Store Manager Hourly Pay, Skills & Requirements (2026)
Advertised pay, starting pay, skills and experience from 61,047 US job postings by 2,107 employers. Data as of October 2026.
What US employers post for store managers: advertised pay, the skills and experience they ask for, and the job titles they use, from 61,047 open job postings (October 2026).
- The median advertised pay for store managers in US job postings is $20.12 an hour (16,226 postings from 654 employers, October 2026).
- The middle half of those postings offer $17.96 to $23.57 an hour.
- Postings that ask for up to 1 year of experience advertise a median of $20.75 an hour (2,773 postings).
- The skills that most set store manager postings apart are customer service, leadership, product knowledge.
- Postings that state a minimum ask for a median of 2 years of experience.
Store Manager job postings in the US, October 2026
- $20.12/hr
- Median advertised pay (16,226 postings)
- $17.96–$23.57
- Middle 50% of postings
- $20.75/hr
- Starting pay (postings asking up to 1 year)
- 61,047
- US job postings from 2,107 employers
How much does a store manager make an hour?
The median advertised pay is $20.12 an hour, from 16,226 US job postings by 654 employers that state pay. That is about $47,000 a year at 2,080 hours.
Advertised pay in 16,226 US store manager job postings: median $47,000 a year ($20.12 an hour), middle half $40,000 to $63,000.
- Median: $47,000 ($20.12/hr)
- 25th percentile: $40,000
- 75th percentile: $63,000
The figures as a table
| Annual pay | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| $10K–$20K | 0.3% |
| $20K–$30K | 1.6% |
| $30K–$40K | 24.8% |
| $40K–$50K | 28.8% |
| $50K–$60K | 15.5% |
| $60K–$70K | 9.5% |
| $70K–$80K | 8.6% |
| $80K–$90K | 3.9% |
| $90K–$100K | 2.9% |
| $100K–$110K | 1.3% |
| $110K–$120K | 1.3% |
| $120K–$130K | 0.5% |
Midpoint of each posting's pay range, hourly pay × 2,080 hours; at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026.
| Median | Middle 50% | Postings | Most common titles | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Postings that state an hourly rate | $20.12 | $17.96–$23.57 | 2,540 | Assistant Store Manager, Store Manager, Keyholder |
| Postings that state an annual salary | $70,000 | $59K–$84K | 1,277 | Store Manager, Assistant Store Manager, Retail Store Manager |
| All pay postings, annualised | $47,000 | $40K–$63K | 16,226 | – |
What is the starting salary for a store manager?
Postings that ask for up to 1 year of experience advertise a median of $20.75 an hour (2,773 postings).
| Experience asked | Median advertised pay | Postings |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1 years | $20.75/hr | 2,773 |
| 2-4 years | $26.80/hr | 2,693 |
| 5+ years | $36.52/hr | 259 |
Highest-paying store manager jobs
Specializations with at least 250 postings that state pay.
| Specialization | Median pay | Postings with pay | Employers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Store Manager (general) | $31.25/hr | 5,426 | 295 |
| Retail Store Manager | $24.18/hr | 789 | 120 |
| Assistant Store Manager | $22.00/hr | 6,761 | 231 |
| Retail Supervisor | $19.50/hr | 584 | 103 |
| Key Holder | $18.75/hr | 1,185 | 91 |
Store manager pay by state
Single-location US postings; states with at least 100 postings that state pay. States with pay-transparency laws (such as California, Colorado, New York and Washington) are over-represented among postings that state pay.
