JobAfterNext

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.

Wages

Median annual wage, U.S.$148,270
Employment, U.S.637,080
Median hourly wage$71.28
Annual wage percentiles, U.S., May 2025
10th25thMedian75th90th
$73,170$100,360$148,270$207,340$290,540
By state (50)
StateEmploymentMedian annualLocation quotient
Alabama4,670$124,0400.54
Alaska850$98,8600.64
Arizona13,870$145,6901.04
Arkansas3,710$108,3300.69
California112,440$134,9101.51
Colorado8,780$180,8500.75
Connecticut8,560$162,1101.23
District of Columbia1,930$141,8000.67
Florida46,480$131,9001.14
Georgia17,690$159,8900.88
Hawaii1,710$116,3400.67
Idaho2,490$135,3500.71
Illinois32,240$155,2801.29
Indiana9,700$131,4700.74
Iowa3,260$134,0100.51
Kansas6,820$159,9901.16
Kentucky6,650$128,6500.81
Louisiana4,360$110,7000.55
Maine$158,660
Maryland$137,150
Massachusetts15,010$191,2001.01
Michigan17,950$136,8701.00
Minnesota11,240$151,6700.93
Mississippi1,870$108,7500.39
Missouri7,630$115,3700.63
Montana1,200$117,3900.57
Nebraska3,000$126,9900.72
Nevada5,770$109,7900.91
New Hampshire2,820$141,9001.01
New Jersey20,090$173,0201.14
New Mexico1,750$114,0800.49
New York38,510$217,6400.97
North Carolina16,920$150,4700.84
North Dakota550$119,9900.31
Ohio22,840$135,5101.00
Oklahoma3,250$128,9200.46
Oregon5,260$155,8100.65
Pennsylvania20,460$130,6100.82
Rhode Island1,120$154,9700.54
South Carolina9,340$131,0800.99
South Dakota450$136,3600.24
Tennessee12,270$128,0400.91
Texas76,010$136,0201.32
Utah8,990$136,5201.26
Vermont930$138,6500.74
Virginia9,670$191,1300.57
Washington10,030$174,0000.69
West Virginia1,110$94,8300.39
Wisconsin10,480$134,8700.87
Wyoming300$129,8400.26

Similar occupations

Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.

#OccupationJob ZoneSimilarity
1Marketing Managers40.986
2First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers40.979
3Advertising and Promotions Managers40.975
4Fundraisers40.973
5Spa Managers30.971
6Chief Executives50.968
7Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents40.967
8Education Administrators, Postsecondary50.967
9Purchasing Managers40.963
10Management Analysts40.963

One skill away

Among the 50 occupations most similar to Sales Managers, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.

OccupationSkill to buildLevel gapSimilarity
Marketing ManagersOperations Analysis1.000.986
Purchasing ManagersManagement of Material Resources0.760.963
Management AnalystsOperations Analysis1.260.963
Medical and Health Services ManagersOperations Analysis1.260.952
LogisticiansOperations Analysis1.380.947
Sales EngineersReading Comprehension0.880.942

Software to learn next

Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Sales Managers, excluding software Sales Managers already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.

SoftwareSimilar jobs using itLift
Fund accounting software8 of 2010.3x
Mentimeter6 of 2021.3x
Screencastify5 of 2012.1x
Constant Contact3 of 2046.2x
Apple Final Cut Pro6 of 206.2x
Oracle Siebel Server Sync3 of 2027.7x
Citrix cloud computing software5 of 207.2x
StataCorp Stata6 of 205.1x
Payroll software4 of 2010.9x
Adobe Dreamweaver6 of 204.7x

Skills

From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.

