How To Become A Sales Representative And Account Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a sales representative and account manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted Experts

Bill Thorne,

John Cicala Ph.D.

Account managers and sales representatives are tasked with increasing the revenue of a company. While an account manager may be involved with an account to develop marketing solutions, the sales representative sells products to individuals and companies. This employee is responsible for managing an account to develop marketing solutions that will drive sales and increase revenue. He/She organizes product demonstrations to persuade potential buyers. He/She ensures monthly revenue goals are met by identifying and closing sales and revenue opportunities. Additionally, he/she evaluates client contracts to protect and grow existing revenue streams.

Candidates must have a minimum of a bachelor's degree in business or a related field. You must also have a minimum of two years of experience in a sales or marketing role and must possess multitasking, management, analytical, organization, presentation, and communication skills. These experts earn an average salary of $59,050 per annum. It varies from $35,000 to $98,000.

What general advice would you give to a Sales Representative And Account 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 Representative And Account ManagerUS Average

Salary

5.1

Avg. Salary $65,417

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 32.85%

male 67.15%

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 representative and account manager

Explore sales representative and account manager education requirements

Most common sales representative and account manager degrees

Bachelor's

69.5 %

Associate

14.3 %

High School Diploma

7.9 %

Start to develop specific sales representative and account manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	23.46%
Business Relationships	8.20%
Sales Process	8.15%
Flyers	6.55%
Business Development	6.40%

Complete relevant sales representative and account manager training and internships

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

Research sales representative and account manager duties and responsibilities

Design and implement solutions including global data networks, manage services, cloud, data storage and disaster recovery.
Develop concepts and procedures, analyze and resolve general ledger interfaces with computerize payroll, time tracking and project accounting system.
Educate and present new approach to facility managers and plant managers including ROI analysis.

Prepare your sales representative and account manager resume

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