What is an account director and how to become one

Q: Do account directors make commission?

Yes, account directors make commission. The average commission for an account director is $141,000 a year. However, depending on the company and industry, it can range anywhere between $95K to $248K. This is on top of their base pay, which is around $117,000 a year, on average. Therefore, It's not uncommon to see an account director earning over $200K a year.

Q: How much do account directors make?

Account directors make $118,000 a year, on average ($57.05 an hour). Account directors just starting out can expect to make around $83,000 a year, while an account director with ten or more years of experience has the potential to earn $168,000 a year. Other factors such as location and industry can also impact how much an account director can earn.

Q: What education is required to become an account manager?

A bachelor's degree in a relevant field is typically required of those seeking employment as an account manager. It is possible to work as an account manager with varying levels of education, but few account managers are hired with less than a bachelor's degree.

Q: What is the difference between an account manager and an account director?

The difference between an account manager and an account director is based on seniority and the scope of managerial responsibilities. An account manager, for example, works under an account director.

Q: What qualifications do I need to be an account executive?

Account executives must meet certain education and job-specific qualifications, including a bachelor's degree, business or sales experience, and strong communication skills. A four-year degree in business administration, accounting, or marketing is typical of someone pursuing this career path. Some candidates earn an MBA, and all coursework should focus on consumer research, marketing, and communication methods.

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Laura Sansoni

An account director manages the relationship between a company and its clients. They act as a liaison between the client and the agency, ensuring that the client's needs and goals are met. The account director also develops and implements strategies to increase revenue and build strong relationships. They oversee the account team operations, including project management, budgeting, and reporting. An account director must have excellent communication and leadership skills and an understanding of marketing principles.

What general advice would you give to an account director?

Laura Sansoni

Director, Career Development, CBA Career Center, University of Nebraska at Omaha

Whenever I work with a new graduate, I see them experiencing many emotions ranging from excitement from completing their education to anxiety about starting their careers.

For the graduates that have a job, I highly encourage them to take advantage of any opportunity presented to them. Participate in workplace events, take advantage of professional development opportunities like attending conferences or trainings, and volunteer to work on projects when asked to. Taking advantage of these opportunities in your workplace will increase your skills and experiences while deepening your connections to your colleagues and growing your personal network.

For graduates that are still looking for jobs, I remind them that the worst things that can happen in the job search are an employer saying "no", "we went with another candidate", or not responding to your application at all. While that can be scary and defeating at times, think about the positives of the situation. You didn't get the interview or the job, but you didn't lose anything either. Instead, you gained more experience in the job search process that you can improve upon for the next time. I also remind new grads to let the employers decide if they are the right fit for the job instead of counting yourself out too early. If you meet 75 percent of the qualifications in the job description, apply for the job and let the recruiter decide whether to set up an interview. Don't be so afraid of the next "no" that it prevents you from finding the next possible "yes".

ScoreAccount DirectorUS Average

Salary

8.0

Avg. Salary $114,728

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.4

Growth rate 5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

2.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.24%

Asian 4.07%

Black or African American 3.24%

Hispanic or Latino 9.82%

Unknown 4.41%

White 78.23%

Gender

female 49.13%

male 50.87%

Age - 46

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 46

Stress level

6.4

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.7

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.4

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being an account director?

Pros

High earning potential
Opportunity for career advancement
Creative problem solving
Collaborative work environment
Opportunities for travel

Cons

Pressure to meet deadlines and achieve targets
Difficulty in separating work from personal life
Heavy workload and tight schedules
Dealing with conflicts or disagreements within the team or with clients
High level of accountability for results and outcomes

Key steps to become an account director

Explore account director education requirements

Most common account director degrees

Bachelor's

80.5 %

Master's

11.3 %

Associate

4.9 %

Start to develop specific account director skills

Skills	Percentages
Account Management	8.79%
Project Management	7.09%
Work Ethic	6.87%
Healthcare	6.83%
Digital Marketing	5.27%

Complete relevant account director training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New account directors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an account director based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real account director resumes.

Research account director duties and responsibilities

Manage coordination with HCP agencies for launch.
Manage the development and creation of print and broadcast advertising and in-store merchandising.
Manage relationships with all GPO pharmacy, medical device, and physician preference teams.
Manage client accounts as well as introducing cross selling into other verticals to increase the portfolio.

Get account director experience

Generally, it takes 6-8 years to become an account director. The most common roles before becoming an account director include account executive, account supervisor team lead and account manager.

Prepare your account director resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your account director resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an account director resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable account director resume templates

Build a professional account director resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your account director resume.

Apply for account director jobs

Now it's time to start searching for an account director job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do account directors rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Account director reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2019

Pros

Strategic Planning to develop and capture new business opportunities, building strong customer/partner relationships and analyzing the financial performance of customers to help improve their financial and operational performance. Negotiations

Cons

Being away from family because of excessive travel

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019

Cons

Unreasonable deadlines.

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019

Pros

Meeting with consumers, educating, coaching, discussing products

Cons

None, I really enjoy it

Account director FAQs

What is an account director and how to become one

What general advice would you give to an account director?

What are the pros and cons of being an account director?

Account director career paths

Key steps to become an account director

Explore account director education requirements

Most common account director degrees

Start to develop specific account director skills

Complete relevant account director training and internships

Research account director duties and responsibilities

Get account director experience

Prepare your account director resume

Choose from 10+ customizable account director resume templates

Apply for account director jobs

How did you land your first account director job

Average account director salary

How do account directors rate their job?

Account director reviews

Account director FAQs

Do account directors make commission?

How much do account directors make?

What education is required to become an account manager?

What is the difference between an account manager and an account director?

What qualifications do I need to be an account executive?

Search for account director jobs

Account director jobs by state