Sales agent vs sales account manager

The differences between sales agents and sales account managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a sales agent, becoming a sales account manager takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, a sales account manager has an average salary of $58,630, which is higher than the $45,217 average annual salary of a sales agent.

The top three skills for a sales agent include customer service, customer satisfaction and life insurance. The most important skills for a sales account manager are customer service, CRM, and customer satisfaction.

Sales agent vs sales account manager overview

	Sales Agent	Sales Account Manager
Yearly salary	$45,217	$58,630
Hourly rate	$21.74	$28.19
Growth rate	10%	5%
Number of jobs	391,987	163,697
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age	43	46
Years of experience	6	8

What does a sales agent do?

A sales representative is responsible for offering goods and services to potential and existing clients. Sales representatives must display a strong knowledge of the company's products to assist customers with their inquiries and concerns. A sales representative should have exceptional communication skills and extensive knowledge of the sales industry to deliver sales pitches and negotiate pricing offers with the clients. Sales representatives must also keep themselves updated with the current market trends to provide service recommendations, improving their sales to increase revenues.

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.

Sales agent vs sales account manager salary

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

	Sales Agent	Sales Account Manager
Average salary	$45,217	$58,630
Salary range	Between $21,000 And $95,000	Between $33,000 And $101,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	New York	Hawaii
Best paying company	Goldman Sachs	Google
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between sales agent and sales account manager education

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

	Sales Agent	Sales Account Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	University of Southern California

Sales agent vs sales account manager demographics

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

	Sales Agent	Sales Account Manager
Average age	43	46
Gender ratio	Male, 52.7% Female, 47.3%	Male, 63.4% Female, 36.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.7% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 9.3% White, 68.6% 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	6%	7%

Differences between sales agent and sales account manager duties and responsibilities

Sales agent example responsibilities.

Manage a CRM pipeline of hundreds of leads with different needs and qualifications.
Generate fresh leads through outbound telemarketing.
Achieve sales standards set for department by effectively communicating Humana campaigns to customers.
Increase customer understanding of Comcast products and pricing models as well as competitive advantage over other service providers.
Schedule and meet individuals\groups for assign or self-generate leads, assist and enroll eligible individuals in suitable Medicare product.
Adhere to all CMS, company, and carrier relate policies and procedures while growing sales.

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 agent vs sales account manager skills

Common sales agent skills

Customer Service, 10%
Customer Satisfaction, 10%
Life Insurance, 10%
Insurance Products, 7%
Work Ethic, 6%
Cold Calls, 4%

Common sales account manager skills

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

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Sales Agent vs Sales Account Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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