Sales account manager vs sales representative

The differences between sales account managers and sales representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a sales account manager, becoming a sales representative takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a sales account manager has an average salary of $58,630, which is higher than the $56,591 average annual salary of a sales representative.

The top three skills for a sales account manager include customer service, CRM and customer satisfaction. The most important skills for a sales representative are sales process, product knowledge, and customer service.

Sales account manager vs sales representative overview

	Sales Account Manager	Sales Representative
Yearly salary	$58,630	$56,591
Hourly rate	$28.19	$27.21
Growth rate	5%	4%
Number of jobs	163,697	205,456
Job satisfaction	-	4.33
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Average age	46	47
Years of experience	8	4

What does a sales account manager do?

The account sales manager is in charge of the retention of their customer relationship. They have to supervise the portfolio of existing clients, develop new business with them, and seek new sales opportunities. Account sales managers act as liaisons between the company and customer as well as build strong, long-lasting relationships by providing an improved customer experience. It is their responsibility to negotiate contracts and close deals to maximize sales profits. Also, they forecast track sales results and prepare reports on account status.

What does a sales representative do?

Sales representatives primarily sell the company's products and services to businesses or organizations. They should be adept at closing out sales, negotiating, and providing customer service. They should be knowledgeable about the products or services of the manufacturer or producer they represent. They must also have strong analytical skills that would help them in coming up with cost-benefit analysis in assessing the current roster of clients and even prospective ones. Sales representatives should also be able to maintain good working relationships with all involved stakeholders, especially clients.

Sales account manager vs sales representative salary

Sales account managers and sales representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Sales Account Manager	Sales Representative
Average salary	$58,630	$56,591
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $101,000	Between $33,000 And $94,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	Hawaii	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Google	Google
Best paying industry	Technology	Pharmaceutical

Differences between sales account manager and sales representative education

There are a few differences between a sales account manager and a sales representative in terms of educational background:

	Sales Account Manager	Sales Representative
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Southern California	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Sales account manager vs sales representative demographics

Here are the differences between sales account managers' and sales representatives' demographics:

	Sales Account Manager	Sales Representative
Average age	46	47
Gender ratio	Male, 63.4% Female, 36.6%	Male, 58.1% Female, 41.9%
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, 3.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	7%	6%

Differences between sales account manager and sales representative duties and responsibilities

Sales account manager example 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.
Maintain database, create mailers, and work in SalesForce to determine new possible clients.
Founded in 1935 ATD has grown from a regional family-own company to a successful nationwide distribution enterprise.

Sales representative example responsibilities.

Manage prospective leads and existing accounts through a CRM platform to accurately forecast revenue and develop long-term business partnerships.
Manage and create all content distribute via various social media outlets: Facebook, twitter, feedback blogs, etc.
Search for procurement contracts, attend trade shows, design flyers, postcards, etc.
Utilize POS sales software to maintain monetary sales information produce reports for organizational review.
Develop and maintain business relationships with businesses and policyholders using establish methods such as customer relationship management CRM.
Handle administrative and sales duties as Jr.

Sales account manager vs sales representative skills

Common sales account manager skills

Customer Service, 13%
CRM, 8%
Customer Satisfaction, 5%
Account Management, 5%
Product Knowledge, 4%
Business Development, 4%

Common sales representative skills

Sales Process, 9%
Product Knowledge, 9%
Customer Service, 7%
CRM, 6%
Business Development, 6%
Sales REP, 5%

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Sales Account Manager
Sales Account Manager vs Sales Representative

Updated January 8, 2025

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