Sales Managers
Plan, direct, or coordinate the actual distribution or movement of a product or service to the customer. Coordinate sales distribution by establishing sales territories, quotas, and goals and establish training programs for sales representatives. Analyze sales statistics gathered by staff to determine sales potential and inventory requirements and monitor the preferences of customers.
Also called: Account Manager, Area Sales Manager, Area Supervisor, BD Director (Business Development Director), BD Executive (Business Development Executive), BD Manager (Business Development Manager)
Median pay
$148,270
per year, U.S.
Pay range (10th–90th)
$73,170 – $290,540
People employed
637,080
Holland code
ECS
Enterprising · Conventional · Social
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Is this career right for you?
These are the things that stand out in this job compared with other U.S. jobs (O*NET 31.0 work context). Answer honestly.
- 1.Do you enjoy serving customers or the public?
- 2.Are you OK working more than 40 hours a week?
- 3.Do you want variety, with new tasks often?
- 4.Are you happy talking and working with people most of the day?
- 5.Do you want to lead or coordinate other people’s work?
- 6.Are you comfortable sitting at a desk most of the day?
The hard parts
- Tight deadlines are common
- Dealing with conflict is part of the job
Sales Managers pay by state
Highest-paying states
Annual median pay by state (49 states and DC with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
What sales managers do
- 01Oversee regional and local sales managers and their staffs.
- 02Resolve customer complaints regarding sales and service.
- 03Monitor customer preferences to determine focus of sales efforts.
- 04Confer with potential customers regarding equipment needs, and advise customers on types of equipment to purchase.
- 05Review operational records and reports to project sales and determine profitability.
- 06Plan and direct staffing, training, and performance evaluations to develop and control sales and service programs.
Skills that matter most
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Learning
Knowledge
- Sales and Marketing
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Administration and Management
- Personnel and Human Resources
Work styles that stand out
- Dependability
- Integrity
- Achievement Orientation
- Social Orientation
- Adaptability
Education and first steps
Share of workers by required education, as reported to O*NET.
How people get started
- Usually needs a bachelor's degree (O*NET Job Zone 4).
- Related work experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years.
- On-the-job training: anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month.
Most common answers from O*NET 31.0 Education, Training and Experience.
Interest fit (Holland code)
O*NET occupational interest scores, scale 1–7. Take the Free Career Test to compare with your own.
Career changes
Change from sales managers
- Purchasing Managers89% · 0%
- Financial Managers83% · +12%
- Chief Executives83% · +44%
- Human Resources Managers83% · +1%
- Compensation and Benefits Managers81% · +1%
Change into sales managers
Jobs whose skills carry over best (skill match, their median pay).
- Fundraisers91% · $72,550
- First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers90% · $87,520
- General and Operations Managers89% · $105,770
- Online Merchants89% · $83,050
- Purchasing Managers89% · $148,080
Majors that lead here
- Consumer Merchandising/Retailing Management
- Pharmaceutical Marketing and Management
- Business/Commerce, General
- Business Administration and Management, General
- Marketing/Marketing Management, General
From the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk.