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The differences between distribution sales managers and inside sales managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both a distribution sales manager and an inside sales manager. Additionally, an inside sales manager has an average salary of $78,425, which is higher than the $64,821 average annual salary of a distribution sales manager.
The top three skills for a distribution sales manager include customer service, customer complaints and sales people. The most important skills for an inside sales manager are customer service, CRM, and salesforce.
| Distribution Sales Manager | Inside Sales Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $64,821 | $78,425 |
| Hourly rate | $31.16 | $37.70 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 119,543 | 129,882 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 8 |
A distribution sales manager is tasked to find whole and retail sellers to distribute goods and services. Alongside distribution, the manager's tasks include monitoring all sales, orders, product performance, and retailer feedback to further improve the product. The distribution manager must also have skills in email marketing, B2B correspondence, engage with potential clients and customers, and ensuring all orders are fulfilled on time and without delays.
An inside sales manager is the one who leads the sales team to meet the organization's sales targets. The sales managers recruit, handle, and train the professional development of the sales team. It is their duty to set the goals of the company, provide sales reports, set departmental budgets, and track sales. They collaborate with the marketing department to make sure that the sales staff receives quality leads. Also, they address and resolve complaints from customers.
Distribution sales managers and inside sales managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Distribution Sales Manager | Inside Sales Manager | |
| Average salary | $64,821 | $78,425 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $111,000 | Between $49,000 And $123,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Jose, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Accenture | Accenture |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a distribution sales manager and an inside sales manager in terms of educational background:
| Distribution Sales Manager | Inside Sales Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between distribution sales managers' and inside sales managers' demographics:
| Distribution Sales Manager | Inside Sales Manager | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.3% Female, 27.7% | Male, 63.3% Female, 36.7% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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 | 7% | 7% |