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The differences between national directors and national sales managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both a national director and a national sales manager. Additionally, a national director has an average salary of $117,787, which is higher than the $102,742 average annual salary of a national sales manager.
The top three skills for a national director include project management, customer service and healthcare. The most important skills for a national sales manager are customer service, product development, and trade shows.
| National Director | National Sales Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $117,787 | $102,742 |
| Hourly rate | $56.63 | $49.40 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 53,071 | 94,554 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 8 |
A national director is responsible for designing, developing, and implementing strategic plans for an organization. As the national director, you are expected to oversee the organization's day-to-day operations that include developing business plans and managing departments and staff. Other duties that you perform include evaluating the performance of employees, cultivating good relationships with other decision-makers and leaders, and implementing new strategies to increase profitability. As the national director, you are also responsible for directing and overseeing business development initiatives across the region.
A national sales manager is responsible for leading a large group of sales teams, monitoring sales performance, and implementing strategic sales procedures to drive revenues and achieve the organization's profitability goals. National sales managers identify business opportunities by analyzing current market trends and closing business partnerships to boost the company's brand popularity and attract more customers. They also monitor marketing strategies and negotiate continuous agreements with existing customers to keep them purchasing the company's services. A national sales manager creates sales forecasts, ensuring that the services provided by the organization align with the standard budget goals.
National directors and national sales managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| National Director | National Sales Manager | |
| Average salary | $117,787 | $102,742 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $202,000 | Between $67,000 And $155,000 |
| Highest paying City | Portland, OR | Hartford, CT |
| Highest paying state | Vermont | Washington |
| Best paying company | Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith | NetApp |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a national director and a national sales manager in terms of educational background:
| National Director | National Sales Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between national directors' and national sales managers' demographics:
| National Director | National Sales Manager | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 65.7% Female, 34.3% | Male, 80.4% Female, 19.6% |
| 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, 3.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 4.1% White, 78.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |