How to hire an industry sales manager

How to hire an industry sales manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step industry sales manager hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an industry sales manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new industry sales manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an industry sales manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring an industry sales manager, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An industry sales manager's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, industry sales managers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents industry sales manager salaries for various positions.

   Type of Industry Sales Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Industry Sales Manager	Sales managers direct organizations' sales teams. They set sales goals, analyze data, and develop training programs for organizations’ sales representatives.	$27-59
   Product Manager/Sales	A sales product manager is responsible for monitoring the sales performance of a specific product and ensuring that the marketing strategies adhere to market standards and client requirements. Sales product managers work closely with the marketing and public relations team to enhance the product's brand image on various market platforms to reach the target audience... Show more	$36-75
   Regional Sales And Marketing Manager	A regional sales and marketing manager's role is to oversee a company's marketing operations, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. Their responsibilities include performing research and analysis to identify new business opportunities, gathering and analyzing data to determine the strengths and weaknesses of current programs and procedures, setting goals and budgets, assessing the performance of the workforce, and monitoring the progress of the different company branches within the region... Show more	$26-58

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Satisfaction
   • CRM
   • Sales Process
   • Account Management
   • Trade Shows
   • Business Development
   • Sales Plan
   • Sales Territory
   • Distributors
   • Direct Sales
   • Sales Strategy
   • Business Plan
   • Product Knowledge
   • Sales Presentations

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Introduce a foreign manufacture into a dominant domestic automotive and aerospace markets while achieving business goals and domestic tool production plans.
   • Provide operational leadership including strategic planning, resource allocation, forecasting, ROI, and budget optimization.
   • Introduce a foreign manufacture into a dominant domestic automotive and aerospace markets while achieving business goals and domestic tool production plans.
   • Develop strategic territory and marketing plans, formulate RFP responses, provide international expertise on sales calls.

   More industry sales manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your industry sales manager job description helps attract top candidates to the position. An industry sales manager salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for an industry sales manager in Mississippi may be lower than in California, and an entry-level industry sales manager usually earns less than a senior-level industry sales manager. Additionally, an industry sales manager with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average industry sales manager salary

   $84,766yearly

   $40.75 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level industry sales manager salary

   $58,000 yearly salary

   Updated February 2, 2026

   Average industry sales manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$114,239	$55
   2	Oregon	$105,162	$51
   3	District of Columbia	$99,687	$48
   4	Virginia	$99,266	$48
   5	Michigan	$98,958	$48
   6	Maine	$98,536	$47
   7	New York	$93,936	$45
   8	Illinois	$93,301	$45
   9	Massachusetts	$90,208	$43
   10	Washington	$89,908	$43
   11	New Jersey	$88,155	$42
   12	Utah	$87,849	$42
   13	Nevada	$87,419	$42
   14	Texas	$87,255	$42
   15	Indiana	$87,249	$42
   16	Ohio	$84,265	$41
   17	North Carolina	$82,885	$40
   18	Georgia	$79,145	$38
   19	Florida	$78,557	$38
   20	Colorado	$78,346	$38

   Average industry sales manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Microsoft	$120,158	$57.77	33
   2	Salesforce	$118,015	$56.74	89
   3	Amazon	$117,529	$56.50	237
   4	Snowflake Computing	$113,180	$54.41	4
   5	UL	$110,911	$53.32	33
   6	Siemens	$109,448	$52.62	274
   7	Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts	$105,210	$50.58	11
   8	Parker Palm Springs	$105,011	$50.49	1
   9	Highgate Hotels	$103,714	$49.86	50
   10	MSA	$103,541	$49.78
   11	Marriott International	$102,603	$49.33	173
   12	ManpowerGroup	$102,089	$49.08	28
   13	Builders FirstSource	$99,633	$47.90	16
   14	Goodwin Recruiting	$99,471	$47.82
   15	Virgin Hotels	$98,667	$47.44	5
   16	Kelly Services	$96,184	$46.24	9
   17	Schwan's	$94,390	$45.38	34
   18	Siemens Enterprise Communications Inc	$92,583	$44.51
   19	Randstad North America, Inc.	$92,395	$44.42	13
   20	Pwc	$90,187	$43.36	122

4. Writing an industry sales manager job description

   An industry sales manager job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of an industry sales manager job description:

   Industry sales manager job description example

   Department: Industrial Reports To: Director - Non-Foods
   
   Your Role: This person will be responsible for understanding and managing all aspects of the Industrial channel. This includes attaining new volume, managing profitability, working with current supplier partners, and supporting our industrial business plan for the industrial channel.
   Developing Dot's brand within the industrial industry Call on customers and be actively engaged in the sales process Collaborate with internal partners to improve the quality and lower the cost for this channel Leads continuous improvement efforts while applying lean thinking and tools to identify and eliminate waste. Attend industry specific meetings, conferences, and supplier meetings Manage customer development representative for potential accounts
   
   Role Specifics:
   Travel - Overnight travel of approximately 6-8 nights per month to other company facilities or outside facilities for training. Must have ability to travel independently as needed, without restriction by all modes of transportation, including car, plane, or train Supervision - Individual will manage the Customer Development Representative responsible for potential accounts. Will oversee Industrial sales personnel with a dotted line responsibility for a team of customer development representatives and district sales managers.
   What Can Dot Offer You?
   
   As a family-owned and -operated company since 1960, Dot Foods has created a strong family culture within the business. As a vital part of that family unit, we want to ensure you feel included and respected for any differing ideas. We appreciate those opinions and count on them to make us successful. In addition to an inclusive working environment, we will provide you with:
   Competitive compensation and benefits package Significant advancement opportunities
   Safety: This position assumes responsibility for the workplace safety of self and co-workers, and for the safety conditions of the work locations, exercise and promotes safe behaviors and show unyielding support of programs, rules and policies regarding safety.
   
   EOE/AA Employer: Dot believes all persons are entitled to equal employment opportunities. Dot will not discriminate against its employees or applicants for employment because of sex, race, color, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status or other basic classes protected by applicable federal or state law provided they are qualified for employment or for existing positions.
   
   Qualifications
   
   We Need You To Have:
   Bachelor's degree 3-5 years of Dot Sales or Dot Business Development experience Effective verbal & written communication skills Proficient computer skills, including Microsoft Office programs Analytical and problem-solving skills
   We'd Like You To Have:
   Extensive travel experience Effective presentation, negotiation, organization, and planning skills Ability to influence others

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right industry sales manager for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your industry sales manager job on Zippia to find and recruit industry sales manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit industry sales managers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new industry sales manager

   Once you've found the industry sales manager candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new industry sales manager. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire an industry sales manager?