Sales Manager
Sales managers plan, direct, or coordinate the delivery of a product or service to the customer.
What the job is
- The work
- Sales managers plan, direct, or coordinate the delivery of a product or service to the customer.
BLS
Sales Managers — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
- Work environment
- Sales managers typically work in an office or retail setting. Most work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week. They often are required to travel.
BLS
Sales Managers — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
- Good fit for
- Successful salespeople who want to lead a sales team, set goals and travel to meet customers.
- Career cluster
- Marketing & Sales
Key numbers
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, pay for May 2025 (sales managers).
- Median pay
- $148,270 a year ($71.28 an hour)
BLS
Sales Managers — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
- Jobs in 2025
- 650,100
- Typical entry
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience
- Less than 5 years
- Training after hire
- None
Job outlook, 2025–35
- Projected growth
- +4%, which BLS calls "as fast as average"
BLS
Sales Managers — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
- Jobs added
- +29,000 over 2025–35
- All U.S. jobs
- 3.5% over the same period, for comparison
How to become one
- The usual route
- 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.
BLS
Sales Managers — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
- In short
- Sales managers typically need a bachelor's degree, often in business, and several years of sales experience; for some jobs a high school diploma is enough. They usually come from retail sales, wholesale and manufacturing sales or purchasing jobs.
- License
- None
- Paying for it
- File the FAFSA (opens by October 1) for grants, work-study and federal loans; a Pell Grant pays up to $7,395 a year (2026–27). Average public four-year tuition and fees: $11,950 in-state vs $31,880 out-of-state (2025–26). Residency rules and regional discounts · Save with 2+2 transfer
- Your state
-
StateChoose a state
- AlabamaState guide
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- LouisianaState guide
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- MinnesotaState guide
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- NevadaState guide
- New HampshireState guide
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- North CarolinaState guide
- North DakotaState guide
- OhioState guide
- OklahomaState guide
- OregonState guide
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- Rhode IslandState guide
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- UtahState guide
- VermontState guide
- VirginiaState guide
- WashingtonState guide
- West VirginiaState guide
- WisconsinState guide
- WyomingState guide
Step-by-step roadmap
The routes step by step, the exam gates and the state license step are on one page.
Sales manager: bachelor's degree and years as a sales representative
See the roadmap
Route 1: Business degree → sales representative → sales manager · Route 2: High school diploma → retail sales → manager
More careers in Marketing & Sales
Open the cluster hubEvery career page in this cluster, with entry, license, pay and outlook side by side.
Every number links to the BLS page it came from, checked 20 Oct 2026. Education Margdarshan does not recommend paid courses.