How much do accounts managers make?

A strategic accounts manager makes an average of around $97,000 per year, or about $51 an hour. The range for these positions was $87,000 on the low end to $120,000 on the high end, with many of the top earners pulling in around $105,000 a year.

What is the difference between a key account manager and an account manager?

The difference between a key account manager and an account manager is the type of accounts they oversee. Typically, key account managers oversee the largest customers in a company, whereas account managers are responsible for looking after the rest of the customers.

How To Become A Key Account Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a key account manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Kaustav Misra Ph.D.

The Key Account Manager is tasked primarily with managing and maintaining the key client accounts and sustaining solid relationships with clients. Your responsibilities include ensuring that key clients are satisfied with the services provided, identifying new business opportunities for key clients, and addressing and resolving key clients' complaints. You will work with the design, sales team, creative, advertising, logistics, managers, marketing, and team members from other departments dedicated to the same client account to ensure the highest quality of materials are produced, and all client needs are met. You are also to develop a thorough understanding of key clients' needs and requirements

A bachelor's degree in business administration, finance, sales, or related field and 4-5 years of work experience is required for this role. You should also have basic computer skills and excellent verbal and written communication skills, and you should be a people person with the ability to follow through. Your annual salary is an average of $72,685.

What general advice would you give to a key account manager?

Kaustav Misra Ph.D.

Associate Dean, Central Connecticut State University

I have spent almost two decades in the higher education industry and about a decade in administration. I often advised students, and it is astonishing to see how many of these students do not plan for their future. A good plan is a starting point to lead a good and successful career and life. Hence, by all means, it is worth noting that developing a future-oriented focus is important, so taking time to streamline the plan should be an important exercise for every graduate before they begin to do anything.

ScoreKey Account ManagerUS Average

Salary

7.7

Avg. Salary $102,315

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 31.85%

male 68.15%

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 key account manager

Explore key account manager education requirements

Most common key account manager degrees

Bachelor's

78.2 %

Master's

10.0 %

Associate

7.7 %

Start to develop specific key account manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Account Management	10.20%
Customer Service	6.83%
Patients	5.88%
CRM	5.68%
Customer Relationships	4.94%

Complete relevant key account manager training and internships

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

Research key account manager duties and responsibilities

Lead the KAM division in market share expansion and activation for SWS portfolio.
Develop and manage GPO partnerships and new relationships in preparation of new product launch.
Utilize IRI reporting (CPGN) to deliver key category insights to customer base in order to effectively manage category decisions.
Manage company CRM implementation leading to increase sales profitability and customer satisfaction.

Prepare your key account manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your key account manager resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a key account manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable key account manager resume templates

Build a professional key account manager resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your key account manager resume.

Apply for key account manager jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a key account manager 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

How do key account managers rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

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1 star

Key account manager reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2020

Pros

Semi-flexible work hours. You have a sales goal and customers to call on in order to achieve said goal, so you have some flexibility of your schedule.

Cons

The amount of travel required takes you away from home frequently. If you have a family, being away starts taking a toll on them and work/life balance suffers.

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020

Cons

I like everything

A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2019