How To Become A Sales Lead Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a sales lead manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Bill Thorne

The average sales lead manager salary is $53,284. The most common degree is a bachelor's degree degree with an business major. It usually takes 6-8 years of experience to become a sales lead manager. Sales lead managers with a Certified Sales Professional (CSP) certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 5% and produce 23,800 job opportunities across the U.S.

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

Bill Thorne

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 Lead ManagerUS Average

Salary

4.2

Avg. Salary $53,284

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.4

Growth rate 5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

2.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.24%

Asian 4.07%

Black or African American 3.24%

Hispanic or Latino 9.82%

Unknown 4.41%

White 78.23%

Gender

female 63.87%

male 36.13%

Age - 46

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 - 46

Stress level

6.4

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.7

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.4

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a sales lead manager

Explore sales lead manager education requirements

Most common sales lead manager degrees

Bachelor's

50.2 %

Associate

20.4 %

High School Diploma

18.7 %

Start to develop specific sales lead manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	24.35%
Sales Floor	9.95%
Merchandise Flow	6.11%
Payroll	6.11%
Bank Deposits	3.71%

Complete relevant sales lead manager training and internships

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

Research sales lead manager duties and responsibilities

Partner in managing operations of multiple retail outlets, including hiring, performance management, scheduling, and merchandising management.
Train sales associates in visual presentation, POS system, and sales techniques.
Partner in managing operations of multiple retail outlets, including hiring, performance management, scheduling, and merchandising management.
Install and manage the building of store display projects for cabinets, millwork and more.

Get sales lead manager experience

Generally, it takes 6-8 years to become a sales lead manager. The most common roles before becoming a sales lead manager include sales associate, cashier team lead and assistant manager.

Prepare your sales lead manager resume

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

Build a professional sales lead 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 lead manager resume.

Apply for sales lead manager jobs

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

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

How do sales lead managers rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Sales lead manager reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020

Pros

The people that you meet! Interactive with a diverse group of individuals from every walk of life.

Cons

The employees with all no calls and no shows!!!!! Poor upper management not taking up for the staff. Also the rude individual’s that comes in gripping about everything

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.

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

What is a sales lead manager and how to become one

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

Sales lead manager career paths

Key steps to become a sales lead manager

Explore sales lead manager education requirements

Most common sales lead manager degrees

Start to develop specific sales lead manager skills

Complete relevant sales lead manager training and internships

Research sales lead manager duties and responsibilities

Get sales lead manager experience

Prepare your sales lead manager resume

Choose from 10+ customizable sales lead manager resume templates

Apply for sales lead manager jobs

How did you land your first sales lead manager job

Average sales lead manager salary

How do sales lead managers rate their job?

Sales lead manager reviews