Sales Managers

AUTOMATION RISK
CALCULATED
30%
risk level
POLLING
37%
Based on 528 votes
LABOR DEMAND
GROWTH
5.1%
by year 2032
WAGES
$130,600
or $62.78 per hour
Volume
536,390
as of 2022
SUMMARY
JOB SCORE
7.2/10

Want this summary on your site? Embed code:

Automation risk

30% (Low Risk)

Low Risk (21-40%): Jobs in this level have a limited risk of automation, as they demand a mix of technical and human-centric skills.

More information on what this score is, and how it is calculated is available here.

Some very important qualities of the job are difficult to automate:

  • Persuasion

Some quite important qualities of the job are difficult to automate:

  • Negotiation

  • Social Perceptiveness

  • Originality

User poll

37% chance of full automation within the next two decades

Our visitors have voted there's a low chance this occupation will be automated. This assessment is further supported by the calculated automation risk level, which estimates 30% chance of automation.

What do you think the risk of automation is?

What is the likelihood that Sales Managers will be replaced by robots or artificial intelligence within the next 20 years?






Sentiment

The following graph(s) are included wherever there is a substantial amount of votes to render meaningful data. These visual representations display user poll results over time, providing a significant indication of sentiment trends.

Sentiment over time (quarterly)

Sentiment over time (yearly)

Growth

Moderate growth relative to other professions

The number of 'Sales Managers' job openings is expected to rise 5.1% by 2032

Total employment, and estimated job openings

* Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the period between 2021 and 2031
Updated projections are due 09-2023.

Wages

Very high paid relative to other professions

In 2022, the median annual wage for 'Sales Managers' was $130,600, or $62 per hour

'Sales Managers' were paid 182.0% higher than the national median wage, which stood at $46,310

Wages over time

* Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Volume

Significantly greater range of job opportunities compared to other professions

As of 2022 there were 536,390 people employed as 'Sales Managers' within the United States.

This represents around 0.36% of the employed workforce across the country

Put another way, around 1 in 275 people are employed as 'Sales Managers'.

Job description

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.

SOC Code: 11-2022.00

Resources

If you're thinking of starting a new career, or looking to change jobs, we've created a handy job search tool which might just help you land that perfect new role.

Search jobs in your local area

Comments

Leave a comment

Sam A (Moderate) says
Sales Management is about monitoring and coaching the implementation of sales strategies. AI can be with the sales people everywhere they go.
May 25, 2023 at 11:27 AM
Sales Man (Moderate) says
Sales will survive…..bottom of the A.I. food chain
May 08, 2023 at 09:51 PM
alice (Highly likely) says
With AI algorithm human behavior becomes predictable. Furthermore, people can do their own research,
May 01, 2023 at 01:20 AM
Federico Suarez (Low) says
When selling, human skills like negotiating are neccesarry.
Apr 24, 2023 at 07:40 AM
Dishant Saxena (No chance) says
Sales is a passion driven job. It needs to be fulfilled by motivation and enthusiasm otherwise sales of a product or service will definitely go down. Sales cannot be dependent on advertising or marketing only.
Apr 14, 2023 at 09:40 PM
Dani (Highly likely) says
I think it is very likely that within the next 10 years we will reach an AGI (artificial general intelligence). Therefore, if it doesn't scape our control and kill us all (we dont really know how AIs work), I am sure it will replace the sales jobs without any problem (assuming the amount of energy to run the AGI is acceptable)
Apr 09, 2023 at 03:51 PM
Walid (Highly likely) says
This, of course, will vary from both the industry and their job tasks. If you are a sales manager from a small firm, and responsible for training salespeople in telemarketing, then you are probably going to be out of a job, unless you are qualified to get a job somewhere else.

This will require you to have a unique set of skills, and a high level of education, that qualifies you for positions where automation will not be a threat to you.
Jan 21, 2023 at 02:58 PM
Emma says
I think it's inevitable that the role of Sales Manager will disappear, as there will likely be no one to manage!

The role of the salesperson will be replaced by marketplaces over time, particularly as the demographic of the buyer/budget holder moves towards millennials. These individuals do not need or want human interaction, as they can research what they need to know and buy what they want without engaging with people.
Jan 20, 2023 at 12:45 AM
Mike (Low) says
Sales is a game of emotions. AI or automation can't send a warm feeling which generates safety and trust.
Nov 15, 2022 at 03:44 AM
Andrew (Low) says
Never rule anything out completely. There will always be a need for oversight and intrapersonal relationships on some level when completing a project.
Sep 07, 2022 at 09:44 PM
Ben Lincoln (Low) says
Leaders will never be replaced by robots
May 27, 2021 at 09:16 PM
Vera says
I am a sales manager and I don't think that a computer could do this job better than me.
Dec 28, 2020 at 04:29 PM
Sales Manager (Highly likely) says
The role is basically of relationship management and is relevant only if there is a human with discretionary power on the purchasing side...with increasing transparency and control over purchase, more of this activity will become data driven and programmatic. Sales managers roles will be reduced and redefined to key account management.
Dec 26, 2020 at 11:10 AM
Vincent Fortune (Uncertain) says
I feel like it could go either way because technology is increasing each and everyday but being a sales manager requires traits such as leadership, passion, motivation, etc. so it can go both ways.
Sep 11, 2020 at 02:42 PM
Jaro Tomik says
As a Sales Manager, I can see how certain parts of the job (e.g. paperwork or back office tasks) can be and to a degree are automated - e.g. BI, pipeline, CRM information recording, sales prediction, parts of procurement processes, streamlining contract creation, customer access to trials and demos, maybe even sales strategy to a degree...I see the job being primarily about creating, enabling and nurturing human to human and organisation to organisation connections and relationships that lead to challenge resolution via win-win situations, and therefore very difficult to automate. However, for certain sectors where Sales Managers' products are heavily productised, not too complex or in a need of heavy customisation, customers may opt to purchase products via online orders. Therefore, there may not be that much need for coordination of resources or sales distribution, leading to less of these (and other non-consultative sales) jobs available.
Jul 28, 2020 at 11:51 AM
Eramir Fernandes Jr. (Low) says
Human Relationship is Key to this job.
Feb 15, 2020 at 06:50 PM
Waldemar (Low) says
A lot of tasks in this job are human related and I really doubt any buyer could be satisfied by a an artificial intelligence on this position.
Jan 22, 2020 at 02:34 PM
Colin Freeman (Highly likely) says
The Sales Manager will be replaced by AI. / ML models within 5 - 10 years.

Forecasting, coaching, motivation, reporting, recruitment & advisory parts of the role can and will be available without humans in 10 years max... However - empathy, eq and the ability to interact at a higher level with customers will not be replace - so maybe the role will change into another type in the same timeframe.
Oct 18, 2019 at 02:18 PM
Colin Freeman (Highly likely) says
The Sales Manager will be replaced by AI. / ML models within 5 - 10 years.

Forecasting, coaching, motivation, reporting, recruitment & advisory parts of the role can and will be available without humans in 10 years max...
Oct 18, 2019 at 02:16 PM
Rogerio (No chance) says
I'm a sales manager on IT recruitment/allocation. I believe it can't be done by any AI or Robot, since the sales process includes a lot of contact with our client and the professional, since there's a lot effort to conquer their trust.
Oct 14, 2019 at 03:41 AM

Leave a reply about this occupation

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

People also viewed

Accountants and Auditors
Marketing Managers
Computer Programmers
Lawyers
Web Developers