Sales Managers build negotiation, social perceptiveness and persuasion skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Purchasing Managers (89%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Purchasing Managers | 89% | $148,080 | 0% | None |
| 2 | Financial Managers | 83% | $166,570 | +12% | None |
| 3 | Chief Executives | 83% | $213,990 | +44% | Graduate degree |
| 4 | Human Resources Managers | 83% | $149,280 | +1% | None |
| 5 | Compensation and Benefits Managers | 81% | $149,230 | +1% | None |
| 6 | Training and Development Managers | 80% | $133,000 | −10% | None |
| 7 | General and Operations Managers | 78% | $105,770 | −29% | None |
| 8 | Treasurers and Controllers | 78% | $166,570Pay for the broader BLS group “Financial Managers” | Not compared | None |
| 9 | Compliance Managers | 76% | $141,900Pay for the broader BLS group “Managers, All Other” | Not compared | None |
| 10 | Medical and Health Services Managers | 75% | $123,860 | −16% | None |
Compared with Sales Managers, median $148,270. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as sales managers (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
89% skill match · $148,080 · 0% pay
Troubleshooting · Management of Material Resources · Technology Design
83% skill match · $166,570 · +12% pay
Programming · Troubleshooting · Equipment Selection
83% skill match · $213,990 · +44% pay
Management of Financial Resources · Management of Material Resources · Judgment and Decision Making
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Purchasing Managers (89% skill match, median $148,080), Financial Managers (83% skill match, median $166,570) and Chief Executives (83% skill match, median $213,990), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 5 pay more than sales managers at the median. The biggest increases: Chief Executives (+44%, $213,990), Computer and Information Systems Managers (+18%, $175,140) and Financial Managers (+12%, $166,570).
22 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones. 3 usually need a graduate degree: Chief Executives, Investment Fund Managers and Chief Sustainability Officers.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.