How To Become A Senior National Account Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a senior national account manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Kaustav Misra Ph.D.

Senior National Account Manager develops strategic ideas for retaining and expanding an account. They understand a customer's needs, conducting follow-ups with prospective leads, and improving customer service processes. They prepare performance plans and stick to the codes of ethics in their business.

Typically, to become a Senior National Account Manager, you need to possess a bachelor's degree in the accounting field, while a master's degree is preferred. It would be best if you have several years of experience and skills relevant to this field.

Most of the bachelors who gravitate to this field end up laying claim to annual earnings at $117,369. The current median pay for a Senior National Account Manager ranges from $58,450 to $147,030 in the U.S. However, this figure can vary significantly depending upon your experience and skills.

What general advice would you give to a senior national 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 National Account ManagerUS Average

Salary

8.0

Avg. Salary $115,267

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 30.33%

male 69.67%

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 senior national account manager

Explore senior national account manager education requirements

Most common senior national account manager degrees

Bachelor's

80.9 %

Master's

10.2 %

Associate

6.8 %

Start to develop specific senior national account manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Account Management	12.19%
National Accounts	10.40%
Revenue Growth	6.07%
Customer Relationships	5.64%
Customer Satisfaction	4.96%

Complete relevant senior national account manager training and internships

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

Research senior national account manager duties and responsibilities

Managed/Analyze individual account POS numbers to assist in forecasting, manage inventory and overall category management.
Negotiate terms and conditions, then supervise contract fulfillment with dealers and several OEM customers.
Initiate and maintain national contracts with such companies FedEx, Wal-Mart and several national healthcare organizations.
Place software products in major OEM hardware manufacturers, communicating customer needs, technology, and industry directions.

Get senior national account manager experience

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

Prepare your senior national account manager resume

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

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