Great Pay and Benefits for Hard Workers

If you pay attention to small details and can multi-task like a pro, you may want to pursue a career as a district manager. District managers are on the upper rungs of the corporate ladder and have many responsibilities, but in return, they earn very good wages and benefits. Most district managers work full-time and may also work on weekends at times or travel. If you have a spouse who returns home each night to take care of the children, this may be a very rewarding profession for you.

Job Description

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics recognizes district managers as sales managers, as most of the duties are the same, but a sales manager usually reports to the district manager. Retail district managers oversee the daily operations of retail stores. They establish sales goals for each store to meet and scrutinize reports provided by sales managers in each store. Budgets and expenditures are reviewed and sales are analyzed for each location. Other duties involve hiring and training district store managers to increase sales and adjusting inventory in each store, which is dependent on the sales performance.

Education Requirements

Most corporations require a district manager to have an associate or bachelor’s degree in business or a related field. Classes will most likely include business management and business information computer systems to learn the computer programs used to manage the stores. Macroeconomics teaches how to develop strategic sales goals according to the demographics of each store, and courses in finance help with management of inventory and maximizing district profits.

After taking a degree, working as a sales manager in a store can lead to a promotion as district manager. Gaining knowledge and expertise as a sales manager is an important step in the journey that will involve supervising employees.

Industry

As a district manager, you'll likely have an office and work many hours on the phone with the stores in your district. When traveling to a particular store, your office will actually be mobile in your car as you field phone calls and make decisions for each of the stores.

If a store is in need of a manager, you will travel to the store to conduct interviews in an office or conference room, and then train the employee in person in the store to teach them all aspects of the job.

Many retail stores are open on weekends, so you may be required to travel to a store on weekends and earn overtime pay.

Years of Experience

PayScale reports the average annual salary for a district manager to be $71,600. As with other professions, the more experience gained, the better the wages. Here is a projection of average annual wages based on experience:

• 0-5 years: $64,000
• 5-10 years: $74,000
• 10-20 years: $81,000
• Over 20 years: $86,000

District managers also receive great bonuses that can be up to $24,602. Profit-sharing and commissions can add up to $25,000 and $27,241, respectively, to an annual salary. Most district managers also receive medical and dental benefits.

Job Growth Trend

The job outlook for district managers is good and is expected to grow about 7 percent over the next decade according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This percentage of projected growth is about the same as all other professions.

There will always be a demand for district managers to provide direction for brick and mortar stores. With the increase in online shopping, district managers may not be needed as much, although they can work closely with retail stores to provide the best customer service and get more sales through interacting with customers in person.