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The differences between business development executives and sales development managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 8-10 years to become a business development executive, becoming a sales development manager takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a sales development manager has an average salary of $102,790, which is higher than the $97,871 average annual salary of a business development executive.
The top three skills for a business development executive include business development, digital transformation and customer service. The most important skills for a sales development manager are SDR, salesforce, and customer service.
| Business Development Executive | Sales Development Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $97,871 | $102,790 |
| Hourly rate | $47.05 | $49.42 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 189,950 | 171,101 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 39 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 4 |
A business development executive serves as a senior manager who drives company sales. Business development executives convince existing clients to buy more offerings and also source new clients. The focus of their job is on lead generation, prospect management, and customer acquisition. They collaborate with management in terms of sales objectives, planning, and prediction. The skills necessary for this job include customer service and relations, time management, strong written communication, and sales process experience.
Sales Development Managers oversee a specific function in the sales department. They are in charge of creating sales pitches, communication tools, and strategies to boost the company's sales performance. They may be assigned to do these activities for a specific product or service or for the whole product line of the organization. Sales Development Managers are also expected to create branding images that will help their sales strategies. They are required to fully understand the company's history, image, and target market. This will ensure that the branding and sales strategies they create are in line with the company's values.
Business development executives and sales development managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Business Development Executive | Sales Development Manager | |
| Average salary | $97,871 | $102,790 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $149,000 | Between $66,000 And $157,000 |
| Highest paying City | Phoenix, AZ | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Arizona | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | Clifford Chance | Everyday Health |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a business development executive and a sales development manager in terms of educational background:
| Business Development Executive | Sales Development Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between business development executives' and sales development managers' demographics:
| Business Development Executive | Sales Development Manager | |
| Average age | 39 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.8% Female, 36.2% | Male, 67.8% Female, 32.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 4.4% White, 62.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 18% |