| State | Median pay | Middle 50% | Postings with pay | Share of postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $23.50/hr | $20.50–$28.85 | 1,850 | 8.3% |
| Washington | $23.00/hr | $20.50–$27.20 | 460 | 1.8% |
| Maryland | $21.75/hr | $19.00–$31.30 | 295 | 1.9% |
| New York | $21.50/hr | $18.75–$29.20 | 1,074 | 5.4% |
| Connecticut | $21.50/hr | $19.23–$23.57 | 194 | 1.2% |
| Colorado | $21.16/hr | $19.21–$27.00 | 560 | 2.3% |
| New Jersey | $21.02/hr | $18.21–$25.75 | 385 | 2.1% |
| Massachusetts | $21.00/hr | $17.57–$26.00 | 400 | 2.1% |
| Oregon | $20.62/hr | $18.00–$28.02 | 157 | 0.9% |
| Michigan | $20.50/hr | $17.21–$28.01 | 296 | 2.6% |
| Virginia | $20.04/hr | $16.60–$28.02 | 448 | 2.5% |
| Illinois | $20.00/hr | $18.00–$24.04 | 750 | 4.1% |
| Georgia | $20.00/hr | $16.00–$26.00 | 362 | 3.7% |
| North Carolina | $20.00/hr | $16.88–$28.02 | 351 | 3.3% |
| Minnesota | $20.00/hr | $17.20–$28.00 | 398 | 1.8% |
| Utah | $20.00/hr | $17.32–$24.50 | 158 | 1.1% |
| Arizona | $19.87/hr | $17.38–$26.11 | 349 | 4.5% |
| Florida | $19.75/hr | $16.50–$28.02 | 653 | 6.4% |
| Missouri | $19.50/hr | $18.15–$27.74 | 229 | 1.9% |
| South Carolina | $19.11/hr | $16.00–$22.95 | 130 | 1.6% |
| Alabama | $19.11/hr | $15.07–$28.02 | 208 | 1.5% |
| Texas | $19.05/hr | $16.00–$28.02 | 1,013 | 9.3% |
| Pennsylvania | $19.00/hr | $17.50–$25.00 | 550 | 3.8% |
| Tennessee | $18.50/hr | $16.88–$24.38 | 312 | 2.5% |
| Nevada | $18.00/hr | $16.25–$20.70 | 141 | 0.9% |
| Indiana | $17.79/hr | $16.38–$26.46 | 220 | 2.4% |
| Kentucky | $17.50/hr | $16.69–$21.50 | 173 | 1.5% |
| Ohio | $17.00/hr | $14.75–$20.91 | 597 | 4.2% |
| Oklahoma | $17.00/hr | $14.88–$22.00 | 191 | 1.2% |
| Louisiana | $16.50/hr | $14.00–$21.00 | 128 | 1.1% |
Skills employers ask for in store manager job postings
| Skill | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| Communication | 43% |
| Customer service | 32% |
| Leadership | 20% |
| Organizational skills | 16% |
| Interpersonal skills | 16% |
| Problem-solving | 14% |
| Excel | 11% |
| Microsoft Office | 10% |
| Attention to detail | 10% |
| Time management | 9% |
Skills named in the posting text; at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026. Methodology.
Skills that set store managers apart
- Customer service3.2× as often as in all postings · 32%
- Leadership3.8× as often as in all postings · 20%
- Product knowledge16.3× as often as in all postings · 7%
- Coaching9× as often as in all postings · 5%
Skills named in at least 5% of these postings and at least 3 times as often as in job postings overall.
Have a store manager job posting in front of you? See which of its skills your resume is missing.
What does a store manager do?
Employers post these jobs as Assistant Store Manager, Retail Store Manager, Key Holder, Keyholder, Retail Supervisor and other titles. The largest specializations are Assistant Store Manager (30%), Retail Store Manager (9%), Retail Supervisor (6%), Key Holder (6%), Assistant Manager (5%), Floor Manager (under 1%).
The closest official occupation is First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers (41-1011.00). Its most important tasks:
- 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.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
How much experience do you need to be a store manager?
Among 4,528 postings that state a minimum, the median is 2 years. Under 1% say 0 years and 39% ask for 1 year or less.
Minimum experience asked in 4,528 US store manager job postings: median 2 years, and 39% ask for 1 year or less.
