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What is a team leader/assistant manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

Every team needs a leader. A team needs direction, after all. Providing direction is usually the role of the team leader/assistant manager. In fact, their guidance is so important that team leaders/assistant managers are in demand across many industries, from retail to hospitality, wherever people have to work together.

The team leader/assistant manager tackles two jobs in one. They work toward a specific project and motivate their team as the team leader does. However, they also take care of administrative and disciplinary actions, such as hiring and punishing employees, like the assistant manager does. Working as a team leader/assistant manager requires all kinds of flexible leadership skills.

The best team leaders/assistant managers lead by example because they know what it's like to do the jobs they're asking the rest of their employees to do. Most team leaders/assistant managers have previous experience working as sales associates or customer service representatives that prepared them for their current position.

ScoreTeam Leader/Assistant ManagerUS Average
Salary
2.7

Avg. Salary $35,067

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
9.4

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
8.4
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.65%

Asian 6.91%

Black or African American 8.39%

Hispanic or Latino 17.72%

Unknown 4.64%

White 61.69%

Gender

female 48.96%

male 51.04%

Age - 42
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 - 42
Stress level
9.4

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
5.2

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance
4.6

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Team leader/assistant manager career paths

Key steps to become a team leader/assistant manager

  1. Explore team leader/assistant manager education requirements

    Most common team leader/assistant manager degrees

    Bachelor's

    45.5 %

    Associate

    20.5 %

    High School Diploma

    19.5 %
  2. Start to develop specific team leader/assistant manager skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Guest Service27.61%
    Customer Service9.34%
    Cleanliness9.30%
    Sales Floor9.27%
    Payroll8.03%
  3. Complete relevant team leader/assistant manager training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New team leader/assistant managers 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 team leader/assistant manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real team leader/assistant manager resumes.
  4. Research team leader/assistant manager duties and responsibilities

    • Promote from associate to manage several departments including jewelry, housewares, automotive and electronics.
    • Follow all procedures relate to cash, cleanliness, food safety, and restaurant safety and security.
    • Maintain stockroom cleanliness to insure all slip and fall hazards are eliminate.
    • Design, install and troubleshot PC hardware, Novell peer-to-peer networks, printers, POS workstations and marketing application software.
  5. Get team leader/assistant manager experience

    Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become a team leader/assistant manager. The most common roles before becoming a team leader/assistant manager include sales associate, cashier team lead and customer service representative.
  6. Apply for team leader/assistant manager jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a team leader/assistant manager 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 team leader/assistant manager job

Zippi

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Average team leader/assistant manager salary

The average team leader/assistant manager salary in the United States is $35,067 per year or $17 per hour. Team leader/assistant manager salaries range between $24,000 and $50,000 per year.

Average team leader/assistant manager salary
$35,067 Yearly
$16.86 hourly

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How do team leader/assistant managers rate their job?

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Team leader/assistant manager reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2020
Pros

Ability to resolve issues, timely delivery on goals and mantainance of inter personal relationship and organizing.

Cons

Insurbordination, failure to deliver on tasks and targets.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020
Cons

I don't like it when moral is low and nothing seems to perk employees up to become more productive at work.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2020
Cons

Disciplining my team for mistakes they can prevent, such as attendance.


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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.