Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between sales/field sales managers and outside sales managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both a sales/field sales manager and an outside sales manager. Additionally, an outside sales manager has an average salary of $84,408, which is higher than the $80,257 average annual salary of a sales/field sales manager.
The top three skills for a sales/field sales manager include customer service, lead generation and sales training. The most important skills for an outside sales manager are product knowledge, CRM, and customer service.
| Sales/Field Sales Manager | Outside Sales Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $80,257 | $84,408 |
| Hourly rate | $38.59 | $40.58 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 156,663 | 138,054 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 8 |
Sales or Field Sales Managers oversee the group in charge of conducting sales activities outside of the office or company branches. They manage field sales employees by hiring and training them. They also set goals on a weekly or monthly basis. They provide strategic direction to ensure that these goals are met. They monitor the performance of the team and identify areas for improvement. They would then create programs to address these challenges. Field Sales Managers should be familiar with the company's target market. They should also be familiar with the scope of area operations. This would help them create strategies in the context of their target market. Field sales managers should have a strong sales background and a determined attitude.
An outside sales manager is responsible for monitoring the sales staff performance in selling goods and services to existing and potential clients and ensuring that the team meets sales objectives. Outside sales managers set reasonable sales targets and establish techniques to maximize the staff's efficiency and productivity. They regularly connect with the clients to determine their needs and make any adjustments to business plans as needed. An outside sales manager should have excellent knowledge of the current market trends to identify business opportunities that would generate more revenues and resources.
Sales/field sales managers and outside sales managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Sales/Field Sales Manager | Outside Sales Manager | |
| Average salary | $80,257 | $84,408 |
| Salary range | Between $51,000 And $124,000 | Between $51,000 And $138,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Albany, NY |
| Highest paying state | New Hampshire | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Dominion Enterprises | |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Finance |
There are a few differences between a sales/field sales manager and an outside sales manager in terms of educational background:
| Sales/Field Sales Manager | Outside Sales Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between sales/field sales managers' and outside sales managers' demographics:
| Sales/Field Sales Manager | Outside Sales Manager | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.5% Female, 24.5% | Male, 79.1% Female, 20.9% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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 | 7% | 7% |