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The differences between customer support managers and sales support managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a customer support manager, becoming a sales support manager takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, a sales support manager has an average salary of $94,946, which is higher than the $91,598 average annual salary of a customer support manager.
The top three skills for a customer support manager include project management, CRM and technical support. The most important skills for a sales support manager are project management, CRM, and salesforce.
| Customer Support Manager | Sales Support Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $91,598 | $94,946 |
| Hourly rate | $44.04 | $45.65 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 128,995 | 166,510 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 47 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 8 |
The responsibilities of a customer support manager revolve around overseeing the performance of customer support staff to ensure that all clients get optimal service. They mostly delegate tasks, address and resolve issues, manage schedules, train new employees, produce progress reports, assess performances, and set sales targets. There are also instances when one must respond to calls and correspondence, offer products and services, and manage the budget. Furthermore, as a manager, it is essential to lead and encourage the team to reach sales targets while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
A sales support manager is responsible for monitoring the sales operations of an organization, evaluating the sales performance, and conducting data analysis and research to identify business opportunities that would generate more revenue resources and increase the company's profitability. Sales support managers also meet with existing potential clients to discuss services and negotiate contracts, responding to their inquiries and concerns, and addressing their requests. They also handle the training and programs for the sales staff to maximize efficiency and productivity to meet target goals and increase sales volume.
Customer support managers and sales support managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Customer Support Manager | Sales Support Manager | |
| Average salary | $91,598 | $94,946 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $130,000 | Between $62,000 And $144,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Portland, OR |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Oregon |
| Best paying company | Amazon | Accenture |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Professional |
There are a few differences between a customer support manager and a sales support manager in terms of educational background:
| Customer Support Manager | Sales Support Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | California State University - Bakersfield | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between customer support managers' and sales support managers' demographics:
| Customer Support Manager | Sales Support Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 56.9% Female, 43.1% | Male, 50.6% Female, 49.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 6.1% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 4.1% White, 78.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 7% |