Store Manager job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

16

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 1-2 of 5

very little to some preparation

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$48,520

BLS May 2025

Data Government data groups this job as First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers (O*NET-SOC 41-1011.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

1. Provide customer service by greeting and assisting customers and responding to customer inquiries and complaints. importance 4.7 of 5
2. Direct and supervise employees engaged in sales, inventory-taking, reconciling cash receipts, or in performing services for customers. importance 4.6 of 5
3. Examine merchandise to ensure that it is correctly priced and displayed and that it functions as advertised. importance 4.4 of 5
4. Monitor sales activities to ensure that customers receive satisfactory service and quality goods. importance 4.4 of 5
5. Instruct staff on how to handle difficult and complicated sales. importance 4.3 of 5
6. Assign employees to specific duties. importance 4.3 of 5
7. Keep records of purchases, sales, and requisitions. importance 4.2 of 5
8. Perform work activities of subordinates, such as cleaning and organizing shelves and displays and selling merchandise. importance 4.2 of 5
9. Plan and prepare work schedules and keep records of employees' work schedules and time cards. importance 4.2 of 5
10. Review inventory and sales records to prepare reports for management and budget departments. importance 4.2 of 5
11. Inventory stock and reorder when inventory drops to a specified level. importance 4.2 of 5
12. Establish and implement policies, goals, objectives, and procedures for the department. importance 4.1 of 5
13. Examine products purchased for resale or received for storage to assess the condition of each product or item. importance 4.0 of 5
14. Enforce safety, health, and security rules. importance 4.0 of 5
15. Estimate consumer demand and determine the types and amounts of goods to be sold. importance 3.9 of 5
16. Confer with company officials to develop methods and procedures to increase sales, expand markets, and promote business. importance 3.7 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Training and Teaching Others, Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others and Coaching and Developing Others.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Formulate pricing policies for merchandise, according to profitability requirements.
• Hire, train, and evaluate personnel in sales or marketing establishments, promoting or firing workers when appropriate.
• Plan and coordinate advertising campaigns and sales promotions and prepare merchandise displays and advertising copy.
• Establish credit policies and operating procedures.
• Plan budgets and authorize payments and merchandise returns.

Knowledge areas: Customer and Personal Service, Administration and Management, Sales and Marketing, English Language and Education and Training.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Microsoft Office software, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Autodesk Revit, Facebook. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists less than 5 years of work experience in a related occupation as typical.
• Training on the job: BLS lists no typical on-the-job training once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 1-2 of 5 (very little to some preparation). Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board and see how to become a store manager.

Most store managers surveyed by O*NET (52%) name a high school diploma or equivalent as the education the job requires.

Job title: Store Manager
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Store Manager.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- 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.
- Perform work activities of subordinates, such as cleaning and organizing shelves and displays and selling merchandise.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists less than 5 years in a related occupation as typical; adjust to this role]
- Strength in active listening, service orientation and speaking
- Working knowledge of Customer and Personal Service and Administration and Management
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Microsoft Office software or Adobe Illustrator]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median annual wage was $48,520 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $23.33. BLS estimates about 1,121,800 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers to decline 3.7% from 2025 to 2035, with about 113,500 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full store manager salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real store manager posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Provide customer service by greeting and assisting customers and…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only store manager work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (active listening and service orientation); store manager interview questions turns them into practice questions.