How To Become An Account Manager/Trainer: What It Is and Career Path

What is an account manager/trainer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Jerri Lynn Kyle

An account manager/trainer is the head of a particular account in a company, responsible for managing customer relationships and generating sales within and outside of their account. As a trainer, they are also responsible for ensuring that all team members have the knowledge and skills they need to do their job according to company standards.

The primary duties of an account manager/trainer are overseeing and training team members. On top of that, they are also responsible for developing sales strategies for the team, creating sales reports, developing long-term relationships with customers, and collaborating with the sales team to gain more clients.

When looking for an account manager/trainer, many employers look for an applicant with at least a bachelor's degree in business, marketing, or a related field. They must also have a proven track record in supervising staff, attaining sales goals, and fostering great relationships with clients. Moreover, an aspiring account manager/trainer must exhibit excellent skills in leadership, communication, customer service, and strategy.

The average yearly salary of an account manager/trainer lies around $51,000 per year, depending on their employer, industry, and level of experience.

What general advice would you give to an account manager/trainer?

Jerri Lynn Kyle

Senior Instructor, Internship Coordinator, Missouri State University

1.Don't be discouraged! Jobs are out there but you might not get your dream job starting out. It's a journey, so try to make the most of every stop.
2.Start building your professional credibility, both with how you perform your job, and how you interact with your coworkers.
3.Finally, be confident, but at the same time be teachable and coachable. Your degree doesn't make you an expert. Sometimes you realize you don't even know what you don't know, and that's okay. You aren't going to know everything and that's why you need to be coachable.

ScoreAccount Manager/TrainerUS Average

Salary

5.5

Avg. Salary $70,212

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.5

Growth rate 8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.51%

Asian 6.44%

Black or African American 10.55%

Hispanic or Latino 16.40%

Unknown 6.54%

White 59.55%

Gender

female 44.28%

male 55.72%

Age - 44

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 - 44

Stress level

5.5

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.0

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.0

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an account manager/trainer

Explore account manager/trainer education requirements

Most common account manager/trainer degrees

Bachelor's

65.9 %

Associate

17.2 %

Master's

7.3 %

Start to develop specific account manager/trainer skills

Skills	Percentages
Product Knowledge	12.94%
Customer Service	12.85%
Training Programs	9.22%
Account Management	8.52%
Training Materials	6.20%

Complete relevant account manager/trainer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New account managers/trainer 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 manager/trainer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real account manager/trainer resumes.

Research account manager/trainer duties and responsibilities

Manage accounts while providing excellent customer service, help build financial relationships, redirecting calls in upselling credit per customer needs
Create PowerPoint UW training / product presentations for these purposes.
Provide PowerPoint presentations, sales quotes and contracts for potential and current clients.
Utilize CRM, ERP and online tools for scheduling, reporting and clientele organization.

Apply for account manager/trainer jobs

Now it's time to start searching for an account manager/trainer 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 managers/trainer rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Account manager/trainer reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019

Pros

Meeting with consumers, educating, coaching, discussing products

Cons

None, I really enjoy it