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The differences between zone managers and retail operation 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 zone manager and a retail operation manager. Additionally, a retail operation manager has an average salary of $76,518, which is higher than the $50,974 average annual salary of a zone manager.
The top three skills for a zone manager include work ethic, loss prevention and inventory control. The most important skills for a retail operation manager are POS, retail operations, and payroll.
| Zone Manager | Retail Operation Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $50,974 | $76,518 |
| Hourly rate | $24.51 | $36.79 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 298,152 | 408,776 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
The duties of a zone manager depend on their line of work or industry of employment. In general, they are in charge of overseeing the service and product distribution operations of a company. They typically coordinate with regional managers, establish guidelines and product roadmaps, gather and analyze data from their area of assignment, perform research and analysis, conduct sales assessments, and implement solutions to optimize operations. Moreover, a zone manager must lead and encourage staff to reach goals, all while enforcing the company's policies and regulations.
A retail operation manager is an individual who is responsible for managing the daily operations of retail stores while maintaining their physical space tidy and organized. Retail operation manager must ensure proper staffing at all stores as well as train employees to enhance their job performance and retention. They are required to conduct inventory analysis to ensure optimal stock levels. Retail operation managers must also visit retail locations so that they can evaluate the sales performance and level of customer satisfaction of each store.
Zone managers and retail operation managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Zone Manager | Retail Operation Manager | |
| Average salary | $50,974 | $76,518 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $75,000 | Between $47,000 And $124,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Ford Motor | Accenture |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | - |
There are a few differences between a zone manager and a retail operation manager in terms of educational background:
| Zone Manager | Retail Operation Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between zone managers' and retail operation managers' demographics:
| Zone Manager | Retail Operation Manager | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 68.9% Female, 31.1% | Male, 56.8% Female, 43.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 6.3% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |