Management
Sales manager
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.
Median pay
$148,270
Growth to 2035
+5%
about as fast as average
Openings a year
47,300
Time to qualify*
2 years
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Sales manager
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- On-the-job training
- None
- Prior experience
- Less than 5 years
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Sales manager: 86% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- Oversee regional and local sales managers and their staffs.
- Resolve customer complaints regarding sales and service.
- Monitor customer preferences to determine focus of sales efforts.
- Confer with potential customers regarding equipment needs, and advise customers on types of equipment to purchase.
- Review operational records and reports to project sales and determine profitability.
- Plan and direct staffing, training, and performance evaluations to develop and control sales and service programs.
- Direct and coordinate activities involving sales of manufactured products, services, commodities, real estate, or other subjects of sale.
- Determine price schedules and discount rates.
Also called: District Sales Manager · Fractional Sales Executive · National Sales Manager · Regional Sales Manager · Sales and Marketing VP (Sales and Marketing Vice President) · Sales Director · Sales Manager · Sales Operations Manager (Sales Ops Manager)
Outlook and AI
Sales managers held 650,100 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 679,100 by 2035 (+5%, about as fast as average; all jobs: +3.5%).
Compare with
- Sales manager vs. Marketing manager
- Sales manager vs. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Sales manager vs. Marketing specialist
- Sales manager vs. Advertising and promotions managers
- Sales manager vs. Buyers and purchasing agents
- Sales manager vs. Purchasing manager
- Sales manager vs. First-line supervisor of retail sales workers
- Sales manager vs. First-line supervisor of non-retail sales workers
- Sales manager vs. General and operations managers
- Sales manager vs. Advertising sales agent