How much do sales account managers make?

Account managers make anywhere between $27,515 and $270,000 a year, but the average salary for an account manager is $54,213. Account managers receive cash bonuses as well as commissions for their accounts. Cash bonuses can be up to $12,000 a year, and commissions can equal $15,000 a year, on average. These are based on the company's policies of how much commission is given for accounts.

Is a sales account manager a good job?

Yes, a sales account manager can be a good job. To be a good account manager, you must be a great communicator and a people person. A sales account manager oversees sales activities and develops relationships with customers.

What is the role of an account manager?

The role of an account manager includes managing accounts for long-term success, creating a good rapport with clients, and developing new sales opportunities. There is also supervising representatives to make sure sales are increasing and preparing reports on accounts.

What qualifications do you need to be an accounts manager?

The qualifications you need to be an account manager include a bachelor's degree in business administration, sales, or another relevant field. Earning potential can grow if a master's degree in business or marketing is earned as well.

What is a sales account manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted Experts

Bill Thorne,

Felicia Hodges

A sales account manager builds and maintains relationships with key customers to achieve sales targets and increase revenue. They act as the primary contact between the company and its customers, to meet the customersâ€™ needs and resolve issues. Sales account managers work with marketing, logistics, and finance to fulfill and deliver orders. They also analyze trends and competitor activity to identify opportunities for optimization of sales strategies. The role requires communication, negotiation, and organizational skills.

What general advice would you give to a Sales Account Manager?

Bill Thorne

Executive Director of the NRF Foundation and Senior Vice President of Communication and Public Affairs of NRF, National Retail Federation

Retail is the largest private-sector employer in the country, directly employing 32 million people and supporting 52 million jobs overall - roughly one-quarter of the U.S. workforce. While COVID-19 has presented new and unexpected challenges, retailers have continued to showcase the industry's resilience and adaptability time and again. The safety and security of customers and employees remains our greatest priority. It is no doubt that the professional environment has changed this year, but retail continues to offer a plethora of career opportunities for graduates and seasoned veterans alike.

ScoreSales Account ManagerUS Average

Salary

4.6

Avg. Salary $58,630

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 36.62%

male 63.38%

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

What are the pros and cons of being a Sales Account Manager?

Pros

High earning potential through commission and bonuses
Ability to work independently and set own schedule
Opportunities for career advancement within company
Variety of industries and markets to work in
Flexibility to work remotely or from home office

Cons

Long hours, including evenings and weekends
Often required to work independently without much guidance or support
Large workload with many accounts to manage simultaneously
Limited control over pricing and product offerings
Sales can be unpredictable, leading to uncertainty in income

Key steps to become a sales account manager

Explore sales account manager education requirements

Most common sales account manager degrees

Bachelor's

70.3 %

Associate

14.1 %

Master's

6.3 %

Start to develop specific sales account manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	13.06%
CRM	7.71%
Customer Satisfaction	5.32%
Account Management	4.71%
Product Knowledge	3.94%

Complete relevant sales account manager training and internships

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

Research sales account manager duties and responsibilities

Manage RFQ/RFP responses to telecommunication, government and utility customers utilizing CRM system to manage customers.
Recruit to develop and manage new sales territory selling MRO industrial goods and services to existing and potential customers.
Manage and coordinate daily sales activities through target cold calling and telemarketing.
Organize and maintain existing national clients for process refrigeration and HVAC maintenance and service.

Prepare your sales account manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your sales account manager resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a sales account manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Sales Account Manager Resume templates

Build a professional Sales Account Manager resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Sales Account Manager resume.

Apply for sales account manager jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a sales account 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

How do sales account managers rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Sales Account Manager reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2021

Pros

Dealing with other professional engineers and managers that show higher levels of integrity when discussing requirements or a problem to solve.

Cons

The constant program delays and slow manufactures in support of opportunities that could be won with quicker responses.

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2020

Pros

Motivating people and helping to create success in each person's day. Honor God serve people in rich people's lives, pursue excellence in service.

Cons

Not enough time in each day to get everything accomplished.

A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2020

Pros

Semi-flexible work hours. You have a sales goal and customers to call on in order to achieve said goal, so you have some flexibility of your schedule.

Cons

The amount of travel required takes you away from home frequently. If you have a family, being away starts taking a toll on them and work/life balance suffers.

What is a sales account manager and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a Sales Account Manager?

What are the pros and cons of being a Sales Account Manager?

Sales Account Manager career paths

Key steps to become a sales account manager

Explore sales account manager education requirements

Most common sales account manager degrees

Start to develop specific sales account manager skills

Complete relevant sales account manager training and internships

Research sales account manager duties and responsibilities

Prepare your sales account manager resume

Choose From 10+ Customizable Sales Account Manager Resume templates

Apply for sales account manager jobs

How Did You Land Your First Sales Account Manager Job

Average sales account manager salary

How do sales account managers rate their job?

Sales Account Manager reviews

Sales Account Manager FAQs

How much do sales account managers make?

Is a sales account manager a good job?

What is the role of an account manager?

What qualifications do you need to be an accounts manager?

Search for sales account manager jobs

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