SkillTypeImportanceLevel
Active ListeningEssential skill 4.00 4.00
NegotiationTransferable skill 4.00 4.00
SpeakingEssential skill 4.00 4.00
MonitoringEssential skill 3.88 4.62
Critical ThinkingEssential skill 3.88 4.00
Judgment and Decision MakingTransferable skill 3.88 4.00
Management of Personnel ResourcesTransferable skill 3.88 4.00
PersuasionTransferable skill 3.88 4.00
Reading ComprehensionEssential skill 3.88 4.00
Social PerceptivenessTransferable skill 3.88 4.00
CoordinationTransferable skill 3.75 4.00
Time ManagementTransferable skill 3.75 4.00
Active LearningEssential skill 3.75 3.88
Complex Problem SolvingTransferable skill 3.75 3.88
InstructingTransferable skill 3.75 3.88
WritingEssential skill 3.62 4.00
Service OrientationTransferable skill 3.62 3.88
Systems AnalysisTransferable skill 3.62 3.88
Systems EvaluationTransferable skill 3.62 3.88
Learning StrategiesEssential skill 3.12 3.62
Management of Financial ResourcesTransferable skill 3.00 3.62
MathematicsEssential skill 3.00 3.12
Management of Material ResourcesTransferable skill 2.75 3.12
Operations AnalysisTransferable skill 2.62 2.62
Operations MonitoringTransferable skill 1.75 1.50
Quality Control AnalysisTransferable skill 1.75 1.00
Operation and ControlTransferable skill 1.75 0.75
ProgrammingTransferable skill 1.62 0.75
ScienceEssential skill 1.62 0.62
Technology DesignTransferable skill 1.50 0.50
Equipment MaintenanceTransferable skill 1.00not rated
Equipment SelectionTransferable skill 1.00not rated
InstallationTransferable skill 1.00not rated
RepairingTransferable skill 1.00not rated
TroubleshootingTransferable skill 1.00not rated
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
Knowledge
NameImportanceLevel
Sales and Marketing 4.80 5.86
Customer and Personal Service 4.35 5.24
English Language 4.11 4.33
Administration and Management 4.05 4.62
Personnel and Human Resources 3.35 4.24
Education and Training 3.20 4.95
Computers and Electronics 3.20 3.81
Economics and Accounting 3.00 3.10
Communications and Media 3.00 3.05
Mathematics 2.85 3.76
Psychology 2.75 3.14
Administrative 2.50 3.62
Law and Government 2.25 2.38
Engineering and Technology 2.16 1.80
Production and Processing 2.10 2.24
Sociology and Anthropology 2.05 2.05
Telecommunications 2.05 1.29
Transportation 1.95 1.85
Public Safety and Security 1.90 1.67
Geography 1.75 2.05
Design 1.65 1.24
Foreign Language 1.60 1.38
Therapy and Counseling 1.45 1.38
Mechanical 1.45 0.90
Building and Construction 1.25not rated
Philosophy and Theology 1.25not rated
History and Archeology 1.20not rated
Biology 1.15not rated
Chemistry 1.15not rated
Fine Arts 1.15not rated
Food Production 1.15not rated
Medicine and Dentistry 1.10not rated
Physics 1.10not rated
Abilities
NameImportanceLevel
Oral Comprehension 4.00 4.38
Oral Expression 4.00 4.00
Written Comprehension 4.00 4.00
Written Expression 4.00 4.00
Deductive Reasoning 3.88 4.00
Inductive Reasoning 3.88 4.00
Problem Sensitivity 3.88 3.88
Speech Recognition 3.75 4.12
Speech Clarity 3.75 4.00
Fluency of Ideas 3.75 3.88
Originality 3.75 3.88
Category Flexibility 3.25 3.62
Near Vision 3.12 3.38
Information Ordering 3.12 3.00
Mathematical Reasoning 2.88 3.75
Number Facility 2.88 3.62
Memorization 2.88 3.00
Speed of Closure 2.88 3.00
Flexibility of Closure 2.88 2.88
Far Vision 2.75 2.75
Selective Attention 2.75 2.75
Perceptual Speed 2.62 2.25
Time Sharing 2.62 2.12
Visualization 2.25 2.50
Visual Color Discrimination 2.00 1.62
Auditory Attention 1.88 1.62
Trunk Strength 1.88 1.25
Hearing Sensitivity 1.62 1.00
Wrist-Finger Speed 1.62 0.62
Spatial Orientation 1.50 0.62
Depth Perception 1.50 0.50
Finger Dexterity 1.50 0.50
Control Precision 1.38 0.38
Manual Dexterity 1.38 0.38
Multilimb Coordination 1.25not rated
Arm-Hand Steadiness 1.12not rated
Dynamic Flexibility 1.00not rated
Dynamic Strength 1.00not rated
Explosive Strength 1.00not rated
Extent Flexibility 1.00not rated
Glare Sensitivity 1.00not rated
Gross Body Coordination 1.00not rated
Gross Body Equilibrium 1.00not rated
Night Vision 1.00not rated
Peripheral Vision 1.00not rated
Rate Control 1.00not rated
Reaction Time 1.00not rated
Response Orientation 1.00not rated
Sound Localization 1.00not rated
Speed of Limb Movement 1.00not rated
Stamina 1.00not rated
Static Strength 1.00not rated

Software used

Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.

All 103
  • R hot
  • SAP software hot
  • SAS hot
  • Splunk Enterprise hot
  • Structured query language SQL hot
  • Tableau hot
  • Teradata Database hot
  • Yardi software hot
  • Zoom hot
  • Act!
  • Adobe ActionScript
  • Airtable
  • Apple Keynote
  • Avidian Technologies Prophet
  • Blackbaud The Raiser's Edge
  • Contact management software
  • Database software
  • Delphi Discovery
  • Delphi Technology
  • Dropbox
  • Eden Sales Manager
  • Eko
  • FileMaker Pro
  • Geographic information system GIS software
  • Google Ads
  • Google Drive
  • Google Meet
  • Google Sites
  • Google Slides
  • HEAT Software GoldMine
  • Human resource management software HRMS
  • IBM Cognos Impromptu
  • IBM Notes
  • IBM Power Systems software
  • Inventory software
  • LexisNexis
  • LinkedIn
  • LogMeIn GoToMeeting
  • Maximizer Software Maximizer Enterprise
  • McAfee
  • MicroStrategy
  • Microsoft Dynamics
  • Microsoft Dynamics GP
  • Microsoft Exchange
  • Microsoft Publisher
  • Minitab
  • NetSuite ERP
  • NetSuite NetCRM
  • NortonLifeLock cybersecurity software
  • Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition
  • Oracle E-Business Suite Financials
  • Oracle Eloqua
  • Oracle Fusion Applications
  • Oracle Hyperion
  • Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne
  • Oracle PeopleSoft Financials
  • Oracle Taleo
  • Poll Everywhere
  • Qlik Tech QlikView
  • SAP Business Objects
  • SAP BusinessObjects Crystal Reports
  • SAP Crystal Reports
  • Sage 50 Accounting
  • Salesforce.com Salesforce CRM
  • Scheduling software
  • SmugMug Flickr
  • Social media sites
  • Software on Sailboats Desktop Sales Manager
  • Tax software
  • Vanguard Software Vanguard Sales Manager
  • Web browser software
  • Workforce management software
  • YouTube

Where it concentrates

Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.

Metro areaEmploymentLocation quotientMedian annual
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA8,9401.92$201,780
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX9,8801.86$151,760
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA17,7701.83$170,810
Napa, CA5201.63$137,770
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA1,3601.62$117,940
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX26,7801.61$144,290
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA2,0501.54$107,720
Salt Lake City-Murray, UT5,2101.54$143,930
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA37,7901.47$132,330
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN25,3901.37$158,690

More metros, other thresholds