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The differences between sales development managers and business development directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a sales development manager, becoming a business development director takes usually requires 8-10 years. Additionally, a business development director has an average salary of $117,784, which is higher than the $102,790 average annual salary of a sales development manager.
The top three skills for a sales development manager include SDR, salesforce and customer service. The most important skills for a business development director are healthcare, CRM, and patients.
| Sales Development Manager | Business Development Director | |
| Yearly salary | $102,790 | $117,784 |
| Hourly rate | $49.42 | $56.63 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 171,101 | 153,601 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 45 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 10 |
Sales Development Managers oversee a specific function in the sales department. They are in charge of creating sales pitches, communication tools, and strategies to boost the company's sales performance. They may be assigned to do these activities for a specific product or service or for the whole product line of the organization. Sales Development Managers are also expected to create branding images that will help their sales strategies. They are required to fully understand the company's history, image, and target market. This will ensure that the branding and sales strategies they create are in line with the company's values.
A business development director specializes in crafting plans and strategies to develop the relationship between the brand, clients, and other key characters in the industry. It is their responsibility to examine and understand everything about the brand and figure out which areas require improvement or changes. They must also conduct a thorough marketing analysis and remain updated on the latest trends in the market to identify new opportunities that would improve customer satisfaction. Furthermore, they must also communicate with all clients, even appear on public gatherings to strengthen brand awareness.
Sales development managers and business development directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Sales Development Manager | Business Development Director | |
| Average salary | $102,790 | $117,784 |
| Salary range | Between $66,000 And $157,000 | Between $72,000 And $192,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Hampshire | New Mexico |
| Best paying company | Everyday Health | alliantgroup |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Finance |
There are a few differences between a sales development manager and a business development director in terms of educational background:
| Sales Development Manager | Business Development Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between sales development managers' and business development directors' demographics:
| Sales Development Manager | Business Development Director | |
| Average age | 45 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 67.8% Female, 32.2% | Male, 72.3% Female, 27.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 4.4% White, 62.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 18% | 10% |