Career Overview
Directly supervise and coordinate activities of retail sales workers in an establishment or department. Duties may include management functions, such as purchasing, budgeting, accounting, and personnel work, in addition to supervisory duties.
Also Known As
- Department Manager
- Meat Department Manager
- Shift Manager
- Store Manager
Alternate Job Titles
- Art Gallery Director
- Auto Leasing Manager
- Auto Parts Manager
- Auto Rental Supervisor
- Automobile Leasing Supervisor
- Bakery Manager
- Branch Manager
- Branch Store Manager
- Car Rental Manager
- Cashier Manager
- Cashier Supervisor
- Concession Manager
- Convenience Store Manager
- Dairy Department Manager
- Dairy Store Manager
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- Provide customer service by greeting and assisting customers and responding to customer inquiries and complaints.
- Direct and supervise employees engaged in sales, inventory-taking, reconciling cash receipts, or in performing services for customers.
- Examine merchandise to ensure that it is correctly priced and displayed and that it functions as advertised.
- Monitor sales activities to ensure that customers receive satisfactory service and quality goods.
- Instruct staff on how to handle difficult and complicated sales.
- Assign employees to specific duties.
- Keep records of purchases, sales, and requisitions.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Customer and Personal Service
- Administration and Management
- Sales and Marketing
- English Language
- Education and Training
Essential Skills
Success in this career requires strong skills in:
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Service Orientation
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Oral Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Speech Clarity
- Speech Recognition
- Problem Sensitivity
- Near Vision
- Deductive Reasoning
- Information Ordering
- Fluency of Ideas
- Written Comprehension
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Dependability
- Leadership Orientation
- Social Orientation
- Cooperation
- Achievement Orientation
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Independence
- Relationships
- Working Conditions
- Support
- Achievement
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Related Work Experience Needed: Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years
On-the-Job Training: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year
Education Details: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Experience Required: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- Adobe Acrobat
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe Photoshop
- Apple Safari
- Autodesk Revit
- Google Analytics
- Google Docs
- IBM SPSS Statistics
Tools & Equipment
- Adjustable widemouth pliers
- Adjustable wrenches
- Barcode scanners
- Cash registers
- Credit card processing machines
- Desktop computers
- Hammer pliers
- Ladders
- Laser facsimile machines
- Laser printers
- Magnetic card readers
- Money order terminals
- PC magnetic card readers
- Personal computers
- Personal digital assistants PDA
Work Environment
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Contact With Others
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
- Telephone Conversations
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
Salary & Job Market
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $31,120 |
| Median | $47,320 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $76,560 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 1,113,160
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $84,130
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $66,140
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $42,010
First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services
Education: Not specified
Median Salary: $46,900
First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $47,520
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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.