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The differences between line managers and direct sales managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a line manager, becoming a direct sales manager takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, a direct sales manager has an average salary of $120,139, which is higher than the $56,406 average annual salary of a line manager.
The top three skills for a line manager include client facing, continuous improvement and service line. The most important skills for a direct sales manager are sales professionals, account executives, and customer service.
| Line Manager | Direct Sales Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $56,406 | $120,139 |
| Hourly rate | $27.12 | $57.76 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 369,491 | 140,506 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 44 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 8 |
As line managers, they oversee other employees and the business operations while reporting to a higher manager. They play a significant role in the operation of the business from supervising and managing workers daily and acting as a link to upper management and employees. It is part of their responsibility to recruit and hire talent to fill team positions, provide training and learning to new hires, and ensuring that the employees are doing their jobs effectively and efficiently.
Direct sales managers are individuals who take responsibility for leading and guiding sales people within an organization. It is the job of the sales managers to set the goals and quotas, create sales plans, and analyze data. They assign sales territories and conduct sales training. They serve as mentors for sales team members and involve in the recruitment and dismissal process. Also, they foresee sales and identify product and service profitability for the company.
Line managers and direct sales managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Line Manager | Direct Sales Manager | |
| Average salary | $56,406 | $120,139 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $116,000 | Between $80,000 And $178,000 |
| Highest paying City | New Brunswick, NJ | - |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | - |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a line manager and a direct sales manager in terms of educational background:
| Line Manager | Direct Sales Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between line managers' and direct sales managers' demographics:
| Line Manager | Direct Sales Manager | |
| Average age | 44 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 64.7% Female, 35.3% | Male, 61.9% Female, 38.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 6.3% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | 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 | 10% | 7% |