How To Become A General Manager Of Business Development: What It Is and Career Path

What is a general manager of business development and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted Expert

Bill Thorne

The average general manager of business development salary is $116,506. The most common degree is a bachelor's degree degree with an business major. It usually takes 8-10 years of experience to become a general manager of business development. General managers of business development with a Certified Sales Professional (CSP) certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 10% and produce 33,700 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a General Manager Of Business Development?

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.

ScoreGeneral Manager Of Business DevelopmentUS Average

Salary

8.0

Avg. Salary $116,506

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

7.5

Growth Rate 10%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.23%

Asian 8.15%

Black or African American 3.04%

Hispanic or Latino 8.67%

Unknown 5.32%

White 74.58%

Gender

female 16.47%

male 83.53%

Age - 38

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 - 38

Stress Level

7.5

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

9.0

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

3.5

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a general manager of business development

Explore general manager of business development education requirements

Most common general manager of business development degrees

Bachelor's

67.0 %

Master's

18.7 %

Associate

9.3 %

Start to develop specific general manager of business development skills

Skills	Percentages
Business Development	21.99%
Business Growth	8.98%
Trade Shows	6.82%
Product Development	6.51%
Sales Strategies	6.15%

Complete relevant general manager of business development training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New general managers of business development 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 general manager of business development based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real general manager of business development resumes.

Research general manager of business development duties and responsibilities

Lead and manage large RFP responses to ensure corporate objectives for profitability, sustainability, and operational delivery objectives are meet.
Lead centralized, electronic referral center coordinating post-acute service needs of patients discharging from multiple acute facilities in Arizona region.
Transform poor performing distributors into successful growing partners, through developing individual growth plans and participating in their execution.

Apply for general manager of business development jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a general manager of business development 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

Average general manager of business development salary

The average General Manager Of Business Development salary in the United States is $116,506 per year or $56 per hour. General manager of business development salaries range between $70,000 and $193,000 per year.

Average General Manager Of Business Development Salary

$116,506 Yearly

$56.01 hourly

How do general managers of business development rate their job?

-/5

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General Manager Of Business Development reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2019

Pros

B2B Communication and Building Relationships, Product\Strategy Development and Implementation, Solving Problems

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 Jun 2019