What is a senior account manager and how to become one

Q: How long does it take to become a Senior Account Manager?

It takes 7 years of professional experience to become a senior account manager. That is the time it takes to learn specific senior account manager skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education. If you include the normal education requirements to complete a college degree, then it takes 10 to 12 years years to become a senior account manager.

Q: How much do accounts managers make?

A strategic accounts manager makes an average of around $97,000 per year, or about $51 an hour. The range for these positions was $87,000 on the low end to $120,000 on the high end, with many of the top earners pulling in around $105,000 a year.

Q: Is account manager a stressful job?

Yes, being an account manager is a stressful job. In fact, being an account manager was ranked as the second most stressful job, with 73 percent of respondents rating the role as "highly stressful."

Q: What degree do you need to be a senior account manager?

No specific degree is required to be a senior account manager. However, most senior account managers have at least a bachelor's degree. The most important component in becoming a senior account manager is experience.

Q: What education is required to become an account manager?

A bachelor's degree in a relevant field is typically required of those seeking employment as an account manager. It is possible to work as an account manager with varying levels of education, but few account managers are hired with less than a bachelor's degree.

Q: What makes a good senior account manager?

What makes a good senior account manager is a strong understanding of account management and leadership abilities. While having a strong formal education can help, the most important skills needed to be a good manager are learned from years of experience working as an account manager.

Q: Senior Account Manager vs. Account Manager

A senior account manager is a high-ranking professional that serves as a link between their employer and the specific customer accounts they have been assigned to handle, while an account manager performs this same function in a junior capacity.

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted expert

Kaustav Misra Ph.D.

Senior account managers are responsible for maintaining and growing business relationships with clients. They work closely with clients to understand their needs and develop strategies to meet their goals, while also developing new business opportunities and expanding the company's current client base. Senior account managers may manage a team of account managers and oversee the delivery of services to clients, which requires excellent communication, negotiation, and leadership skills, as well as a deep understanding of the industry and market trends.

What general advice would you give to a senior account manager?

Kaustav Misra Ph.D.

Associate Dean, Central Connecticut State University

I have spent almost two decades in the higher education industry and about a decade in administration. I often advised students, and it is astonishing to see how many of these students do not plan for their future. A good plan is a starting point to lead a good and successful career and life. Hence, by all means, it is worth noting that developing a future-oriented focus is important, so taking time to streamline the plan should be an important exercise for every graduate before they begin to do anything.

ScoreSenior Account ManagerUS Average

Salary

6.7

Avg. Salary $86,129

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 41.57%

male 58.43%

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

What are the pros and cons of being a senior account manager?

Pros

High salary potential
Building strong relationships with clients
Exposure to different industries and businesses
Opportunities for networking and professional development
Chance to work with a team and mentor junior staff

Cons

Long hours, including evenings and weekends
Pressure to meet sales targets and deadlines
Managing multiple projects simultaneously
Expectation to be on call for emergencies or urgent matters
Balancing client needs with company goals and objectives

Key steps to become a senior account manager

Explore senior account manager education requirements

Most common senior account manager degrees

Bachelor's

77.4 %

Associate

9.1 %

Master's

8.4 %

Start to develop specific senior account manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	7.89%
Account Management	7.39%
Project Management	6.45%
Healthcare	5.37%
Work Ethic	5.17%

Complete relevant senior account manager training and internships

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

Research senior account manager duties and responsibilities

Facilitate timely and accurate customer quotations to achieve margin targets in alignment with PPG pricing strategies.
Assist PPG credit department to manage customer debt and ensure timely payment under agree to credit terms.
Develop and manage new accounts for search marketing (SEO), social media marketing, web design and video production.
Manage accounts while providing excellent customer service, help build financial relationships, redirecting calls in upselling credit per customer needs

Get senior account manager experience

Generally, it takes 6-8 years to become a senior account manager. The most common roles before becoming a senior account manager include account manager, account executive team lead and sales representative.

Prepare your senior account manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your senior account 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 senior account 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 senior account manager resume templates

Build a professional senior account 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 senior account manager resume.