How To Become A Sales Representative/Store Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a sales representative/store manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted experts

Bill Thorne,

Kerem Cakirer Ph.D.

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a sales representative/store manager. For example, did you know that they make an average of $25.89 an hour? That's $53,859 a year! 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 representative/store 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/Store ManagerUS Average

Salary

4.2

Avg. Salary $53,859

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 33.56%

male 66.44%

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/store manager

Explore sales representative/store manager education requirements

Most common sales representative/store manager degrees

Bachelor's

45.5 %

High School Diploma

24.8 %

Associate

20.7 %

Start to develop specific sales representative/store manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	30.84%
Repeat Business	5.34%
Payroll	5.12%
Store Operations	3.28%
Inventory Control	3.25%

Complete relevant sales representative/store manager training and internships

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

Research sales representative/store manager duties and responsibilities

Install and manage the building of store display projects for cabinets, millwork and more.
Train and develop new associates on POS system and key sale tactics.
Operate a POS system to itemize and complete an average daily amount of purchases.
Utilize information technology expertise to develop and maintain web presence, create marketing opportunities, CRM management, and increase productivity.

Apply for sales representative/store manager jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a sales representative/store 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 representative/store managers rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Sales representative/store 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 May 2020

Pros

i enjoy the interaction with people, listen the customer in order to convert him/her into your friend, detect and help customer with his/her needs.

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.

What is a sales representative/store manager and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a sales representative/store manager?

Sales representative/store manager career paths

Key steps to become a sales representative/store manager

Explore sales representative/store manager education requirements

Most common sales representative/store manager degrees

Start to develop specific sales representative/store manager skills

Complete relevant sales representative/store manager training and internships

Research sales representative/store manager duties and responsibilities

Apply for sales representative/store manager jobs

How did you land your first sales representative/store manager job

Average sales representative/store manager salary

How do sales representative/store managers rate their job?

Sales representative/store manager reviews