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Job outlook for sales administrators in the United States
Sales administrator job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected sales administrator job growth rate is 5% from 2018-2028.
About 23,800 new jobs for sales administrators are projected over the next decade.
Sales administrator salaries have increased 12% for sales administrators in the last 5 years.
There are over 180,388 sales administrators currently employed in the United States.
There are 82,712 active sales administrator job openings in the US.
The average sales administrator salary is $41,404.
Are sales administrator jobs in demand?
Sales administrator job and salary trends over time
Sales administrator jobs over time
Sales administrator job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 180,388 | 0.05% |
| 2020 | 175,632 | 0.05% |
| 2019 | 195,846 | 0.06% |
| 2018 | 198,636 | 0.06% |
| 2017 | 196,886 | 0.06% |
Average sales administrator salary over time
Sales administrator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $41,404 | $19.91 | +4.5% |
| 2025 | $39,635 | $19.06 | +1.9% |
| 2024 | $38,878 | $18.69 | +2.6% |
| 2023 | $37,889 | $18.22 | +2.6% |
| 2022 | $36,919 | $17.75 | +3.6% |
Sales administrator jobs by state
Most common states for sales administrators
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | 739,795 | 137 | 19% |
| 2 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 976 | 17% |
| 3 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,086 | 16% |
| 4 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 490 | 16% |
| 5 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 199 | 15% |
| 6 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 110 | 15% |
| 7 | Vermont | 623,657 | 96 | 15% |
| 8 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 906 | 13% |
| 9 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 706 | 13% |
| 10 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 536 | 13% |
| 11 | Delaware | 961,939 | 125 | 13% |
| 12 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 877 | 12% |
| 13 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 232 | 12% |
| 14 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 214 | 12% |
| 15 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 131 | 12% |
| 16 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 124 | 12% |
| 17 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 71 | 12% |
| 18 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 344 | 11% |
| 19 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 220 | 11% |
| 20 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 94 | 11% |
Most common cities for sales administrators
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lawrenceville | 3 | 10% | $36,855 |
| 2 | Redwood City | 7 | 8% | $55,442 |
| 3 | Piscataway | 3 | 5% | $44,592 |
| 4 | Orlando | 9 | 3% | $38,194 |
| 5 | Rochester | 4 | 2% | $46,763 |
| 6 | Columbia | 3 | 2% | $37,012 |
| 7 | Huntsville | 3 | 2% | $36,086 |
| 8 | Denver | 5 | 1% | $38,607 |
| 9 | Sacramento | 4 | 1% | $52,788 |
| 10 | Fremont | 3 | 1% | $55,049 |
| 11 | Scottsdale | 3 | 1% | $44,516 |
| 12 | Arlington | 2 | 1% | $39,564 |
| 13 | Phoenix | 4 | 0% | $44,649 |
| 14 | Austin | 3 | 0% | $42,867 |
| 15 | Boston | 3 | 0% | $46,499 |
| 16 | Charlotte | 3 | 0% | $37,861 |
| 17 | Seattle | 3 | 0% | $45,247 |
| 18 | Atlanta | 2 | 0% | $36,927 |
Sales Administrator job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of sales administrator experts
Saint Xavier University - Chicago, IL
University of Hawaii at Manoa
The University of Findlay
University of Mount Union
Landmark College
Franklin and Marshall College
California State University Channel Islands
Penn State Behrend
University of North Carolina at Asheville
Drexel University, Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design
Wesleyan College
Tarleton State University
University of Illinois at Chicago
DePaul University
International Association of Administrative Professionals
Margie Bernard MBA
Faculty - Graduate Healthcare AdministrationSaint Xavier University - Chicago, IL
Graham School of Management MBA Program
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Sales Administrator job market given the pandemic?
Margie Bernard MBA: Because our COVID-19 pandemic is the worst challenge now facing Americans, our U.S. health care industry is transforming all systems and staff to better meet diverse patient population needs today. Across the U.S., students should expect that demand for qualified health care professionals and leaders will increase 17% to 24% yearly through 2030 since the supply of talented team members is shrinking due to retirements.
It's important to know that 30% of individuals now living in our country will be age 65 or older in the next seven years. This segment of our society will require truly compassionate teams of medical assistants, therapists, nurses, pharmacists, doctors, financial personnel and leaders who can seamlessly come together to deliver community-based care. Children and adults will need expedited team support to access timely appointments for wellness exams and treatment of pre-existing conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease and cancer. Across the U.S., we will see a 56% jump in patients newly diagnosed with all types of cancer in the next 10 years.
