An important job for store managers is to attract customers into their stores through new strategies. They also have sales goals that they must meet each month and can achieve those goals through training, motivating, mentoring, and giving feedback to their staff.
A store manager's goal is to make sure every customer is satisfied with the customer service they received. The saying, "every customer is right," is definitely not a factual statement, but it's a store manager's motto.
All of these responsibilities lead up to something greater. That's right, 45-50 hour work weeks. Someone has to stay late and make sure the store is perfectly ready for the next day. Typically, this won't be a high stress job, unless it's the holidays or a tax-free weekend. Did someone say Black Friday shopping? Good luck!
What is a Store Manager?
What Does a Store Manager Do
There are certain skills that many store managers have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed communication skills, leadership skills and management skills.
How To Become a Store Manager
If you're interested in becoming a store manager, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 47.9% of store managers have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 3.6% of store managers have master's degrees. Even though most store managers have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Store Manager Career Paths
In addition to switching up your job search, it might prove helpful to look at a career path for your specific job. Now, what's a career path you ask? Well, it's practically a map that shows how you might advance from one job title to another. Our career paths are especially detailed with salary changes. So, for example, if you started out with the role of district sales manager you might progress to a role such as sales manager eventually. Later on in your career, you could end up with the title general sales manager.
Average Salary for a Store Manager
What Am I Worth?
States With The Most Store Manager Jobs
Mouse over a state to see the number of active store manager jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where store managers earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
Number Of Store Manager Jobs By State
Top Colleges for Store Managers
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
5. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
6. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
7. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
8. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
9. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
10. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
Top Skills For a Store Manager
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 8.1% of store managers listed store management on their resume, but soft skills such as communication skills and leadership skills are important as well.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Store Manager Resume templates
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Store Manager templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Store Manager resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Store Manager Demographics
Store Manager Gender Distribution
After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
- Among store managers, 48.8% of them are women, while 51.2% are men.
- The most common race/ethnicity among store managers is White, which makes up 71.4% of all store managers.
- The most common foreign language among store managers is Spanish at 62.5%.
Work Experience Programs For Store Managers
Virtual work experience programs replicate work at top companies and help you gain the skills to be successful when applying and working there. In only a few hours, learn the relevant tools necessary to complete a typical work day at that company. Virtual work experience programs are 100% free, open-access, and self-paced. No experience or application is required!
Company: Accenture UK
Cost: Free
Duration: 5-6 hours
Company: Accenture North America
Cost: Free
Duration: 4 hours
Company: Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine
Cost: Free
Duration: 5-6 hours
Company: JPMorgan Chase
Cost: Free
Duration: 4-5 hours
Online Courses For Store Manager That You May Like
Make the Sale: Build, Launch, and Manage E-commerce Stores is the sixth of seven courses in the Google Digital Marketing & E-commerce Certificate. This course explores how businesses and individuals sell products online, including using popular platforms like Shopify. You’ll go through the process of creating a mock e-commerce store. To do this, you’ll build a Shopify store, add the necessary information, and create product listings. You’ll explore how to reach customers online through...
Operational Risks Management ORM Case Studies for Risk Management, Compliance, Audit, IS Security, Banking Professionals...
Inventory, StockControl, Inventory Control, Microsoft Excel inventory, Stock Calculation, Inventory Valuation, LIFO, FIFO, WACC...
Best States For a Store Manager
Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a store manager. The best states for people in this position are Delaware, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Store managers make the most in Delaware with an average salary of $62,363. Whereas in New York and New Jersey, they would average $59,890 and $58,529, respectively. While store managers would only make an average of $55,514 in Connecticut, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.
1. Alabama
$50,721
Avg. Salary
2. Delaware
$62,363
Avg. Salary
3. Texas
$50,204
Avg. Salary
How Do Store Manager Rate Their Jobs?
5.0
5.0
enterpuner
• March 2020What do you like the most about working as Store Manager?
i like being in charge and the head of the team Show MoreWhat do you NOT like?
i don't want to have all responsibility Show More5.0
5.0
Store manager • January 2020What do you like the most about working as Store Manager?
Communication & hard work Show MoreWhat do you NOT like?
We have to work like a ten all of them have to bee like good friend Show More5.0
5.0
Store manager • May 2019What do you like the most about working as Store Manager?
I would like to work because I have experience about it. Show MoreWhat do you NOT like?
I dislike the people who don't want clean store. Show MoreTop Store Manager Employers
Most Common Employers For Store Manager
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CVS Health | $47,809 | $22.99 | 4,101 |
| 2 | Abercrombie & Fitch Co | $46,306 | $22.26 | 1,816 |
| 3 | AT&T | $45,542 | $21.90 | 2,140 |
| 4 | Rite Aid | $44,823 | $21.55 | 2,465 |
| 5 | T-Mobile | $44,305 | $21.30 | 4,080 |
| 6 | Walmart | $43,434 | $20.88 | 2,330 |
| 7 | Bath & Body Works | $43,149 | $20.74 | 1,445 |
| 8 | Family Dollar | $42,009 | $20.20 | 6,187 |
| 9 | Sears Holdings | $40,878 | $19.65 | 1,856 |
| 10 | Dollar General | $40,437 | $19.44 | 8,809 |
Store Manager Videos
Becoming a Store Manager FAQs
How Long Does It Take To Become A Store Manager?
It takes between four and six years on average to become a store manager. A person does not need to have a bachelor's degree to become a store manager. However, some higher-end stores might require one.
Is A Store Manager A Good Career?
Yes, being a store manager is a good career. For people who excel in fast-paced environments with a lot of moving parts, this is a very satisfying career option.
Individuals who are results-oriented and have good communication skills will especially find becoming a store manager a good career. This is because this position is the go-to person who helps lower-level employees be successful and resolves complex customer issues.
What Are Careers In Retail Management?
Store director, district manager, and buyer are all careers in retail management. Although they all do include retail management, there are different focuses and skills that will appeal to different people and personalities.
Store Director
A store director is in charge of overseeing all business operations for a single store. Their role often revolves around setting goals and making strategies to achieve these goals. They spend most of their workdays in the same location, which means they are able to develop strong professional relationships with other employees around them.
District Manager
District managers will oversee all business operations for a number of stores within a particular region. This job often revolves around working with store directors, who will then work with their teams to achieve certain goals or markers. There is often consistent travel involved with being a district manager.
Buyer
Buyers are responsible for purchasing goods for a company to use and sell at their own company. This position often requires you to work with suppliers directly to make sales. You will often need to speak with district managers to understand the needs of individual stores and regions.
What Qualifications Do You Need To Be A Store Manager?
The primary qualifications to become a store manager are having diverse experience in retail environments and demonstrated leadership skills. Some companies may require a bachelor's degree in business administration or management, but most prefer hands-on experience.