a diverse group of individuals from every walk of life.

Cons

The employees with all no calls and no shows!!!!! Poor upper management not taking up for the staff. Also the rude individual’s that comes in gripping about everything


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2020
Cons

i don't want to have all responsibility

Pros

i like being in charge and the head of the team


Working as a store director? Share your experience anonymously.
Overall rating*
Career growth
Work/Life balance
Pay/Salary

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Browse executive management jobs