Sales Managers
Management
The work is directing how a product or service reaches buyers: setting territories, quotas, and goals, then overseeing regional and local sales staff. Records and reports are reviewed to project sales, judge profitability, and set price schedules and discounts. Customer complaints have to be resolved, preferences are watched so effort goes where it will land, and some roles include advising buyers on equipment. Hiring, training, and performance reviews of sales and service staff sit alongside that work. It suits people who like managing targets, handling complaints, and turning sales figures into staffing and pricing decisions.
Typical education: Bachelor’s Degree (4-year)
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$148'270
Median Wage Market Position
$148'270
What you might do
- Coordinate how products and services reach buyers
- Oversee regional and local sales teams
- Resolve customer complaints about sales and service
- Track customer preferences to aim sales efforts
- Review records to project sales and profit
- Decide price schedules and discount rates
Skills that matter
- Resolving customer sales and service complaints
- Advising buyers on equipment they need
- Setting territories, quotas, and prices
- Projecting sales and checking profitability
- Training and evaluating sales staff
- Tracking customer preferences and demand
AI & the future of this role
Forecasting, pipeline tracking, and performance reporting may shift toward AI tools that summarize CRM data and draft outreach. Coaching teams, negotiating key accounts, and reading customer relationships still hinge on judgment and trust that software alone rarely replaces.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details