Local sales manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a local sales manager. Local sales managers usually study business, communication, or marketing. 82% of local sales managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 9% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,043 real local sales manager resumes to see exactly what local sales manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for local sales managers are the Ohio State University and the Ohio State University.

There are also many online local sales manager courses to help get the education required to be a local sales manager.

There are certain local sales manager certifications that you should consider. These local sales manager certifications include Certified Sales Professional (CSP) and Sales Management.

What education do you need to become a local sales manager?

What degree do you need to be a local sales manager?

The most common degree for local sales managers is bachelor's degree, with 82% of local sales managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 9% and associate degree degree at 6%.

Bachelor's, 82%

Associate, 9%

Master's, 6%

High School Diploma, 2%

Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become a local sales manager?

You should major in business to become a local sales manager. 22% of local sales managers major in business. Other common majors for a local sales manager include communication and marketing.

Business, 22%

Communication, 22%

Marketing, 12%

Journalism, 6%

Other Majors, 38%

Most common colleges for local sales managers

Local sales managers often get their degrees at Ohio State University, Michigan State University, and University of Maryland - College Park. Here are the most common colleges for local sales managers in the US based on their resumes.

Local sales manager common college	Percentages
Ohio State University	6.61%
Michigan State University	6.61%
University of Maryland - College Park	6.61%
Temple University	5.79%
Brigham Young University	5.79%

Show more common local sales manager colleges

Best majors for local sales managers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	22.1%
2	Communication	21.7%
3	Marketing	12.2%
4	Journalism	5.6%
5	Management	4.3%

Show more common local sales manager majors

Best colleges for local sales managers

The best colleges for local sales managers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

A local sales manager with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for local sales managers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become local sales managers.

1. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

5. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

6. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Blacksburg, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,620

Enrollment

27,730

7. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

8. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

10. University of Houston

Houston, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$8,913

Enrollment

37,291

20 best online courses for local sales managers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for local sales managers

The most affordable schools for local sales managers are University of Florida, usf sarasota-manatee, and university of south florida.

If the best universities for local sales managers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for local sales managers.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

3. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

4. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

5. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. USF St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,821

Cost of attendance

19,849

9. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

10. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for local sales managers

The hardest universities for local sales managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for local sales managers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for local sales managers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

7. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

9. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

Admissions rate

39%

SAT average

1,367

10. Tulane University

New Orleans, LA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,428

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for local sales managers

The easiest schools for local sales managers to get into are Gwynedd Mercy University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a local sales manager without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for local sales managers.

1. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

5. University of Houston - Downtown

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,012

6. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

7. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

8. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

9. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

10. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

Average local sales manager salary by education level

According to our data, local sales managers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $102,114 annually. Local sales managers with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $97,870.

Local sales manager education level	Local sales manager salary
Master's Degree	$102,114
High School Diploma or Less	$76,181
Bachelor's Degree	$93,164
Doctorate Degree	$97,870
Some College/ Associate Degree	$76,136

Local sales manager education FAQs

What is the best college for Local Sales Managers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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