Account executive, key accounts vs sales/account representative

The differences between account executives, key accounts and sales/account representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an account executive, key accounts and a sales/account representative. Additionally, an account executive, key accounts has an average salary of $117,015, which is higher than the $56,954 average annual salary of a sales/account representative.

The top three skills for an account executive, key accounts include healthcare, CRM and account management. The most important skills for a sales/account representative are customer service, CRM, and sales process.

Account executive, key accounts vs sales/account representative overview

	Account Executive, Key Accounts	Sales/Account Representative
Yearly salary	$117,015	$56,954
Hourly rate	$56.26	$27.38
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	162,443	257,122
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 80%	Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	4	4

What does an account executive, key accounts do?

Key Account Executives are responsible for generating sales revenue and maintaining relationships with key accounts of an organization. Their duties include setting sales targets, generating new leads, assiting in developing market strategies, designing and managing sales reporting tools, and working with the strategic communications team to ensure sponsor opportunities are relayed well. They are also involved in promotional content creation, implementing leads, and communicating product knowledge updates to the accounts and sales team.

What does a sales/account representative do?

A sales account representative is responsible for managing and responding promptly to customer complaints and queries of clients. They focus on customer concerns and contact prospects. They work on upselling or cross-selling products and services, collaborating with account executives, and prepare reports to upper management. This job requires you to be a goal-driven person, energetic, and have excellent communication skills. Moreover, this is a challenging job; at times, it requires being extra polite and calm in handling customer complaints and other related situations.

Account executive, key accounts vs sales/account representative salary

Account executives, key accounts and sales/account representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Account Executive, Key Accounts	Sales/Account Representative
Average salary	$117,015	$56,954
Salary range	Between $75,000 And $181,000	Between $39,000 And $81,000
Highest paying City	-	Olympia, WA
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	Smartsheet
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between account executive, key accounts and sales/account representative education

There are a few differences between an account executive, key accounts and a sales/account representative in terms of educational background:

	Account Executive, Key Accounts	Sales/Account Representative
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 80%	Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Account executive, key accounts vs sales/account representative demographics

Here are the differences between account executives, key accounts' and sales/account representatives' demographics:

	Account Executive, Key Accounts	Sales/Account Representative
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 61.4% Female, 38.6%	Male, 57.8% Female, 42.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between account executive, key accounts and sales/account representative duties and responsibilities

Account executive, key accounts example responsibilities.

Manage day-to-day activity of client relate projects including IP voice, MPLS infrastructures and CPE implementations in a deadline-orient high-pressure environment.
Maximize the use of CRM, category management, and global account management tools to plan and execute on key initiatives.
Develop all operating plans and parking performas for RFP process.
Select based on previous expertise to deliver cloud software, mainframe solutions, and content management platforms.
Guide and motivate sales team through proper use of internal CRM, opportunity tracking, and risk approval internal processes.
Compose and deliver PowerPoint presentations to multiple buyers.

Sales/account representative example responsibilities.

Generate leads and evangelize product to physicians in orthopedics, hematology, internal medicine, surgery, critical care and cardiology.
Assist external accounts in error resolution so that all EDI transactions process without manual intervention or delay.
Work with senior management to implement a sales program for new P3T software enhancement and participate in CRM application development team.
Collaborate with sales representatives to ensure new account set-up, establish specifications, and assist with EDI account maintenance and invoicing.
Create PowerPoint presentations and literature utilize and present in sales calls.
Core competencies: -Administrative/computer skills: maintain CRM systems to successfully identify potential customers.

Account executive, key accounts vs sales/account representative skills

Common account executive, key accounts skills

Healthcare, 18%
CRM, 8%
Account Management, 7%
Revenue Growth, 6%
Product Line, 6%
C-Suite, 4%

Common sales/account representative skills

Customer Service, 13%
CRM, 8%
Sales Process, 6%
Product Knowledge, 5%
Sales Strategies, 5%
Sales Techniques, 4%

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Account Executive, Key Accounts
Account Executive, Key Accounts vs Sales/Account Representative

Updated January 8, 2025

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