Average Salary and Benefits

• Retail department managers earned average annual salaries of $39,890, according to May 2010 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Their salaries are often based on experience, the geographical location of their jobs, and the size and budgets of the retail store employers. Some may also receive commissions based on the sales volume of their departments. Full-time workers are usually eligible for company retirement programs, hospital and life insurance and paid vacations and holidays.
  
  

Salary by State

• Retail department managers' salaries can vary considerably by state. They earned their highest salaries in Rhode Island at $46,140 per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Those in New York also earned above-average salaries at $45,570. These supervisors earned closer to average salaries in California, New Hampshire and Texas at $41,970, $40,010 and $39,820 per year, respectively. And, those in Alabama and Kentucky earned slightly less at $35,000 and $33,670 per year, respectively.
  
  

Salary by Region or Non-Metropolitan Area

• Retail department managers' salaries are also higher in certain non-metropolitan regions of the country. For example, those in north central Colorado earned the highest annual salaries at $49,480, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics' information. They earned comparatively high salaries in southern Vermont at $49,040 per year. Those in eastern Connecticut also earned relatively high salaries at $43,950 per year. These retail professionals earned average salaries in southwest Massachusetts at $40,090 annually. And those in southwestern New Mexico earned salaries well below the national average at $29,790 per year.
  
  

Job Outlook

• The number of jobs for sales worker supervisors, including retail department managers, is expected to increase 5 percent between 2008 and 2018, according to a December 2009 report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This job growth rate is relatively slow compared to other professions or careers. Growth will mainly be slower as retail stores assign more responsibilities to non-management employees. This may require retail department managers to manage multiple departments, resulting in fewer open positions.