Do you need a degree to be an account executive?

Only 7.3% of account executives have a master's degree. However, those account executives with a master's degree earn more money ($73,000) compared to those with just a bachelor's degree ($65,000).

While a college degree helps to get a foot in the door, an account executive is weighted more on their communication skills, social networking abilities, and their ability to get new clients. On-the-job experience is also very important. For example, over 90% of recently hired account executives have had at least several years of work experience in their industry.

Most account executives have worked in sales, which gives them the opportunity to on-the-job training and master sales and persuasion techniques. Starting out as a sales representative is recommended since it provides one-on-one experience working with an account executive.

Since most account executive roles require at least three years of experience in sales, you should plan to work for at least that long in an entry-level sales role before seeking a promotion.