How To Become A Regional Channel Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a regional channel manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Regional channel managers work in sales and manage operations related to channel partners. They are responsible for developing strong working relationships with channel partners, negotiating with them, and creating business strategies.

It will be your job to hire and train the members of your sales team to successfully close business-to-business sales deals. You will make sure your monthly sales targets are met, and you will mediate between higher-level management and the channel partners. You will be responsible for monitoring sales results, researching the market, and adjusting sales strategies as you see fit.

Your communication skills have to be on the spot to even consider playing in this field. A degree in marketing or sales-related area might be expected, but experience and talent in sales will probably prove more important. You have to have tried your hand in positions that require leadership skills before taking on this position. If you succeed, you will be able to earn around $70,897 on average yearly.

ScoreRegional Channel ManagerUS Average

Salary

6.1

Avg. Salary $78,376

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 14.45%

male 85.55%

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 regional channel manager

Explore regional channel manager education requirements

Most common regional channel manager degrees

Bachelor's

77.1 %

Master's

10.8 %

Associate

10.4 %

Start to develop specific regional channel manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Regional Channel	9.50%
Sales Process	8.95%
Channel Sales	8.56%
Channel Marketing	8.29%
Customer Satisfaction	6.88%

Complete relevant regional channel manager training and internships

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

Research regional channel manager duties and responsibilities

Manage strategic channel and OEM partners.
Manage marketing budget within company guidelines and assess ROI on all expenditures.
Develop co-marketing business plans resulting in YoY growth with several manage partners.
Implement sales contests, calculating ROI, and increasing MSS on Intel base products.

Apply for regional channel manager jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a regional channel 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

What is a regional channel manager and how to become one

Regional channel manager career paths