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The differences between strategic accounts managers and account managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both a strategic accounts manager and an account manager. Additionally, a strategic accounts manager has an average salary of $83,574, which is higher than the $68,535 average annual salary of an account manager.
The top three skills for a strategic accounts manager include account management, healthcare and customer service. The most important skills for an account manager are customer service, account management, and healthcare.
| Strategic Accounts Manager | Account Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $83,574 | $68,535 |
| Hourly rate | $40.18 | $32.95 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 141,224 | 152,261 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 8 |
A strategic accounts manager is an individual who is responsible for establishing and maintaining productive relationships with new and existing large clients. Strategic accounts managers assign staff members to provide help and support with client accounts and how they can be of service to the clients. They are required to create an appropriate sales strategy for each of their clients and identify needs. Strategic accounts manager must also create comprehensive reports on client sales and strategy to their upper management.
Account managers are employees who act as the bridge between the company they represent and the client of the company. They are assigned to handle specific clients so that the company will be able to tailor-fit any product or service according to the clients' requirements. Account managers are responsible for maintaining a harmonious relationship between the two parties by ensuring that any agreement made is amenable to both the company and the client. They are also responsible for ensuring that the company will be able to provide the needs of the client within any limitation that the client may have. Account managers also ensure that the company's reputation and well-being are always considered in any dealings.
Strategic accounts managers and account managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Strategic Accounts Manager | Account Manager | |
| Average salary | $83,574 | $68,535 |
| Salary range | Between $51,000 And $135,000 | Between $42,000 And $110,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Washington |
| Best paying company | VMware | NVIDIA |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a strategic accounts manager and an account manager in terms of educational background:
| Strategic Accounts Manager | Account Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between strategic accounts managers' and account managers' demographics:
| Strategic Accounts Manager | Account Manager | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 68.2% Female, 31.8% | Male, 54.8% Female, 45.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 4.1% White, 78.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 4.1% White, 78.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |