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The differences between technical sales managers and sales development managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a technical sales manager, becoming a sales development manager takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a technical sales manager has an average salary of $129,770, which is higher than the $102,790 average annual salary of a sales development manager.
The top three skills for a technical sales manager include customer satisfaction, sales management and CRM. The most important skills for a sales development manager are SDR, salesforce, and customer service.
| Technical Sales Manager | Sales Development Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $129,770 | $102,790 |
| Hourly rate | $62.39 | $49.42 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 193,981 | 171,101 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 46 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 4 |
A technical sales manager is responsible for monitoring the sales techniques and performance of the sales team in selling technical services and systems to the customers. Technical sales managers coordinate with clients to discuss and negotiate offers of new products and services. They also identify business opportunities by analyzing current technology trends from public demands to generate more revenue resources and increase the company's profits. A technical sales manager facilitates and plans sales training and programs to maximize staff's efficiency and productivity.
Sales Development Managers oversee a specific function in the sales department. They are in charge of creating sales pitches, communication tools, and strategies to boost the company's sales performance. They may be assigned to do these activities for a specific product or service or for the whole product line of the organization. Sales Development Managers are also expected to create branding images that will help their sales strategies. They are required to fully understand the company's history, image, and target market. This will ensure that the branding and sales strategies they create are in line with the company's values.
Technical sales managers and sales development managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Sales Manager | Sales Development Manager | |
| Average salary | $129,770 | $102,790 |
| Salary range | Between $90,000 And $186,000 | Between $66,000 And $157,000 |
| Highest paying City | Columbia, MD | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Hampshire | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | Palo Alto Networks | Everyday Health |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a technical sales manager and a sales development manager in terms of educational background:
| Technical Sales Manager | Sales Development Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between technical sales managers' and sales development managers' demographics:
| Technical Sales Manager | Sales Development Manager | |
| Average age | 46 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.2% Female, 13.8% | Male, 67.8% Female, 32.2% |
| 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, 10.4% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 4.4% White, 62.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 18% |