Head of sales vs outside sales manager

The differences between heads of sales and outside 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 head of sales and an outside sales manager. Additionally, a head of sales has an average salary of $166,100, which is higher than the $84,408 average annual salary of an outside sales manager.

The top three skills for a head of sales include CRM, sales strategy and sales organization. The most important skills for an outside sales manager are product knowledge, CRM, and customer service.

Head of sales vs outside sales manager overview

	Head Of Sales	Outside Sales Manager
Yearly salary	$166,100	$84,408
Hourly rate	$79.86	$40.58
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	112,592	138,054
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	8	8

What does a head of sales do?

The head of sales is primarily responsible for overseeing the sales performance of a company and devising strategies to optimize practices. Their responsibilities typically revolve around monitoring the progress of every sales effort, setting objectives and deadlines, performing research and analysis to identify sales opportunities, and coordinating with different departments to improve procedures and reach sales targets. Furthermore, as the head of sales, it is essential to lead and encourage the workforce, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

What does an outside sales manager do?

An outside sales manager is responsible for monitoring the sales staff performance in selling goods and services to existing and potential clients and ensuring that the team meets sales objectives. Outside sales managers set reasonable sales targets and establish techniques to maximize the staff's efficiency and productivity. They regularly connect with the clients to determine their needs and make any adjustments to business plans as needed. An outside sales manager should have excellent knowledge of the current market trends to identify business opportunities that would generate more revenues and resources.

Head of sales vs outside sales manager salary

Heads of sales and outside sales managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Head Of Sales	Outside Sales Manager
Average salary	$166,100	$84,408
Salary range	Between $110,000 And $248,000	Between $51,000 And $138,000
Highest paying City	Portland, OR	Albany, NY
Highest paying state	Vermont	Hawaii
Best paying company	Flexport	Dominion Enterprises
Best paying industry	Technology	Finance

Differences between head of sales and outside sales manager education

There are a few differences between a head of sales and an outside sales manager in terms of educational background:

	Head Of Sales	Outside Sales Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Southern California	University of Southern California

Head of sales vs outside sales manager demographics

Here are the differences between heads of sales' and outside sales managers' demographics:

	Head Of Sales	Outside Sales Manager
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 66.5% Female, 33.5%	Male, 79.1% Female, 20.9%
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%

Differences between head of sales and outside sales manager duties and responsibilities

Head of sales example responsibilities.

Coordinate social media work (Facebook, apps, and social post within the managed brands).
Create, and manage social media initiatives.including facebook, twitter, instagram, pinterest, and youtube.3.
Full responsibility for all sales activities for a start-up electronic commerce company managing electronic data flow in the healthcare industry.
Establish the group sales strategy, group ceiling, and booking calendar for groups.
Initiate and execute a customer service development program, CRM implementation and adoption.
Advance c-level and senior relationships with brand, agency, networks and publishers.

Outside sales manager example responsibilities.

Manage a team of sales executives to establish and maintain professional relationships with healthcare professionals in their prospective territories.
Develop a complete marketing program where none previously exist, now serves as CRM base for company.
Used CRM tools in order to provide current and detail information relate to activities, opportunity pipeline, and close business.
Channele marketing through the establishment of international distributors servicing Mexico (Hermosillo, Mexicali, and Tijuana) and Korea.
Plan and schedule work perform by HVAC technicians.
Educate and present new approach to facility managers and plant managers including ROI analysis.

Head of sales vs outside sales manager skills

Common head of sales skills

CRM, 8%
Sales Strategy, 7%
Sales Organization, 5%
Product Knowledge, 5%
Business Development, 5%
Sales Operations, 5%

Common outside sales manager skills

Product Knowledge, 12%
CRM, 10%
Customer Service, 10%
Sales Territory, 7%
Sales Strategies, 4%
Sales Growth, 3%

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Head Of Sales
Head Of Sales vs Outside Sales Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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