These demographic changes underscore why our U.S. health care industry offers many students excellent career paths when young graduates realize that delivering quality team outcomes begins with prioritizing a 'we' rather than 'me' philosophy.
Saint Xavier University's (SXU) mission of serving wisely and compassionately is critical within the work of our Graham School of Management (GSM) and School of and Health Science (SONHS) students studying healthcare administration, especially because their future careers involve giving excellent service to diverse patients every day.
What's a good job out of college for Sales Administrators?
Margie Bernard MBA: A certificate on how to make Lean Process Improvements, which is something we offer to our graduate management students. This methodology teaches young graduates how to add value to every patient's experience while assuring that wasteful workflow actions or steps are driven out.
Team projects you have helped to complete look excellent on resumes. Make sure to emphasize why results achieved can enhance the lives of patients, family members or community residents this year.
Completed courses in accounting and finance show prospective employers that
you know how to save rather than spend organization resources on the job. Key principles covered
in such classes will also help to grow amounts you keep in your wallet and savings account as well.
Dr. Barbara Joyce
ACCESS Academic Advisor for undergraduate students in Sociology, Departmental advisorUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa
Department of Sociology
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Sales Administrator job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Barbara Joyce: One of the advantages of a BA in Sociology is that it is a liberal arts degree and not a professional degree. In addition, Sociology has the broadest subject matter of any of the social science disciplines, so our graduates can take their skills and knowledge into a broad range of careers. Since the range of possible careers is so great, labor market trends are not particularly relevant to Sociology graduates.
What's a good job out of college for Sales Administrators?
Amy Rogan: There are any number of ways to break into journalism. There is no one true path. If a journalist is interested in television I recommend they look for assistant producer positions or assignment editor positions. Many people who think they want to be on-air talent figure out they really enjoy producing much better.
Digital content producer is another good way to work a journalist way into on-air television work. It's also a way to work into newspapers as they are now more digitally dependent.
Larger organizations have more specialty digital positions in research or digital analytics. But starting out in a small market allows you to learn a lot and work your way into bigger markets and responsibilities.
Michael Grossman Ph.D.
Professor, Political Studies and International StudiesUniversity of Mount Union
Department of Political Science and International Studies
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Sales Administrators?
Michael Grossman Ph.D.: It is less about licenses or courses and more about experiences. In this regard, internships are crucial.
What will help Sales Administrators increase their earning potential?
Michael Grossman Ph.D.: It's all about practical knowledge. Employers are less interested in your major or the classes you take. They want to see that you can do the work they need you to do. So internships are important. Also employers want to see you can be trained and can think critically, write well, and speak well. So in this regard more liberal arts focused curriculum is important.
What's a day at work look like for a Sales Administrator?
Daniel Miller Ph.D.: One of the biggest things to understand is that there likely won't be a typical "day at work" post-Covid. That is, organizations will be all over the place with their organizations and structures following the pandemic. While some will likely seek to go back to their pre-Covid organizational and work models, many (maybe most?) will continue to incorporate elements of the structural changes imposed in response to Covid.
This means, in particular, the graduates are likely to encounter at least some positions in which remote working is a constitutive feature of their jobs. This will bring both costs and benefits to grads, and will provide both challenges and opportunities. Graduates will have to have familiarity with the technologies necessary for remote work, collaboration, and communication. Some will have the opportunity to work remotely full-time, or most of the time, which brings with it flexibility but also requires excellent individual time-management skills. The flexibility that comes with remote is also accompanied by the risk of "work creep," which we're all already familiar with from our mobile devices. The breakdown or softening of the boundaries of the traditional 9-5 workday brings with it the risk of increased after-hours and weekend video meetings, increases already-existing expectations that employees will check and respond to work-related emails in off hours, etc.
Many companies will likely also realize (or have already) that they can cut costs by shifting their employees to remote work options, which will be popular with many employees, for the reasons already noted, as well as others. However, I think one significant downside to this is that some costs traditionally incurred by businesses and other organizations will be passed on to employees. Employees will be increasingly responsible for providing adequate internet service, technical hardware, and suitable workspaces, which would traditionally have been provided by employers. I don't think most employers are going to suitably increase wages or otherwise subsidize these new costs passed on to employees (and will use the economic downturn associated with Covid as a reason not to), and many likely will not maintain IT departments or related resources to serve employees. Adding to all of these costs is the fact that, since the passage of the Republican tax bill in 2017, employees cannot deduct non-reimbursed business expenses on their personal taxes. Finally, shifts to increased remote work will continue to exacerbate and extend inequalities have come into stark relief during the Covid crisis, disproportionately affecting women, parents will children, and communities of color negatively.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Sales Administrators?
