How To Become A Zone Sales Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a zone sales manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Bill Thorne

The average zone sales manager salary is $103,932. The most common degree is a bachelor's degree degree with an business major. It usually takes 6-8 years of experience to become a zone sales manager. Zone sales managers with a Certified Sales Professional (CSP) certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 5% and produce 23,800 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a zone sales manager?

Bill Thorne

Executive Director of the NRF Foundation and Senior Vice President of Communication and Public Affairs of NRF, National Retail Federation

Retail is the largest private-sector employer in the country, directly employing 32 million people and supporting 52 million jobs overall - roughly one-quarter of the U.S. workforce. While COVID-19 has presented new and unexpected challenges, retailers have continued to showcase the industry's resilience and adaptability time and again. The safety and security of customers and employees remains our greatest priority. It is no doubt that the professional environment has changed this year, but retail continues to offer a plethora of career opportunities for graduates and seasoned veterans alike.

ScoreZone Sales ManagerUS Average

Salary

7.7

Avg. Salary $103,932

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 17.87%

male 82.13%

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 zone sales manager

Explore zone sales manager education requirements

Most common zone sales manager degrees

Bachelor's

74.6 %

Associate

9.5 %

Master's

6.9 %

Start to develop specific zone sales manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Business Plan	15.34%
Product Knowledge	13.87%
Sales Performance	12.59%
Sales Territory	7.18%
Sales Growth	5.91%

Complete relevant zone sales manager training and internships

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

Research zone sales manager duties and responsibilities

Leverage other sales office resources and administrative/support staff to achieve personal and team relate revenue goals.
Utilize information technology expertise to develop and maintain web presence, create marketing opportunities, CRM management, and increase productivity.
Recommend products and services to maximize customer service and target upselling on each customer contact.

Apply for zone sales manager jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a zone sales manager job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do zone sales managers rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Zone sales manager reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2020

Pros

Motivating people and helping to create success in each person's day. Honor God serve people in rich people's lives, pursue excellence in service.

Cons

Not enough time in each day to get everything accomplished.

A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2020

Cons

Disciplining my team for mistakes they can prevent, such as attendance.

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020

Cons

I like everything

Pros

Coming in contact with people, motivating staff, making the numbers, profitability for everyone

What is a zone sales manager and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a zone sales manager?

Zone sales manager career paths

Key steps to become a zone sales manager

Explore zone sales manager education requirements

Most common zone sales manager degrees

Start to develop specific zone sales manager skills

Complete relevant zone sales manager training and internships

Research zone sales manager duties and responsibilities

Apply for zone sales manager jobs

How did you land your first zone sales manager job

Average zone sales manager salary

How do zone sales managers rate their job?

Zone sales manager reviews