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The differences between advertising account executives and sales account managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an advertising account executive, becoming a sales account manager takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, an advertising account executive has an average salary of $62,123, which is higher than the $58,630 average annual salary of a sales account manager.
The top three skills for an advertising account executive include media sales, CRM and client relationships. The most important skills for a sales account manager are customer service, CRM, and customer satisfaction.
| Advertising Account Executive | Sales Account Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $62,123 | $58,630 |
| Hourly rate | $29.87 | $28.19 |
| Growth rate | -8% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 117,707 | 163,697 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 44 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 8 |
An advertising account executive serves as the clients' primary point of contact when coordinating with the advertising team. Mainly responsible for managing client accounts, an advertising account executive must identify the clients' advertising needs, answer inquiries, prepare and process documentation, review former campaigns, and coordinate with the clients to establish timelines, goals, and budgets. Furthermore, it is essential to assist clients every step of the way, ensuring smooth workflow and client satisfaction, all while adhering to the company's policies ad regulations.
The account sales manager is in charge of the retention of their customer relationship. They have to supervise the portfolio of existing clients, develop new business with them, and seek new sales opportunities. Account sales managers act as liaisons between the company and customer as well as build strong, long-lasting relationships by providing an improved customer experience. It is their responsibility to negotiate contracts and close deals to maximize sales profits. Also, they forecast track sales results and prepare reports on account status.
Advertising account executives and sales account managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Advertising Account Executive | Sales Account Manager | |
| Average salary | $62,123 | $58,630 |
| Salary range | Between $44,000 And $87,000 | Between $33,000 And $101,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redding, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Technology |
There are a few differences between an advertising account executive and a sales account manager in terms of educational background:
| Advertising Account Executive | Sales Account Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between advertising account executives' and sales account managers' demographics:
| Advertising Account Executive | Sales Account Manager | |
| Average age | 44 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 41.4% Female, 58.6% | Male, 63.4% Female, 36.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.0% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.3% Asian, 4.6% White, 71.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 7% |