Sales manager: bachelor's degree and years as a sales representative
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.
For: Successful salespeople who want to lead a sales team, set goals and travel to meet customers.
Route 1: Business degree → sales representative → sales manager Typical
Employers usually prefer several years of sales experience.
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Start here
High school diploma
BLS
Sales Managers — How to Become OneU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
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About 4 years
Bachelor's degree, often in business
Business degrees usually include management and marketing courses.
BLS
Sales Managers — How to Become OneU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
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Several years
Sales representative
Sales repBLS
Sales Managers — How to Become OneU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
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Goal
Sales manager
BLS
Sales Managers — How to Become OneU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
Route 2: High school diploma → retail sales → manager Some jobs
For some jobs, workers qualify with a high school diploma.
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Start here
High school diploma
BLS
Sales Managers — How to Become OneU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
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Years of work
Retail sales worker
Retail salesBLS
Sales Managers — How to Become OneU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
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Goal
Sales manager
BLS
Sales Managers — How to Become OneU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
Where to go next
Every career page in this cluster: entry, license, BLS pay and outlook.
What the job is, BLS pay and job outlook, and how to become one.