Sales managers plan, direct, or coordinate the delivery of a product or service to the customer. They set sales goals, analyze data, and develop training programs for organizations’ sales representatives.
Sales managers plan, direct, or coordinate the delivery of a product or service to the customer. They set sales goals, analyze data, and develop training programs for organizations’ sales representatives.
Sales managers typically do the following:
Sales managers’ responsibilities vary with the size of their organization. However, most of these managers direct the selling of goods and services by assigning territories, setting goals, and establishing training programs for the organization’s sales representatives.
Sales managers typically focus on either business-to-business (B2B) or business-to-consumer (B2C) transactions. B2B sales managers may work for a manufacturer selling to a wholesaler or for a wholesaler selling to a retailer. B2C sales managers oversee direct sales to individuals.
Sales managers recruit, hire, and train new members of the sales staff, including retail sales workers and wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives. They also may assist staff members with presentations, with closing sales, and on ways to improve performance to meet their goals.
In large multiproduct organizations, sales managers may oversee regional and local sales managers and their staffs. They communicate with dealers, manufacturers, and distributors; analyze sales data generated from their staff; and determine the sales potential of products or services for inventory purposes and to monitor customers' preferences.
Sales managers also work closely with managers from other departments within an organization. These departments may include marketing and sales, which identify and target new customers; research and design, which study customers’ preferences; and warehousing, which tracks inventory.
Sales managers held about 584,800 jobs in 2023. The largest employers of sales managers were as follows:
| Wholesale trade | 20% |
| Retail trade | 17 |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 14 |
| Manufacturing | 11 |
| Finance and insurance | 10 |
Sales managers typically work in an office or retail setting. Their work may be stressful, as their job security often is tied to metrics such as reaching sales goals within specified deadlines. They may be required to travel, such as to meet with sales staff, customers, or distributors.
Most sales managers work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week. Working evenings or weekends may be required.
Sales managers typically need a bachelor’s degree and work experience as a sales representative. For some jobs, workers qualify with a high school diploma.
Sales managers typically need a bachelor’s degree, although some positions require a high school diploma. A common field of degree is business, which usually includes courses in management and marketing.
Work experience is typically required to become a sales manager. Employers usually prefer that candidates have several years of sales experience.
Sales managers typically enter the occupation from other sales and related occupations, such as retail sales workers, wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives, or purchasing agents.
Analytical skills. Sales managers must track and interpret data to evaluate trends, develop goals, and determine sales strategies.
Communication skills. Sales managers need to convey ideas clearly to a wide range of people.
Computer skills. Sales managers must be able to use a variety of programs and applications, such as customer relationship management (CRM) and spreadsheet software, to track sales and build forecasting models.
Customer-service skills. Sales managers must listen and respond to customers’ needs in order to help make a sale.
Interpersonal skills. Sales managers must be able to build a rapport with colleagues and customers to be successful in their work.
Leadership skills. Sales managers must develop strategies for meeting sales goals and be able to motivate their sales staff to reach those goals.
Organizational skills. Sales managers must create and maintain order to manage their time, track the performance of sales representatives, and develop sales strategies.
Median annual wages, May 2023
The median annual wage for sales managers was $135,160 in May 2023. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $63,700, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $239,200.
In May 2023, the median annual wages for sales managers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | $165,050 |
| Finance and insurance | 164,990 |
| Manufacturing | 151,000 |
| Wholesale trade | 134,730 |
| Retail trade | 83,930 |
Wage data are from nonfarm establishments. The data exclude self-employed workers and owners and partners in unincorporated businesses. Tips, sales commissions, and bonuses for meeting production targets are included in wages; premium pay, such as overtime and shift differentials, is not.
Compensation methods for sales managers may vary with the type of organization and the product sold. Employers usually pay sales managers using a combination of salary and commissions or salary plus bonuses. In general, commissions are a percentage of the type and amount of the good or service sold. Bonuses may depend on the performance of an individual, of all sales workers in the group or district, or of the organization.
Most sales managers work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week. Working evenings or weekends may be required.
Percent change in employment, projected 2023-33
Employment of sales managers is projected to grow 6 percent from 2023 to 2033, faster than the average for all occupations.
About 48,600 openings for sales managers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
An effective sales team remains crucial for profitability. As the economy grows, organizations will focus on generating new sales and will look to their sales strategy as a way to increase competitiveness.
Online shopping is expected to continue to increase, meaning more sales will be completed without a sales worker involved in the transaction. However, brick-and-mortar retail stores also are expected to increase their emphasis on customer service as a way to compete with online sellers. Because sales managers will be needed to direct and navigate this mix between online and brick-and-mortar sales, sustained demand is expected for these workers.
| Occupational Title | SOC Code | Employment, 2023 | Projected Employment, 2033 | Change, 2023-33 | Employment by Industry | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | Numeric | ||||||
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program | |||||||
Sales managers | 11-2022 | 584,800 | 619,100 | 6 | 34,300 | Get data | |
This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of sales managers.
| Occupation | Job Duties | ENTRY-LEVEL EDUCATION  | 2023 MEDIAN PAY | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Advertising Sales Agents | Advertising sales agents sell advertising space to businesses and individuals. | High school diploma or equivalent | $61,270 |
 | Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Managers | Advertising, promotions, and marketing managers plan programs to generate interest in products or services. | Bachelor's degree | $156,580 |
 | Insurance Sales Agents | Insurance sales agents contact potential customers and sell one or more types of insurance. | High school diploma or equivalent | $59,080 |
 | Market Research Analysts | Market research analysts study consumer preferences, business conditions, and other factors to assess potential sales of a product or service. | Bachelor's degree | $74,680 |
 | Public Relations and Fundraising Managers | Public relations managers direct the creation of materials that will enhance the public image of their employer or client. Fundraising managers coordinate campaigns that bring in donations for their organization. | Bachelor's degree | $130,480 |
 | Public Relations Specialists | Public relations specialists create and maintain a positive public image for the clients they represent. | Bachelor's degree | $66,750 |
 | Purchasing Managers, Buyers, and Purchasing Agents | Buyers and purchasing agents buy products and services for organizations. Purchasing managers oversee the work of buyers and purchasing agents. | Bachelor's degree | $77,180 |
 | Retail Sales Workers | Retail sales workers help customers find products they want and process customers’ payments. | No formal educational credential | $33,900 |
 | Sales Engineers | Sales engineers sell business products or services, such as software or support, that require technical expertise. | Bachelor's degree | $116,950 |
 | Wholesale and Manufacturing Sales Representatives | Wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers to businesses, government agencies, and other organizations. | See How to Become One | $73,080 |
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