How To Become A Department Sales Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a department sales manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Bill Thorne

The department sales manager spearheads the sales team and ensures that all of its goals are met. Their general job duties include supervising the sales floor, establishing department goals, training new sales staff, and developing new strategies to improve sales and the efficiency of the department as a whole.

A department sales manager's typical workday also consists of monitoring the progress of team members, attending meetings with management and other departments, creating direct reports, and relaying important information to other team members and department managers. They typically work in comfortable private offices and may have to travel for business every once in a while.

Usually, the minimum educational requirement for this position is a bachelor's degree, but having an MBA can be a great edge against other applicants. Furthermore, an aspiring department sales manager must have extensive experience in sales under their belt, preferably in a supervisory role. Aside from these formal requirements, a department sales manager must display excellent skills in leadership, communication, analysis, strategy, and collaboration. They must also have a keen eye for detail and a knack for problem-solving. On average, a department sales manager takes home around $77,000 per year.

What general advice would you give to a department sales manager?

Bill Thorne

Executive Director of the NRF Foundation and Senior Vice President of Communication and Public Affairs of NRF, National Retail Federation

Retail is the largest private-sector employer in the country, directly employing 32 million people and supporting 52 million jobs overall - roughly one-quarter of the U.S. workforce. While COVID-19 has presented new and unexpected challenges, retailers have continued to showcase the industry's resilience and adaptability time and again. The safety and security of customers and employees remains our greatest priority. It is no doubt that the professional environment has changed this year, but retail continues to offer a plethora of career opportunities for graduates and seasoned veterans alike.

ScoreDepartment Sales ManagerUS Average

Salary

4.5

Avg. Salary $57,136

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 40.66%

male 59.34%

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

Key steps to become a department sales manager

Explore department sales manager education requirements

Most common department sales manager degrees

Bachelor's

54.8 %

Associate

20.4 %

High School Diploma

13.6 %

Start to develop specific department sales manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Sales Floor	18.22%
Strong Customer Service	10.51%
Store Operations	9.64%
Retail Sales	8.04%
Cycle Counts	7.20%

Complete relevant department sales manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New department sales 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 department sales manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real department sales manager resumes.

Research department sales manager duties and responsibilities

Implement inventory management system to effectively manage on-hands, assist with correct replenishment and maintain an acceptable level of over-stock.
Take corrective actions for sales and inventory errors at all point of sales (POS) systems.
Process merchandise information through store computer system, POS register system and complete all associate paperwork according to company policy.
Utilize information technology expertise to develop and maintain web presence, create marketing opportunities, CRM management, and increase productivity.

Prepare your department sales manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your department sales manager resume.

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