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The differences between key account managers and sales representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a key account manager, becoming a sales representative takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a key account manager has an average salary of $102,315, which is higher than the $56,591 average annual salary of a sales representative.
The top three skills for a key account manager include account management, customer service and patients. The most important skills for a sales representative are sales process, product knowledge, and customer service.
| Key Account Manager | Sales Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $102,315 | $56,591 |
| Hourly rate | $49.19 | $27.21 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 160,992 | 205,456 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.33 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Average age | 46 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 4 |
A key account manager is primarily in charge of handling key clients that produce the most profit for a company or business, ensuring that they remain with them. They are mainly responsible for understanding their clients' needs and long-term goals, ensuring that the key clients get to receive all the necessary services and products in time, and promptly address and resolve any issues and concerns. Furthermore, a key account manager may prepare reports and proposals to team members, all while adhering to the company's policies and standards.
Sales representatives primarily sell the company's products and services to businesses or organizations. They should be adept at closing out sales, negotiating, and providing customer service. They should be knowledgeable about the products or services of the manufacturer or producer they represent. They must also have strong analytical skills that would help them in coming up with cost-benefit analysis in assessing the current roster of clients and even prospective ones. Sales representatives should also be able to maintain good working relationships with all involved stakeholders, especially clients.
Key account managers and sales representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Key Account Manager | Sales Representative | |
| Average salary | $102,315 | $56,591 |
| Salary range | Between $75,000 And $138,000 | Between $33,000 And $94,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Maine | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Quidel | |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a key account manager and a sales representative in terms of educational background:
| Key Account Manager | Sales Representative | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | SUNY College of Technology at Alfred |
Here are the differences between key account managers' and sales representatives' demographics:
| Key Account Manager | Sales Representative | |
| Average age | 46 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 68.1% Female, 31.9% | Male, 58.1% Female, 41.9% |
| 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, 3.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 6% |