Stores supervisor vs department manager

The differences between stores supervisors and department managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a stores supervisor and a department manager. Additionally, a department manager has an average salary of $67,160, which is higher than the $34,046 average annual salary of a stores supervisor.

The top three skills for a stores supervisor include sales floor, ladders and store management. The most important skills for a department manager are inventory management, sales promotions, and cleanliness.

Stores supervisor vs department manager overview

	Stores Supervisor	Department Manager
Yearly salary	$34,046	$67,160
Hourly rate	$16.37	$32.29
Growth rate	-	5%
Number of jobs	286,651	330,327
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 47%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	6	6

What does a stores supervisor do?

Store or retail supervisors are management professionals who are responsible for managing a team of staff members to ensure the smooth operation of a retail store. These supervisors are required to arrive early at the store so that they can open the store and disable the alarm system as well as prepare the cash registers. They must maintain inventory level and order new products when necessary while keeping records of every product available in their backroom. Store supervisors must also act as a customer service agent to help customers enjoy their experience in the store.

What does a department manager do?

Department managers oversee the operations of the department they are assigned to. They manage all aspects of the operation, including finance, sales, quality control, and human resources. They set department goals and the steps the team needs to take to ensure that the goals are met. Department managers are also in charge of training team members so that these team members will be able to work together harmoniously. They should also be able to keep the team's goal in sight and adjust their strategy as needed.

Stores supervisor vs department manager salary

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

	Stores Supervisor	Department Manager
Average salary	$34,046	$67,160
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $43,000	Between $39,000 And $115,000
Highest paying City	Providence, RI	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	New Jersey
Best paying company	Nestlé	Ralph Lauren
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Manufacturing

Differences between stores supervisor and department manager education

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

	Stores Supervisor	Department Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 47%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	SUNY College of Technology at Delhi	SUNY College of Technology at Delhi

Stores supervisor vs department manager demographics

Here are the differences between stores supervisors' and department managers' demographics:

	Stores Supervisor	Department Manager
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 48.2% Female, 51.8%	Male, 51.8% Female, 48.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 7.0% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 7.0% White, 61.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between stores supervisor and department manager duties and responsibilities

Stores supervisor example responsibilities.

Manage the daily task of a retail pet store, delivering great customer services and increase net sales.
Assist in maintaining department staffing levels to ensure scheduling and service requirements are achieved while maintaining payroll objectives.
Assist store leadership in effectively leading, managing and developing store and/or department operations and associates to maximize sales and profitability.
Handle customer transactions on POS along with getting change for all register and cash room.
Maintain store cleanliness and ensure compliance with safety regulations.
Exercise cleanliness and raise awareness of cleanliness and encourage safety generate work areas.

Department manager example responsibilities.

Participate in company's ISO certification program, successfully achieving ISO [] and AS9100 certification.
Manage and delegate over lumber-building materials department including millwork department.
Manage electronics, wireless connection center, layaway and online order/pickup departments.
Develop schedules; manage payroll; multitask extensively to ensure competing requirements are complete.
Monitor and maximize sales and payroll by identifying sales opportunities and managing controllable expenses.
Manage geotechnical aspects of an EIR/EIS for a coastal development in an environmentally sensitive lagoon.

Stores supervisor vs department manager skills

Common stores supervisor skills

Sales Floor, 10%
Ladders, 8%
Store Management, 7%
Cash Handling, 7%
Store Operations, 5%
Customer Service, 5%

Common department manager skills

Inventory Management, 38%
Sales Promotions, 17%
Cleanliness, 13%
Customer Service, 8%
Sales Floor, 3%
Product Knowledge, 2%

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Stores Supervisor
Stores Supervisor vs Department Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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