Cynthia Krom: Professional certifications matter. If your profession has a certification, you need to have that certification to be competitive in this new world. So, a public accountant needs to have a CPA, and a corporate accountant needs to have their CMA. A fraud examiner needs their CFE. Find out what is available in your profession and take whatever courses or exams are needed to be at the top of your game, because everyone else will.
We don't really know what will be happening with professional licenses with remote work. A psychotherapist may be licensed in New York, but remotely treating a client in New Mexico. Technically, they probably need a license in New Mexico. But who will control that? Will it just be the professional responsibility of the therapist to only practice where licensed? Will their malpractice insurance only cover them if the client is where they are licensed? What about a physician operating on someone a thousand miles away using robotics?
In terms of courses not related to professional certification or licensure, technology is where it is at. First and foremost, polish your Zoom skills. Zoom is now your face-to-face workplace and you need to be a pro. YouTube has great videos about lighting for Zoom, even with reflective eyeglasses. Perhaps your IT department is able to help with connectivity issues and learning remote technologies. And, as we have all recently seen, you need to learn how to turn off filters that make you look like a kitten! For nearly every field, you have to know Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, and Excel) or similar programs. You need to know how to work collaboratively on projects through things like Google Drive. If you are not fluent in the basics, you are showing up for a horse race with a little pony.
Ekin Pehlivan Ph.D.
Associate Professor of MarketingCalifornia State University Channel Islands
Martin V. Smith School of Business and Economics
What's a good job out of college for Sales Administrators?
Ekin Pehlivan Ph.D.: I think a description of a "good" job opportunity is dependent on so many factors, almost all subjective. What I recommend my students usually, is that they try different things before graduation and find something that makes them feel a purpose other than (and in addition to) making ends meet. For this reason we started a program on our campus where students are hired to help non-profits and small businesses in our area of service. In this program, students get to gain and practice skills that can help them succeed in a corporate or freelance capacity. The students get to experiment without fear of losing a job and find what they would like their entry level positions to look like. While doing this they also help organizations and individuals who have the need but not the resources to get the services from professionals.
What technical skills for a Sales Administrator stand out to employers?
Linda Hajec: I think the basics are still important - the feedback from employers still says that they want to see excellent skills in Excel - but if we are talking about changes as a result of the pandemic, job candidates that can also show a comfort level with remote meeting software will feel more natural and less awkward going forward. If you are going to meet on Zoom, make sure you know where to find the features on the screen and if you need to, practice with someone who knows you are just needing to mess around with the settings.
The last thing you would want to do is accidentally exit your interview halfway through because you didn't know where the "share screen" button was. Being familiar with other online collaboration software such as Teams or GoogleDocs is important, too. Even companies that are not working 100% remote are finding great use for these kind of sites, even just to house documents such as policy manuals that they want to share with a group of employees. The fact that a group can work together an collaborate asynchronously is a reality that many companies had not faced before, so the employee needs to be prepared to remember to follow up on team projects instead of waiting for a meeting to see where everything stands.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Sales Administrator job market given the pandemic?
Sonya DiPalma Ph.D.: Companies will offer more remote positions as cost-savings benefits and work hour flexibility provide a win-win situation. The upside brings more employment opportunities since geography isn't a major factor, however the downside brings more competition for the same reasons. You will be expected to use the online collaboration tools selected by the organization, such as Trello, SharePoint, or Slack. We should see an uptick in hiring by tourism and travel companies as more people receive the COVID-19 vaccination and travel increases domestically and then internationally.
What's a day at work look like for a Sales Administrator?
Joseph Hancock: New graduates will need to be self-disciplined and self-motivated. No one is going to hold your hand and tell you "get to work" or you will soon be looking for a new job. The new world may be one where you don't go to an office, but instead work right from home, scheduling appointments and doing your own calendar. My last years working for Target in a regional field position taught me that no one was going to motivate me each day, I had to motivate myself. Also, it can be lonely working from home as a new graduate, so find outside interests and ways to make friends. I am from the old fashion ideologies that getting a hobby is extremely important, and that hobby is not going to the gym or watching television. It includes something that enriches your life to be a better person in society.
What general advice would you give to a Sales Administrator?
Virginia Wilcox: Go into this knowing every single person you encounter was once in your shoes...new, confused, anxious, worried, etc.
