Average Sales Managers Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Sales Managers is $138,060 per year. The middle 50% earn between $95,910 and $201,490, with 603,710 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2024 estimates . Data covers 51 states and 389 metro areas.
Wage range
Pay distribution
Here is how Sales Managers pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $66,910
- 25th
- $95,910
- Median
- $138,060
- 75th
- $201,490
- 90th
- ≥$239,200
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
Values marked ≥$239,200 are at or above the BLS wage cap. BLS does not publish an exact figure above this threshold.
Sales Managers are among the highest-paid occupations tracked by BLS, well into the top decile of US wages.
Some sales managers earn above the BLS wage cap of $239,200, so the top percentiles shown here are BLS's minimum. Actual top-end earnings go higher but are not published in detail.
BLS projections
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for sales managers from 2024 to 2034. Growth is roughly in line with the US average of about 4% across all occupations.
- Projected growth
- +4.7%
- 29,000 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 49,000
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave. Annual openings reflect typical replacement demand alongside any growth.
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience
- Less than 5 years
A bachelor's degree is the typical entry requirement for sales managers.
Where Sales Managers earn the most
Location matters a lot. The gap between top-paying and bottom-paying states is large, so where sales managers work can reshape their total compensation. Right now, the top-paying state is New York at $214,350, about 55.3% above the national median. At the metro level, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ leads with a median of $211,670.
By state
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $214,350 | 35,160 |
| Delaware | $201,090 | 1,070 |
| Colorado | $174,840 | 9,520 |
| New Jersey | $171,490 | 18,110 |
| Virginia | $170,970 | 9,520 |
| Massachusetts | $170,610 | 13,950 |
| Washington | $167,210 | 10,010 |
| District of Columbia | $154,320 | 1,470 |
By metro
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $211,670 | 40,990 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $200,450 | 9,170 |
| Boulder, CO | $183,880 | 890 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $181,500 | 850 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $177,240 | 360 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $176,620 | 6,580 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $175,360 | 11,110 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $174,610 | 17,890 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see sales managers pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2019 and 2024, the national median salary for Sales Managers rose from $126,640 to $138,060, a gain of +9.0% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +22.7%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $126,640 would need to be worth $155,386 in 2024 dollars.
The actual 2024 median of $138,060 is −$17,326 below that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of -11.2% in purchasing power.
Adjusted for inflation, pay has lost ground. Nominal growth of 9.0% has not kept up with rising prices.
- Nominal change
- +9.0%
- 2019–2024
- Cumulative inflation
- +22.7%
- US CPI, 2019–2024
- Real change
- -11.2%
- After adjusting for inflation
Annual history
Median salary over time
Sales Managers median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2019
- $126,640
- 2020
- $132,290
- 2021
- $127,490
- 2022
- $130,600
- 2023
- $135,160
- 2024
- $138,060
Similar jobs
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Public Relations Managers
- $138,520
- Advertising And Promotions Managers
- $126,960
- Fundraising Managers
- $123,480
- Marketing Managers
- $161,030
- Purchasing Managers
- $139,510
- Managers, All Other
- $136,550
- Human Resources Managers
- $140,030
- Compensation And Benefits Managers
- $140,360
Common salary questions for Sales Managers
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Sales Managers workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2024 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.