$Who Earns What

How much does a sales manager make?

US Sales Managers

Answer: A typical sales manager in the United States makes $148,270 a year (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Yearly pay of a typical person doing this job in the US
$148,270

Line up 100 people; this is the one in the middle (median). about 637,000 people work in this job. Well above the US-wide typical pay ($50,980).

Lower earner
$73,170
10th from the bottom of 100
Typical person
$148,270
Right in the middle (median)
Higher earner
$290,540
10th from the top of 100

If 100 people had this job

Lowest at bottom-left, highest at top-right

Hover over a person to see their yearly pay

49 of 100
not many

Sales manager pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread)

Sales manager pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread) — Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lower earner (10th from bottom)Typical person (median)Higher earner (10th from top)People in this job
$73,170$148,270$290,540about 637,000
States where sales managers earn the most (median, May 2025)
StateTypical person (median)People in this job
New York$217,640about 39,000
Massachusetts$191,200about 15,000
Virginia$191,130about 10,000
Colorado$180,850about 9,000
Washington$174,000about 10,000

Why does pay differ?

In the US, pay can differ with experience, location, industry, and what a company sells. Many employers combine a base salary with commissions or bonuses, so individual, team, or company sales results can change total pay.

What if you lived in a different state?

Pay varies a lot by state in the US
Whole US$148,270
New York$217,640
Massachusetts$191,200
Virginia$191,130
Colorado$180,850
Washington$174,000
Mississippi$108,750
Alaska$98,860
West Virginia$94,830

Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.

What does a sales manager do?

Plan, direct, or coordinate the actual distribution or movement of a product or service to the customer. Coordinate sales distribution by establishing sales territories, quotas, and goals and establish training programs for sales representatives. Analyze sales statistics gathered by staff to determine sales potential and inventory requirements and monitor the preferences of customers.

What's a typical day like?

They check sales reports and customer trends, set goals, and coach sales reps on presentations or closing deals. They may also train new hires, handle tough customer complaints, and meet with customers or distributors.

How to get this job

In the US, a common route is to earn a bachelor’s degree, often in business, then start in a sales job. After several years selling, move up to lead a sales team; some employers accept a high-school diploma.

Usually a bachelor's degree (preparation level 4 of 5)

Good for people who like leading and selling and keeping things organized.

Did you know?

O*NET reports that every Sales Manager respondent in its survey said they handle customer complaints every day.

Similar jobs

Jobs using similar skills (O*NET)

Earn more in the same field

Management jobs that pay a bit more

Sources and data

Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine

Pages used for the text

Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY