Sales Managers

Low Risk
30%
Where Would You Like to Go Next?
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Vote Comments (25)
Or, Explore This Profession in Greater Detail...
AUTOMATION RISK
CALCULATED
29%
(Low Risk)
POLLING
32%
(Low Risk)
Average: 30%
LABOR DEMAND
GROWTH
5.9%
by year 2033
WAGES
$135,160
or $64.98 per hour
Volume
575,880
as of 2023
SUMMARY
JOB SCORE
8.1/10

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Calculated automation risk

29% (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

32% 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 29% 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 is 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

Fast growth relative to other professions

The number of 'Sales Managers' job openings is expected to rise 5.9% by 2033

Total employment, and estimated job openings

* Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the period between 2021 and 2031
Updated projections are due 09-2024.

Wages

Very high paid relative to other professions

In 2023, the median annual wage for 'Sales Managers' was $135,160, or $64 per hour

'Sales Managers' were paid 181.2% higher than the national median wage, which stood at $48,060

Wages over time

* Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Volume

Significantly greater range of job opportunities compared to other professions

As of 2023 there were 575,880 people employed as 'Sales Managers' within the United States.

This represents around 0.38% of the employed workforce across the country

Put another way, around 1 in 263 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

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Comments

Leave a comment

Sam A (Moderate) 1 year ago
Sales Management is about monitoring and coaching the implementation of sales strategies. AI can be with the sales people everywhere they go.
2 0 Reply
Sales Man (Moderate) 1 year ago
Sales will surviveā€¦..bottom of the A.I. food chain
0 1 Reply
alice (Highly likely) 1 year ago
With AI algorithm human behavior becomes predictable. Furthermore, people can do their own research,
1 0 Reply
Federico Suarez (Low) 1 year ago
When selling, human skills like negotiating are neccesarry.
0 1 Reply
Dishant Saxena (No chance) 1 year ago
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.
1 0 Reply
Dani (Highly likely) 1 year ago
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)
0 2 Reply
Walid (Highly likely) 1 year ago
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.
1 0 Reply
Emma 1 year ago
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.
0 1 Reply
Mike (Low) 2 years ago
Sales is a game of emotions. AI or automation can't send a warm feeling which generates safety and trust.
1 0 Reply
Andrew (Low) 2 years ago
Never rule anything out completely. There will always be a need for oversight and intrapersonal relationships on some level when completing a project.
0 1 Reply
Ben Lincoln (Low) 3 years ago
Leaders will never be replaced by robots
1 0 Reply
Vera 3 years ago
I am a sales manager and I don't think that a computer could do this job better than me.
0 1 Reply
Sales Manager (Highly likely) 3 years ago
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.
1 0 Reply
Vincent Fortune (Uncertain) 4 years ago
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.
0 1 Reply
Jaro Tomik 4 years ago
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.
1 0 Reply
Eramir Fernandes Jr. (Low) 4 years ago
Human Relationship is Key to this job.
0 1 Reply
Waldemar (Low) 4 years ago
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.
1 0 Reply
Colin Freeman (Highly likely) 5 years ago
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.
0 1 Reply
Colin Freeman (Highly likely) 5 years ago
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...
1 0 Reply
Rogerio (No chance) 5 years ago
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.
1 1 Reply

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