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The differences between retail account managers and outside 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 retail account manager and an outside sales manager. Additionally, an outside sales manager has an average salary of $84,408, which is higher than the $71,641 average annual salary of a retail account manager.
The top three skills for a retail account manager include customer service, customer relationships and account management. The most important skills for an outside sales manager are product knowledge, CRM, and customer service.
| Retail Account Manager | Outside Sales Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $71,641 | $84,408 |
| Hourly rate | $34.44 | $40.58 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 208,971 | 138,054 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 8 |
A retail account manager is primarily in charge of liaising with retail accounts and suppliers, establishing positive business relationships. Among their responsibilities include researching new business and client opportunities, communicating with key accounts to identify and meet their needs, and develop sales strategies. They may also perform clerical tasks such as preparing and processing documentation, handling calls and correspondence, and maintaining extensive records. Furthermore, as a retail account manager, it is essential to lead and serve as a mentor to staff while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
An outside sales manager is responsible for monitoring the sales staff performance in selling goods and services to existing and potential clients and ensuring that the team meets sales objectives. Outside sales managers set reasonable sales targets and establish techniques to maximize the staff's efficiency and productivity. They regularly connect with the clients to determine their needs and make any adjustments to business plans as needed. An outside sales manager should have excellent knowledge of the current market trends to identify business opportunities that would generate more revenues and resources.
Retail account managers and outside sales managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Retail Account Manager | Outside Sales Manager | |
| Average salary | $71,641 | $84,408 |
| Salary range | Between $42,000 And $120,000 | Between $51,000 And $138,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Albany, NY |
| Highest paying state | - | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | - | Dominion Enterprises |
| Best paying industry | - | Finance |
There are a few differences between a retail account manager and an outside sales manager in terms of educational background:
| Retail Account Manager | Outside Sales Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between retail account managers' and outside sales managers' demographics:
| Retail Account Manager | Outside Sales Manager | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 60.9% Female, 39.1% | Male, 79.1% Female, 20.9% |
| 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, 3.2% 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% |