Sales and operations manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a sales and operations manager. Sales and operations managers usually study business, marketing, or management. 70% of sales and operations managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 12,994 real sales and operations manager resumes to see exactly what sales and operations manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for sales and operations managers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online sales and operations manager courses to help get the education required to be a sales and operations manager.

There are certain sales and operations manager certifications that you should consider. These sales and operations manager certifications include Certified Sales Professional (CSP) and Sales Management.

What education do you need to become a sales and operations manager?

What degree do you need to be a sales and operations manager?

The most common degree for sales and operations managers is bachelor's degree, with 70% of sales and operations managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 13% and associate degree degree at 9%.

Bachelor's, 70%

Associate, 13%

Master's, 9%

High School Diploma, 5%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a sales and operations manager?

You should major in business to become a sales and operations manager. 42% of sales and operations managers major in business. Other common majors for a sales and operations manager include marketing and management.

Business, 42%

Marketing, 9%

Management, 6%

Finance, 5%

Other Majors, 38%

Most common colleges for sales and operations managers

Sales and operations managers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Arizona State University, and University of Maryland - College Park. Here are the most common colleges for sales and operations managers in the US based on their resumes.

Sales and operations manager common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	18.37%
Arizona State University	5.39%
University of Maryland - College Park	5.28%
San Jose State University	5.17%
Ohio State University	4.96%

Show more common sales and operations manager colleges

Best majors for sales and operations managers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	42.2%
2	Marketing	8.9%
3	Management	5.7%
4	Finance	4.9%
5	Communication	4.9%

Show more common sales and operations manager majors

Best colleges for sales and operations managers

The best colleges for sales and operations managers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

A sales and operations manager with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for sales and operations managers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become sales and operations managers.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

6. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

7. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

8. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

9. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

10. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$52,930

Enrollment

5,030

20 best online courses for sales and operations managers

Advertising disclosure

1. Salesforce Sales Operations

The Salesforce economy will create more than $1 trillion in new revenue and 4.2 million jobs between 2019 and 2024. Developed in partnership with Trailhead — Salesforce's official learning platform — this certificate aims to teach you the foundational skills in Salesforce that will prepare you for a variety of entry-level sales roles, including the sales operations specialist position. This certificate is designed for beginners. No previous experience in Salesforce, sales, or CRM is necessary...

2. Sales Operations/Management

Sales jobs span nearly every industry, from agribusiness and pharmaceuticals, to telecommunications and property management. And essential to sales is the management of the sales force. This course provides the knowledge and know how required for careers in sales management. Students are exposed to all facets of sales management, including organizing, selecting, training, motivating, supervising and compensating the sales force, territory management and administration and sales and expense...

3. The Complete B2B Sales Masterclass: 6 Courses in 1

(413)

1. Generate Leads, 2. Pitch, 3. Close & Handle Any Objection: Get Certified in Cutting Edge, Non-Pushy B2B Sales System...

4. Sales Fire: B2B Sales & Business Development for Startups

4.6

(584)

The Ultimate Sales Methodology for Business Development & B2B Sales to Learn Sales Strategy, Sales Skills & Deal Closing...

5. Sales and CRM Overview

This course is the first of a series that aims to teach you the foundational skills in Salesforce that will prepare you for a variety of entry-level sales roles, including the sales operations specialist position. This course is designed for beginners. No previous experience in Salesforce, sales, or CRM is necessary to be successful. In this course, you will be introduced to essential concepts like the fundamentals of the sales process. You'll also learn about what Customer Relationship...

6. Sales Skills: 9 Sales Training Courses In 1

4.4

(994)

Develop Extraordinary Sales Skills With The Ultimate Sales Training (Taught By 5 Top Sales Experts)...

7. Sales Training: Practical Sales Techniques

4.6

(23,968)

Sales Hacking: Essential sales skills, sales strategies and sales techniques to sell just about anything!...

8. Sales Machine: The Sales Training B2B Master Course

4.6

(4,040)

Learn Sales Strategies & Sales Techniques to Sell ANYTHING for Entrepreneurs, Startup, B2B Sales, & Business Development...

9. Sales Training Pro: The Complete Sales Presentation Course

4.6

(346)

Practical, Hands-on Sales Techniques and Tools to Effortlessly Engage your Customers In Your Sales Presentations...

10. Sales Training: Become A Sales Superstar

4.7

(262)

Develop Advanced Sales Skills To Sell Anything Like A Champ (Taught By A World-class Salesman)...

11. Sales Training: How To Close More Sales

4.5

(1,734)

Closing Sales: Sales Training Course: Sales Skills; Selling Techniques; Sales Strategies for B2B, B2C Direct Sales...

12. Business Development & B2B Sales for Startups- Sales Valley

4.5

(6,788)

The Complete Startup Playbook for Business Development & B2B Sales to learn Lead Generation, Pitching, & Closing Deals...

13. Sales Skills Mastery 1: Sales Training For Beginners

4.4

(817)

Selling Techniques and Sales Strategy that Every Salesperson Ought to Know - Sales Training For the Modern World...

14. Sales Analysis for Management Consultants

4.6

(251)

A practical guide on how to improve sales and marketing of your customers during consulting projects like Mc Kinsey, BCG,...

15. Sales Training - Everyone sells!

4.5

(2,472)

This course will give you extensive knowledge about the whole sales process...

16. Salesforce Certification - Sales Cloud Consultant

4.2

(269)

Learn and get Salesforce sales cloud certified. Covers entire exam guide for Salesforce Sales cloud certification exam...

17. Sales Funnels Masterclass: Increase Sales With Sales Funnels

4.5

(599)

Learn to create highly converting sales, conduct professional email marketing & 10X your sales with sales funnel fast!...

18. Sales Fundamentals

(791)

Learn how to sell with core, proven techniques that have generated millions in sales revenue...

19. The Complete Sales Skills Master Class - Sales Marketing B2B

4.5

(741)

Master Sales Skills, Marketing Strategy, B2B Sales, Business Development, Lead Generation Using Top Social Skills...

20. LinkedIn Sales Navigator: LinkedIn's tool for B2B Sales

4.1

(393)

Linked In Sales Navigator best remote practices for the Linked In premium service for business development and B2B sales...

Top 10 most affordable universities for sales and operations managers

The most affordable schools for sales and operations managers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and florida state university.

If the best universities for sales and operations managers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for sales and operations managers.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. USF St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,821

Cost of attendance

19,849

10. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for sales and operations managers

The hardest universities for sales and operations managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for sales and operations managers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for sales and operations managers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

5. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

8. University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL • Private

Admissions rate

32%

SAT average

1,365

9. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,380

10. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for sales and operations managers

The easiest schools for sales and operations managers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a sales and operations manager without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for sales and operations managers.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

5. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

6. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

7. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

8. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

9. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

10. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

Average sales and operations manager salary by education level

According to our data, sales and operations managers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $132,340 annually. Sales and operations managers with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $127,613.

Sales and operations manager education level	Sales and operations manager salary
Master's Degree	$132,340
High School Diploma or Less	$94,051
Bachelor's Degree	$114,544
Doctorate Degree	$127,613
Some College/ Associate Degree	$96,857

Sales and operations manager education FAQs

What is the best college for Sales And Operations Managers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.

Search for sales and operations manager jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse executive management jobs