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Account manager vs business developer

The differences between account managers and business developers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a business developer has an average salary of $101,635, which is higher than the $68,535 average annual salary of an account manager.

The top three skills for an account manager include customer service, account management and healthcare. The most important skills for a business developer are healthcare, CRM, and customer service.

Account manager vs business developer overview

Account ManagerBusiness Developer
Yearly salary$68,535$101,635
Hourly rate$32.95$48.86
Growth rate5%10%
Number of jobs152,261193,469
Job satisfaction4-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 70%Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Average age4644
Years of experience8-

What does an account manager do?

Account managers are employees who act as the bridge between the company they represent and the client of the company. They are assigned to handle specific clients so that the company will be able to tailor-fit any product or service according to the clients' requirements. Account managers are responsible for maintaining a harmonious relationship between the two parties by ensuring that any agreement made is amenable to both the company and the client. They are also responsible for ensuring that the company will be able to provide the needs of the client within any limitation that the client may have. Account managers also ensure that the company's reputation and well-being are always considered in any dealings.

What does a business developer do?

A business developer specializes in conducting in-depth business analysis and crafting various strategies that would not just help a business grow, but also strengthen client base and brand awareness. One of their primary responsibilities revolves around identifying areas in need of improvement. They come up with new services that will boost customer satisfaction, examining the potential for revenue and figuring out new opportunities from trends or other pre-existing programs within the company. All of this is conducted according to the vision, mission, and policies of the organization.

Account manager vs business developer salary

Account managers and business developers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Account ManagerBusiness Developer
Average salary$68,535$101,635
Salary rangeBetween $42,000 And $110,000Between $66,000 And $156,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateWashingtonCalifornia
Best paying companyNVIDIAApple
Best paying industryTechnologyManufacturing

Differences between account manager and business developer education

There are a few differences between an account manager and a business developer in terms of educational background:

Account ManagerBusiness Developer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 70%Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of Southern CaliforniaWestern Carolina University

Account manager vs business developer demographics

Here are the differences between account managers' and business developers' demographics:

Account ManagerBusiness Developer
Average age4644
Gender ratioMale, 54.8% Female, 45.2%Male, 65.8% Female, 34.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 4.1% White, 78.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 8.8% White, 70.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage7%11%

Differences between account manager and business developer duties and responsibilities

Account manager example responsibilities.

  • Manage financial departments with responsibility for managing payroll, bank re-consolidations, bank deposits, budgeting and cost control.
  • Manage $4 million territory encompassing three Mid-Atlantic states.
  • Manage new business and renewals for leading Saas legal solution.
  • Manage an inside sales territory of multiple states with Avaya technology solutions.
  • Negotiate and manage all contracts and pricing for IDN's in the territory.
  • Manage customers' accounts utilizing laptop and internet base CMS reporting software and ADM field guide.
  • Show more

Business developer example responsibilities.

  • Manage all marketing and sales duties in Asia and Caribbean markets.
  • Manage pipeline within SalesForce and maintain accurate prospect/client information.
  • Manage logistics, control engineering and design, order placement, vendor relationships, customer utilization and technology.
  • Provide enterprise-wide e-business leadership for platform and product development, e-commerce & CRM solutions, and end-to-end customer acquisition strategies.
  • Establish a social media presence through Facebook & LinkedIn to increase marketability and develop a virtual community for the organization.
  • Implement the company from UK in Switzerland.
  • Show more

Account manager vs business developer skills

Common account manager skills
  • Customer Service, 19%
  • Account Management, 8%
  • Healthcare, 6%
  • CRM, 6%
  • Product Knowledge, 5%
  • PowerPoint, 5%
Common business developer skills
  • Healthcare, 10%
  • CRM, 8%
  • Customer Service, 7%
  • Work Ethic, 4%
  • Linkedin, 3%
  • Sales Process, 3%

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