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Senior sales specialist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a senior sales specialist. Senior sales specialists usually study business, marketing, or communication. 80% of senior sales specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 9% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,784 real senior sales specialist resumes to see exactly what senior sales specialist education sections show.

The most common colleges for senior sales specialists are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online senior sales specialist courses to help get the education required to be a senior sales specialist.

There are certain senior sales specialist certifications that you should consider. These senior sales specialist certifications include Certified Sales Professional (CSP) and Professional Certified Marketer (PCM).

What education do you need to become a senior sales specialist?

What degree do you need to be a senior sales specialist?

The most common degree for senior sales specialists is bachelor's degree, with 80% of senior sales specialists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 9% and master's degree degree at 7%.
  • Bachelor's, 80%
  • Master's, 9%
  • Associate, 7%
  • High School Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a senior sales specialist?

You should major in business to become a senior sales specialist. 33% of senior sales specialists major in business. Other common majors for a senior sales specialist include marketing and communication.

Most common colleges for senior sales specialists

Senior sales specialists often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, University of Massachusetts Boston, and University of Florida. Here are the most common colleges for senior sales specialists in the US based on their resumes.
Senior sales specialist common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix7.39%
University of Massachusetts Boston7.00%
University of Florida6.61%
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey6.23%
Ohio State University5.45%

Best majors for senior sales specialists

RankMajorPercentages
1Business32.9%
2Marketing13.4%
3Communication8.1%
4Biology5.9%
5Management5.3%

Best colleges for senior sales specialists

The best colleges for senior sales specialists are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

A senior sales specialist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for senior sales specialists. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become senior sales specialists.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Enrollment

9,394

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

6. SUNY College at Plattsburgh

Plattsburgh, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,369

Enrollment

5,229

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

8. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$45,542

Enrollment

14,159

9. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,570

Enrollment

3,721

10. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,853

Enrollment

14,759

20 best online courses for senior sales specialists

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Top 10 most affordable universities for senior sales specialists

The most affordable schools for senior sales specialists are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for senior sales specialists are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for senior sales specialists.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$5,740

Cost of attendance

17,864

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

7. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

8. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

9. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

10. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for senior sales specialists

The hardest universities for senior sales specialists to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for senior sales specialists are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for senior sales specialists based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

5. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

8. Fordham University

Bronx, NY • Private

Admissions rate

46%

SAT average

1,354

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

10. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for senior sales specialists

The easiest schools for senior sales specialists to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and notre dame de namur university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a senior sales specialist without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for senior sales specialists.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

4. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

7. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

8. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

9. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

10. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

Average senior sales specialist salary by education level

According to our data, senior sales specialists with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $91,862 annually. Senior sales specialists with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $88,358.
Senior sales specialist education levelSenior sales specialist salary
Master's Degree$91,862
High School Diploma or Less$63,451
Bachelor's Degree$82,739
Doctorate Degree$88,358
Some College/ Associate Degree$65,796

Senior sales specialist education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.