The quickest way to make a friend is to ask for help. Everyone (even the most hardened) likes feeling needed and/or appreciated.
So...even if it's as minor as asking for advice on what color to use on the bulletin board or as major as asking for ideas on how to engage an unruly student...
ASK someone not only will you get the assistance you need, you will make their day...AND...you may find that you've made an invaluable step toward a new friendship.
Dr. Jacqueline Abernathy
Assistant ProfessorTarleton State University
Public Administration
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Sales Administrator job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Jacqueline Abernathy: I think one of the most significant changes to the job market is how the pandemic forced employers to do business virtually if they wanted to do business at all. For non-essential businesses, they had to find a way for employees to work at home if they wanted employees to keep working. This means that jobs that were originally considered location-bound were found to be done remotely, some with little to no modifications.
What this means is that some employers have reconsidered the costs of maintaining physical office space for workers that could telecommute and would rather work at home. Instead of paying rent and utilities for all employees to work in cubicles, they could export those costs to the employee using the spare bedroom they pay for, and home internet, phone, power, the water they pay for themselves. This cost-saving epiphany could affect employers and jobseekers alike in several ways. If a job can be done from anywhere, it means that those who are interested in a job can apply regardless of where they live.
This means a wider pool of talent for employers to choose from instead of just those willing to live within commuting distance. It also means more potential opportunities for jobseekers that might not be willing or able to relocate. But there is a downside, and that is that it increases competition for available jobs. The labor pool is no longer limited to those with skills and experience in a metro area, so those seeking a job are no longer just up against other locals anymore. This means those on the job market might have a more difficult job finding ways to set themselves apart. I think it means more opportunities, potentially, but greater challenges getting hired and a need to find ways to make themselves more marketable than they may have needed to be when labor pools were shallower.
What general advice would you give to a Sales Administrator?
Dr. Jacqueline Abernathy: My advice to graduates would be this: do not sell yourself short by taking a job at a lower level than you have to or a job that does not fully utilize your education. Otherwise, why did you spend the time and money, and effort to get your degree? I think many graduates assume that having a degree in a job where it is not required (but preferred) makes them more valuable as employees. I think the opposite is true. I think it devalues their worth to an organization and just makes them cheaper and more replaceable, especially when employers know that they can pay someone less to do the same job if they run into a budget crunch.
If having a degree is considered a plus for a job rather than a necessity, it actually makes their degree less valuable as a perk than if it were a requirement. If a degree is necessary to do a job, then the time, effort, and expense obtaining it was worthwhile because it was necessary to do that job, and also, the employer knows that they have to compensate employees for those costs. There is nothing wrong with working your way up, paying your dues, etc. but starting at a lower rung just makes a longer, harder climb to the top. They may have upward mobility more than somebody without a degree, but they will be compensated less than they are worthwhile waiting for something better to manifest. I would exhort graduates to start as high as they can and not settle for underemployment. Find a job where your knowledge, skills, and abilities are put to complete use, and the degree you earned to get those assets is not wasted or unfairly compensated.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Sales Administrators?
James R. Thompson Ph.D.: The coronavirus pandemic has made apparent the vital role the government plays in addressing society's larger problems. It will attract new people to the field of public administration and strengthen the commitment of those already in the field to their careers.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Sales Administrators to find work opportunities?
Dr. Anna Frank: This was on ZipRecruiter-outdoor jobs.
Try the Top Five
If location isn't a factor in your outdoor job search, then consider heading to one of the top five states who offer the most employment opportunities to be had under the sun (and stars). Those are:
1. California
2. Florida
3. Texas
4. New York
5. North Carolina
What skills stand out on Sales Administrator resumes?
Dr. Anna Frank: First, a degree from a highly respected university. Our graduates have been highly sought after. Experience working with a variety of individuals in a variety of settings is significant. Future professionals must then be committed to social justice, how are explicit in supporting the health and recreational needs of ALL individuals, not just those who can purchase a Peloton.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Sales Administrators to find work opportunities?
Veronica Cochran: I would urge graduates to not simply focus on locations or organizations with the highest salary or most job or promotion opportunities. The key to remaining engaged and creating value is finding an organization that supports your core beliefs and values.
Second to that, I believe a support network is vital to one's professional development and success. That being said, I have had the opportunity to engage administrative professionals throughout the United States and across the globe. In particular, I came across larger networks in New York, D.C., Alabama, California, and Texas.
If they are looking for a place to start, I believe Zippia's list of Best States for an Administrative Assistant is a great starting point.