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What is a sales engineer, account manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Kaustav Misra Ph.D.

In the sales department of a company, a sales engineer account manager is one of the catalysts in business growth. Serving as one of the leaders in a sales team, a sales engineer account manager is responsible for the entire sales cycle, from the very beginnings of customer acquisition to post-sales customer interaction.

A sales engineer account manager spends most of their time developing the sales cycle and finding new ways to improve it in order to stimulate growth. They also typically work closely with the marketing department as sales is heavily tied in with the company's marketing strategies. Plus, they may assist other departments to ensure that the company works cohesively to meet its sales goals.

A master's degree in business administration is a huge advantage for this type of role, but the minimum requirement for many employers is a bachelor's degree, be it in business, marketing, engineering, or another relevant major. On top of educational requirements, most employers also look for candidates with extensive experience in sales and marketing and may show a preference towards candidates with leadership experience.

The requirements may be high, but the compensation of roughly $106,000 a year is a great motivator to aim for this career path.

What general advice would you give to a sales engineer, account manager?

Kaustav Misra Ph.D.Kaustav Misra Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Associate Dean, Central Connecticut State University

I have spent almost two decades in the higher education industry and about a decade in administration. I often advised students, and it is astonishing to see how many of these students do not plan for their future. A good plan is a starting point to lead a good and successful career and life. Hence, by all means, it is worth noting that developing a future-oriented focus is important, so taking time to streamline the plan should be an important exercise for every graduate before they begin to do anything.
ScoreSales Engineer, Account ManagerUS Average
Salary
7.5

Avg. Salary $95,490

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
7.3

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.34%

Asian 6.12%

Black or African American 1.74%

Hispanic or Latino 8.39%

Unknown 6.22%

White 77.20%

Gender

female 12.89%

male 87.11%

Age - 44
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44
Stress level
7.3

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.5

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
4.2

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Sales engineer, account manager career paths

Key steps to become a sales engineer, account manager

  1. Explore sales engineer, account manager education requirements

    Most common sales engineer, account manager degrees

    Bachelor's

    75.6 %

    Associate

    11.9 %

    Master's

    10.8 %
  2. Start to develop specific sales engineer, account manager skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Technical Support12.57%
    Product Development8.54%
    CRM7.59%
    Account Management4.88%
    HVAC4.88%
  3. Complete relevant sales engineer, account manager training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New sales engineer, account managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a sales engineer, account manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real sales engineer, account manager resumes.
  4. Research sales engineer, account manager duties and responsibilities

    • Manage RFP activity, sales/engineering/channel partner resources.
    • Participate in developing and creating OEM partner sales programs, integrator sales programs, and all channel sales strategies.
    • Streamline tool testing procedures & improvise CRM systems, resulting in improve delivery cycle and support response.
    • Create maintenance recommendations and follow OEM warranty specifications particular to each individual customer.
  5. Prepare your sales engineer, account manager resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your sales engineer, account manager resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a sales engineer, account manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable sales engineer, account manager resume templates

    Build a professional sales engineer, account manager resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your sales engineer, account manager resume.
    Sales Engineer, Account Manager Resume
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    Sales Engineer, Account Manager Resume
    Sales Engineer, Account Manager Resume
    Sales Engineer, Account Manager Resume
    Sales Engineer, Account Manager Resume
    Sales Engineer, Account Manager Resume
    Sales Engineer, Account Manager Resume
    Sales Engineer, Account Manager Resume
  6. Apply for sales engineer, account manager jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a sales engineer, account manager job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first sales engineer, account manager job

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Average sales engineer, account manager salary

The average sales engineer, account manager salary in the United States is $95,490 per year or $46 per hour. Sales engineer, account manager salaries range between $68,000 and $133,000 per year.

Average sales engineer, account manager salary
$95,490 Yearly
$45.91 hourly

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Sales engineer, account manager reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2020
Pros

IF you have enough experience you get to walk around different manufacturing plants and tell them how you solution will impact their bottom line. every day is different.

Cons

Cold Call is pretty bad because your success rate is 1-2%. Surprises when a competitor sells to a company you did not know about and your marketing folks cant help find them.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2019
Pros

Speaking g at trade shows and seminars. Contributing to the software products we sold. Technical writer for the owners manual.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2019
Cons

I don't like Infiltration which is common in Asian countries.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.