Large grocery store companies rely on grocery chain district managers to oversee 10 or more stores -- often in in multiple states. These district managers are primarily responsible for increasing sales and profits in the stores, selecting and hiring the most qualified store managers and ensuring uniformity of stores with company standards. They also develop payroll budgets for stores, monitor their profits and losses and ensure all stores participate in company promotions. If you want to be a grocery chain district manager, you need significant experience working in the retail industry. In return, you can expect average salaries just under $60,000 per year.

Salary and Qualifications

Grocery chain district managers earned average annual salaries of $58,000 as of 2013, according to the job website Indeed. These professionals may also earn bonuses according to how their stores perform, which can add significantly to their annual incomes. To become a grocery chain district manager, you'll likely need a bachelor's degree in retail management, business or marketing -- and two to five years' experience in retail management. Some employers may hire you with a high school diploma, if you have extensive experience in retail management or as a grocery chain district manager. Other essential qualifications include attention to detail, a willingness to travel and supervisory, communication, presentation, analytical, leadership, negotiation and strategic planning skills.

Salary by Region

Average salaries for grocery chain district managers varied within the four U.S regions in 2013. In the West, they earned the lowest salaries of $41,000 in Hawaii and the highest of $64,000 in California, according to Indeed. Those in the South earned between $49,000 and $68,000 per year -- with the lowest salaries in Louisiana and the highest in the District of Columbia. If you worked in the Northeast, you'd earn $51,000 or $70,000, respectively, in Maine or New York, which represented the lowest and highest-paying states in that region. Your earnings in the Midwest would be $45,000 or $62,000, respectively, in South Dakota or Illinois.

Contributing Factors

Grocery store chains usually have specific salary ranges budgeted when they hire grocery chain district managers. Those with more experience may warrant higher salaries. Years later, they may qualify for higher-paying positions as they become more effective in multistore management. In this job, you may also earn bonuses if your stores are performing above established sales quotas. Moreover, larger grocery chains such as Kroger, Safeway and Publix likely pay more than smaller chains, because they can better support higher salaries.

Job Outlook

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn't report job trends for grocery chain district managers. It does forecast job opportunities for first-line supervisors of retail sales workers, including grocery store managers, which it expects to increase 8 percent in the next decade. This slower-than-average growth rate should also produce jobs for grocery chain district managers, as they directly supervise grocery store managers. Retail and food services sales increased 3.7 percent from April 2012 to April 2013, according to the Economic & Statistics Administration, indicating an improving economy, which may also produce additional job opportunities for you in this field.