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Channel manager/sales manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a channel manager/sales manager. Channel manager/sales managers usually study business, marketing, or communication. 80% of channel manager/sales managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 9% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,505 real channel manager/sales manager resumes to see exactly what channel manager/sales manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for channel manager/sales managers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online channel manager/sales manager courses to help get the education required to be a channel manager/sales manager.

There are certain channel manager/sales manager certifications that you should consider. These channel manager/sales manager certifications include Certified Sales Professional (CSP) and Sales Management.

What education do you need to become a channel manager/sales manager?

What degree do you need to be a channel manager/sales manager?

The most common degree for channel manager/sales managers is bachelor's degree, with 80% of channel manager/sales managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 9% and master's degree degree at 7%.
  • Bachelor's, 80%
  • Master's, 9%
  • Associate, 7%
  • High School Diploma, 1%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a channel manager/sales manager?

You should major in business to become a channel manager/sales manager. 36% of channel manager/sales managers major in business. Other common majors for a channel manager/sales manager include marketing and communication.

Most common colleges for channel manager/sales managers

Channel manager/sales managers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, University of Maryland - College Park, and Northern Illinois University. Here are the most common colleges for channel manager/sales managers in the US based on their resumes.
Channel manager/sales manager common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix15.14%
University of Maryland - College Park5.95%
Northern Illinois University5.95%
University of Arizona5.41%
Florida State University4.86%

Best majors for channel manager/sales managers

RankMajorPercentages
1Business35.7%
2Marketing10.7%
3Communication7.2%
4Management5.6%
5Finance4.3%

Best colleges for channel manager/sales managers

The best colleges for channel manager/sales managers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

A channel manager/sales manager with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for channel manager/sales managers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become channel manager/sales managers.

1. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

2. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

5. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Blacksburg, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,620

Enrollment

27,730

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

7. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

8. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

9. University of Houston

Houston, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$8,913

Enrollment

37,291

10. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

20 best online courses for channel manager/sales managers

Advertising disclosure

1. Sales Operations/Management

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Sales jobs span nearly every industry, from agribusiness and pharmaceuticals, to telecommunications and property management. And essential to sales is the management of the sales force. This course provides the knowledge and know how required for careers in sales management. Students are exposed to all facets of sales management, including organizing, selecting, training, motivating, supervising and compensating the sales force, territory management and administration and sales and expense...

2. Sales Training: Sales Team Management

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In this course, you will learn how to define your target market, create a scalable sales process, and build training, coaching, hiring, and onboarding programs to help your sales team grow better. Whether you're already managing a sales team, or aspire to manage one at some point in your career, this course will explain what's involved when it comes to setting up a sales process, coaching your team, hiring new team members, and getting those team members up to speed as fast as possible...

3. Sales Fire: B2B Sales & Business Development for Startups

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4.6
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The Ultimate Sales Methodology for Business Development & B2B Sales to Learn Sales Strategy, Sales Skills & Deal Closing...

4. The Complete B2B Sales Masterclass: 6 Courses in 1

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4
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1. Generate Leads, 2. Pitch, 3. Close & Handle Any Objection: Get Certified in Cutting Edge, Non-Pushy B2B Sales System...

5. Strategic Sales Management

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This Specialization is intended for sales professionals who seek to improve their sales planning and management competencies and skills. Through five courses, you will cover Effective Sales overview, Sales Strategy, Models and Frameworks to Support Sales Planning, Sales & Marketing Alignment, and you will develop a Final Project.\n\nBy the end of this specialization, you'll have improved your knowledge, competencies, and skills regarding the sales planning process. And you will be able to apply...

6. Sales Skills: 9 Sales Training Courses In 1

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4.4
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Develop Extraordinary Sales Skills With The Ultimate Sales Training (Taught By 5 Top Sales Experts)...

7. Sales Analysis for Management Consultants

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A practical guide on how to improve sales and marketing of your customers during consulting projects like Mc Kinsey, BCG,...

8. The Complete Sales Skills Master Class - Sales Marketing B2B

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Master Sales Skills, Marketing Strategy, B2B Sales, Business Development, Lead Generation Using Top Social Skills...

9. Sales Machine: The Sales Training B2B Master Course

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Learn Sales Strategies & Sales Techniques to Sell ANYTHING for Entrepreneurs, Startup, B2B Sales, & Business Development...

10. Sales Training: Practical Sales Techniques

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Sales Hacking: Essential sales skills, sales strategies and sales techniques to sell just about anything!...

11. Sales Training: How To Close More Sales

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Closing Sales: Sales Training Course: Sales Skills; Selling Techniques; Sales Strategies for B2B, B2C Direct Sales...

12. Management - Leadership, Negotiating, Assertiveness, Sales

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A practical guide covering assertiveness, time management, leadership, negotiating, sales & project management...

13. Sales Training Pro: The Complete Sales Presentation Course

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Practical, Hands-on Sales Techniques and Tools to Effortlessly Engage your Customers In Your Sales Presentations...

14. Business Development & B2B Sales for Startups- Sales Valley

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4.5
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The Complete Startup Playbook for Business Development & B2B Sales to learn Lead Generation, Pitching, & Closing Deals...

15. Sales Training: Become A Sales Superstar

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4.7
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Develop Advanced Sales Skills To Sell Anything Like A Champ (Taught By A World-class Salesman)...

16. Sales Funnels Masterclass: Increase Sales With Sales Funnels

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Learn to create highly converting sales, conduct professional email marketing & 10X your sales with sales funnel fast!...

17. CRUSH IT!!! - Sales Strategies

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Discover a step by step sales process you can drop into your business to re-connect with lost prospects. Close Sales Now...

18. TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP Management Coach Training

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Management Training, Coaching Remote Team, Management Coaching, Sales Coaching, Sales Management Coach, Sales Leadership...

19. Sales Forecasting in Excel for Management Consultants

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A practical guide on how to do basic sales forecasting models in Excel with case studies & real-life examples...

20. Sales Skills Mastery 1: Sales Training For Beginners

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4.4
(817)

Selling Techniques and Sales Strategy that Every Salesperson Ought to Know - Sales Training For the Modern World...

Top 10 most affordable universities for channel manager/sales managers

The most affordable schools for channel manager/sales managers are USF Sarasota-Manatee, university of florida, and university of south florida.

If the best universities for channel manager/sales managers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for channel manager/sales managers.

1. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

6. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

7. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. USF St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,821

Cost of attendance

19,849

10. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for channel manager/sales managers

The hardest universities for channel manager/sales managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for channel manager/sales managers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for channel manager/sales managers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

7. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

8. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

Admissions rate

39%

SAT average

1,367

9. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for channel manager/sales managers

The easiest schools for channel manager/sales managers to get into are Gwynedd Mercy University, mount saint mary's university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a channel manager/sales manager without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for channel manager/sales managers.

1. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

2. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

6. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

7. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

8. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

9. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

10. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

Average channel manager/sales manager salary by education level

Channel manager/sales managers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $155,718 annually. With a Doctorate degree, channel manager/sales managers earn a median annual income of $149,089 compared to $141,747 for channel manager/sales managers with an Bachelor's degree.
Channel manager/sales manager education levelChannel manager/sales manager salary
Master's Degree$155,718
High School Diploma or Less$115,334
Bachelor's Degree$141,747
Doctorate Degree$149,089
Some College/ Associate Degree$115,265

Channel manager/sales manager education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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