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What is a sales engineering manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Bill Thorne
introduction image

A sales engineer prepares and delivers technical presentations that present and explain products and services to current and future customers. These professionals interact with customers and engineers to examine the needs of equipment such as computers or machinery and determine system requirements. They help the client solve issues with installed equipment, and work to ensure customer satisfaction with purchased equipment. They also set goals, timelines, oversee engineering and sales teams, analyze sales data, look for new business opportunities, and promote a company's or an organization's products.

A sales engineering manager typically has a bachelor's degree in business, marketing, engineering, or sales; however, an advanced degree is not necessarily a requirement if the individual has comparable skills and experience. They should possess strong marketing, communication, interpersonal, and management skills, and should be knowledgeable of the products they represent.

A sales engineering manager can make up to $100,000 annually, and the career field is expected to grow 6% by 2028.

What general advice would you give to a sales engineering manager?

Bill ThorneBill Thorne LinkedIn profile

Executive Director of the NRF Foundation and Senior Vice President of Communication and Public Affairs of NRF, National Retail Federation

Retail is the largest private-sector employer in the country, directly employing 32 million people and supporting 52 million jobs overall - roughly one-quarter of the U.S. workforce. While COVID-19 has presented new and unexpected challenges, retailers have continued to showcase the industry's resilience and adaptability time and again. The safety and security of customers and employees remains our greatest priority. It is no doubt that the professional environment has changed this year, but retail continues to offer a plethora of career opportunities for graduates and seasoned veterans alike.
ScoreSales Engineering ManagerUS Average
Salary
8.2

Avg. Salary $122,397

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
7.3

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.4
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.33%

Asian 6.14%

Black or African American 1.70%

Hispanic or Latino 8.21%

Unknown 6.21%

White 77.41%

Gender

female 6.97%

male 93.03%

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 engineering manager career paths

Key steps to become a sales engineering manager

  1. Explore sales engineering manager education requirements

    Most common sales engineering manager degrees

    Bachelor's

    73.2 %

    Associate

    12.3 %

    Master's

    10.1 %
  2. Start to develop specific sales engineering manager skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Cloud10.65%
    Pre Sales9.79%
    Customer Satisfaction9.72%
    Post Sales5.56%
    Business Development4.60%
  3. Complete relevant sales engineering manager training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New sales engineering 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 engineering manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real sales engineering manager resumes.
  4. Research sales engineering manager duties and responsibilities

    • Develop and implement OEM SaaS hosting model with ISP/ASP partners which lead to new revenue and partnership opportunities.
    • Coordinate and manage installation of VoIP & networking solutions.
    • Manage RFP technical responses for large computer and/or telecommunication projects.
    • Lead team of sales engineers to provide B2B host solutions and SaaS.
  5. Prepare your sales engineering manager resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your sales engineering 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 engineering 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 engineering manager resume templates

    Build a professional sales engineering 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 engineering manager resume.
    Sales Engineering Manager Resume
    Sales Engineering Manager Resume
    Sales Engineering Manager Resume
    Sales Engineering Manager Resume
    Sales Engineering Manager Resume
    Sales Engineering Manager Resume
    Sales Engineering Manager Resume
    Sales Engineering Manager Resume
    Sales Engineering Manager Resume
  6. Apply for sales engineering manager jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a sales engineering 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 engineering manager job

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Average sales engineering manager salary

The average sales engineering manager salary in the United States is $122,397 per year or $59 per hour. Sales engineering manager salaries range between $89,000 and $167,000 per year.

Average sales engineering manager salary
$122,397 Yearly
$58.84 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do sales engineering managers rate their job?

-/5

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Sales engineering manager reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2020
Pros

Motivating people and helping to create success in each person's day. Honor God serve people in rich people's lives, pursue excellence in service.

Cons

Not enough time in each day to get everything accomplished.


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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 Jan 2020
Cons

I like everything

Pros

Coming in contact with people, motivating staff, making the numbers, profitability for everyone


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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.