What is a commercial account manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted expert

Kaustav Misra Ph.D.

A commercial account manager is an individual who manages relationships with business clients by overseeing their accounts and ensuring their satisfaction. They act as a liaison between the client and the company, often working to identify new business opportunities and develop customized solutions to meet their needs. Commercial account managers also provide guidance on products and services, negotiate contracts, and handle any issues that arise. They play a crucial role in maintaining existing business relationships.

What general advice would you give to a commercial account manager?

Kaustav Misra Ph.D.

Associate Dean, Central Connecticut State University

I have spent almost two decades in the higher education industry and about a decade in administration. I often advised students, and it is astonishing to see how many of these students do not plan for their future. A good plan is a starting point to lead a good and successful career and life. Hence, by all means, it is worth noting that developing a future-oriented focus is important, so taking time to streamline the plan should be an important exercise for every graduate before they begin to do anything.

ScoreCommercial Account ManagerUS Average

Salary

4.6

Avg. Salary $59,175

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.4

Growth rate 5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

2.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.24%

Asian 4.07%

Black or African American 3.24%

Hispanic or Latino 9.82%

Unknown 4.41%

White 78.23%

Gender

female 39.86%

male 60.14%

Age - 46

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 46

Stress level

6.4

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.7

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.4

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a commercial account manager?

Pros

Opportunity to build strong relationships with clients
Possibility of earning a high income through commissions and bonuses
Opportunities for career advancement within the company
Ability to work independently and manage your own schedule
Valuable experience in sales, marketing, and business development

Cons

High stress levels due to meeting sales targets and managing client expectations
Long working hours, including evenings and weekends
Pressure to constantly bring in new business and retain existing clients
Dealing with difficult or challenging clients and resolving conflicts
Limited work-life balance, especially during peak seasons or busy periods

Key steps to become a commercial account manager

Explore commercial account manager education requirements

Most common commercial account manager degrees

Bachelor's

64.9 %

Associate

16.2 %

High School Diploma

8.1 %

Start to develop specific commercial account manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	19.17%
CRM	12.18%
Account Management	7.39%
Product Knowledge	5.48%
Cam	3.46%

Complete relevant commercial account manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New commercial account managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a commercial account manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real commercial account manager resumes.

Research commercial account manager duties and responsibilities

Oversee all accounting functions and manage accounts in QuickBooks (payable and receivable).
Manage accounts while providing excellent customer service, help build financial relationships, redirecting calls in upselling credit per customer needs
Demonstrate strong technical sales knowledge with software manufacturers and licensing programs for the SMB and enterprise segments.
Provide SMB clients one on one consulting services by strategically presenting wireless solutions that help them do business more efficiently.

Prepare your commercial account manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your commercial account manager resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a commercial account manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable commercial account manager resume templates

Build a professional commercial account manager resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your commercial account manager resume.

Apply for commercial account manager jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a commercial account manager job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do commercial account managers rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Commercial account manager reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2020

Pros

Semi-flexible work hours. You have a sales goal and customers to call on in order to achieve said goal, so you have some flexibility of your schedule.

A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2019

Cons

I don't like Infiltration which is common in Asian countries.

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019