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.
What it pays
Sales Managers earn a median of $71.28/hr — about $148,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $35.18/hr; the top 10% earn $139.68/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Sales Managers earn a median of $71.28/hr — about $148,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $35.18/hr; the top 10% earn $139.68/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- Direct and coordinate activities involving sales of manufactured products, services, commodities, real estate, or other subjects of sale.
- Resolve customer complaints regarding sales and service.
- Review operational records and reports to project sales and determine profitability.
- Oversee regional and local sales managers and their staffs.
- Determine price schedules and discount rates.
- Prepare budgets and approve budget expenditures.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).
The feel of the work
You're around people constantly. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 0.9% of sales managers are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are take-charge, organized and detail-focused and people-focused.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
- Purchasing Managers
- Human Resources Managers
- Public Relations Managers
- Managers, All Other
- Training and Development Managers
- Financial Managers
Quick questions
- How much does a sales manager make?
- The median pay is $71.28 per hour — roughly $148,500 a year, with the real range running from about $35.18/hr (10th percentile) to $139.68/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a sales manager?
- The typical entry-level education is: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation level: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).
- What does a sales manager actually do all day?
- Direct and coordinate activities involving sales of manufactured products, services, commodities, real estate, or other subjects of sale. Resolve customer complaints regarding sales and service. Review operational records and reports to project sales and determine profitability.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.