The figures as a table
| Minimum experience asked | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| 0 yr | 2% |
| 1 yr | 37% |
| 2 yrs | 32% |
| 3-4 yrs | 22% |
| 5-7 yrs | 7% |
| 8-9 yrs | under 1% |
| 10+ yrs | under 1% |
Postings that state a minimum (required or preferred); at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026.
We do not show a degree figure: in our checks, degree requirements in posting text were found too rarely to publish one. Why.
Full-time 84%, Part-time 16% of the 1,559 postings that state working hours.
Other names for a store manager: job titles employers use
| Job title | Employers using it |
|---|---|
| Store Manager | 910 (43.2%) |
| Assistant Store Manager | 616 (29.2%) |
| Retail Store Manager | 140 (6.6%) |
| Key Holder | 136 (6.5%) |
| Keyholder | 85 (4.0%) |
| Retail Supervisor | 73 (3.5%) |
| Store Supervisor | 58 (2.8%) |
| Floor Supervisor | 49 (2.3%) |
| Retail Assistant Manager | 49 (2.3%) |
| Retail Assistant Store Manager | 45 (2.1%) |
| Store Director | 42 (2.0%) |
| Retail Manager | 42 (2.0%) |
| Retail Sales Manager | 40 (1.9%) |
| Store Lead | 37 (1.8%) |
| Store Manager in Training | 36 (1.7%) |
| Showroom Manager | 27 (1.3%) |
| Floor Manager | 27 (1.3%) |
| Store Assistant Manager | 27 (1.3%) |
| Department Supervisor | 25 (1.2%) |
| Convenience Store Manager | 21 (1.0%) |
Titles read in our audit and used by at least 3 employers.
Store manager job titles compared
The titles people search for most, from the US job postings that use each exact title (October 2026).
| Job title | Open postings | Employers | Median pay | Median experience | Skills named most |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key Holder | 1,374 | 136 | $18.63/hr | – | communication, customer service, interpersonal skills |
| Assistant Manager | 145 | 14 | – | – | – |
| Retail Store Manager | 2,861 | 140 | – | – | communication, customer service, leadership |
Store Manager compared with similar careers
| Career | Median pay | Median experience | Postings | Shares N of top 25 skills |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Store Manager | $20.12/hr | 2 years | 61,047 | – |
| Retail Sales Associate | $17.24/hr | 1 year | 141,396 | 16 |
| General Manager | $70K | 3 years | 29,416 | 18 |
| Team Leader | $18.00/hr | 1 year | 63,827 | 18 |
| Restaurant Manager | $57K | 2 years | 27,316 | 16 |
Similar careers
| Career | Shares N of the top 25 skills | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Retail Sales Associate | 16 | $17.24/hr |
| General Manager | 18 | $70K |
| Team Leader | 18 | $18.00/hr |
| Restaurant Manager | 16 | $57K |
| Operations Manager | 16 | $85K |
| Stocker | 17 | $17.50/hr |
Applying for store manager jobs?
- Store manager resume examples: one-page examples for these roles
- Match your resume to a job: paste a posting and see the skills your resume is missing
- Check your resume: see how an applicant tracking system reads it
- Find store manager jobs: search open postings
Frequently asked questions
What are the highest-paying store manager jobs?
How much does a Key Holder make?
Source and method
Open US job postings collected from employers' applicant tracking systems, de-duplicated, counted only when their job title was read in our audit. Shares count at most 20 postings per employer, and franchise locations of one brand count as one employer. Pay uses hourly and annual figures only; a figure is shown when leaving out the largest employer moves it by 10% or less. Every figure states its number of postings. Methodology and measured accuracy.
Accuracy check: we read 40 randomly chosen postings counted on this page in full; 36 of them were this career or a closely related one (October 2026).
Download the figures on this page (CSV): every number above with its count of postings. Aggregate figures are licensed CC BY 4.0; cite the page when you reuse them.