Best Jobs For Former Sales Managers [2026]

The landscape for sales managers has shifted significantly in recent years, leading many to reevaluate their career paths. As organizations evolve and adapt to new technologies and market trends, former sales managers are exploring various roles that leverage their skills in innovative ways.

Although the number of graduates pursuing sales management degrees remains steady, many are hesitant to enter the profession. This trend has raised an important question:

What are former sales managers doing now?

To find out, we analyzed the resumes of former sales managers to identify the types of positions they have transitioned into. After reviewing thousands of examples, we compiled a list of the top 100 jobs.

In light of some surprising findings, we’ve chosen to spotlight a selection of intriguing career options for former sales managers.

Best Jobs For Former Sales Managers

While some of these roles may be more appealing than others, they all present unique opportunities for leveraging sales experience in new contexts.

The complete list of jobs is detailed below.

Detailed Ranking of the Most Common Jobs of Former Sales Managers

Rank	Job Title	%
1	Account Executive	2.36%
2	Sales Representative	2.3%
3	General Manager	2.23%
4	Store Manager	1.79%
5	Director Of Sales	1.74%
6	Account Manager	1.56%
7	Regional Sales Manager	1.3%
8	Sales Associate	1.22%
9	Vice President	1.22%
10	Manager	1.09%
11	Sales Consultant	1.08%
12	Owner	1.06%
13	Business Development Manager	1.04%
14	Operations Manager	1.03%
15	Business Developer	0.93%
16	Customer Service Representative	0.82%
17	Assistant Manager	0.69%
18	Project Manager	0.63%
19	District Sales Manager	0.61%
20	Office Manager	0.59%
21	National Sales Manager	0.57%
22	Director Of Sales And Marketing	0.55%
23	Assistant Store Manager	0.54%
24	General Sales Manager	0.5%
25	Sales/marketing	0.49%
26	Consultant	0.49%
27	President	0.48%
28	Owner/operator	0.46%
29	Administrative Assistant	0.45%
30	Territory Manager	0.43%
31	Marketing Manager	0.43%
32	Senior Account Executive	0.4%
33	Senior Sales Manager	0.36%
34	Product Manager	0.35%
35	Director	0.34%
36	Marketing Director	0.33%
37	Territory Sales Manager	0.33%
38	Sales Specialist	0.32%
39	Finance Manager	0.32%
40	Branch Manager	0.32%
41	District Manager	0.3%
42	Sales And Marketing Manager	0.3%
43	Senior Account Manager	0.29%
44	National Account Manager	0.29%
45	Senior Sales Representative	0.28%
46	Regional Manager	0.27%
47	Team Leader	0.25%
48	Business Manager	0.25%
49	Operations Director	0.25%
50	Chief Executive Officer	0.24%
51	Program Manager	0.24%
52	Recruiter	0.23%
53	Service Manager	0.23%
54	Sales Person	0.22%
55	Specialist	0.22%
56	Principal	0.22%
57	Sales Account Manager	0.22%
58	Realtor	0.22%
59	Supervisor	0.22%
60	Insurance Agent	0.22%
61	Sales Engineer	0.21%
62	Server	0.21%
63	President/owner	0.2%
64	Outside Sales	0.2%
65	Sales Agent	0.19%
66	Senior Manager	0.19%
67	Substitute Teacher	0.19%
68	Teacher	0.19%
69	Key Account Manager	0.18%
70	Sales And Operations Manager	0.18%
71	Internship	0.18%
72	Finance Advisor	0.18%
73	Vice President, Business Development	0.18%
74	Managing Director	0.18%
75	Property Manager	0.17%
76	Area Manager	0.17%
77	Outside Sales Representative	0.17%
78	Managing Partner	0.17%
79	Purchasing Manager	0.16%
80	Agent	0.16%
81	Owner/manager	0.16%
82	Human Resources Manager	0.16%
83	Marketing Consultant	0.16%
84	Internet Sales Manager	0.15%
85	Retail Sales Consultant	0.15%
86	Retail Sales Manager	0.15%
87	Human Resources Coordinator	0.15%
88	Customer Service Manager	0.15%
89	Inside Sales Representative	0.15%
90	Executive Assistant	0.15%
91	Regional Accounts Manager	0.14%
92	President/chief Executive Officer	0.14%
93	Broker	0.14%
94	Executive Director	0.14%
95	Business Development Executive	0.14%
96	Senior Sales Executive	0.13%
97	Representative	0.13%
98	Partner	0.13%
99	Driver	0.13%
100	Cashier	0.13%

Most Common Jobs For Former Sales Managers

These roles are not only viable career options but also reflect the skills and experiences that former sales managers bring to the table. They represent logical next steps for many transitioning out of sales management.

How We Determined the Best Jobs of Former Sales Managers

Using data from our extensive database of over 7 million resumes, we examined those that included ‘sales manager’ in their work experience. We then identified the subsequent jobs listed in their histories, ranking them by frequency.

To create our list of the most interesting jobs, we filtered through the ranked listings to highlight positions that:

Appeared in fewer than 1% of all new jobs
Were not part of the top 100 most common jobs in our database

As the job market continues to evolve, former sales managers are well-positioned to pivot into new and exciting career opportunities that leverage their unique skill sets and experiences.

Author

Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.

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