Career
Sales managers
Lead the teams that bring in the revenue.
$148,270
Median pay
+4.5%
Job growth, 2025–35
47,300
Openings a year
Bachelor's degree
Typical education
4 years
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- 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.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on persuasion & leadership, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Oversee regional and local sales managers and their staffs.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Active Listening, Negotiation, Speaking, Persuasion.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
4 years of education after high school (bachelor's degree), for a median of $148,270 a year and 47,300 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Business AdministrationSee the degree →
- MarketingSee the degree →
- Business (General)See the degree →
- Consumer Merchandising/Retailing ManagementCIP 19.0203
- Pharmaceutical Marketing and ManagementCIP 51.2011
- Business/Commerce, GeneralCIP 52.0101
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Marketing Managers$166,790 · +6.9%
- Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel$69,990 · +2.7%
- Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists$78,760 · +7.0%
- Advertising and Promotions Managers$133,660 · -3.7%
- Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.