Sales Managers Salary

SOC Code: 11-2022 • Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024

Median Salary
$138,060
Mean Salary
$160,930
Employment
603,710
Entry Level (10th %ile)
$66,910
Top Earners (90th %ile)
$239,200+

Pay Range Distribution

10th percentile
$66,910 25th percentile
$95,910 Median (50th)
$138,060 75th percentile
$201,490 90th percentile
$239,200+

Sales Managers Salary by State

StateMedianMeanEmploymentEntry (10th)Top (90th)
New York$214,350$251,50035,160$109,440$239,200+
Delaware$201,090$199,5601,070$114,150$239,200+
Colorado$174,840$195,2109,520$104,990$239,200+
New Jersey$171,490$190,38018,110$99,990$239,200+
Virginia$170,970$181,4609,520$82,480$239,200+
Massachusetts$170,610$189,29013,950$83,320$239,200+
Washington$167,210$186,81010,010$98,710$239,200+
District of Columbia$154,320$169,1401,470$80,440$239,200+
Kansas$151,440$163,0804,940$83,090$239,200+
Georgia$149,570$167,40018,110$75,640$239,200+
Minnesota$148,190$165,71010,480$79,990$239,200+
Connecticut$147,380$170,7209,660$83,280$239,200+
Illinois$142,170$163,65031,160$77,820$239,200+
New Hampshire$139,540$151,960N/A$66,870$239,200+
Michigan$136,480$152,15016,690$69,490$232,320
North Carolina$134,860$157,77018,020$64,060$239,200+
Wisconsin$134,560$152,4208,360$74,630$239,200+
Rhode Island$134,180$141,070790$76,590$213,390
South Dakota$133,590$142,110450$71,730$217,750
Wyoming$132,940$142,220180$77,020$211,030
California$132,440$157,170108,120$63,110$239,200+
Texas$132,250$148,53076,980$64,180$239,200+
Utah$130,430$145,4508,660$61,910$239,200+
Ohio$130,210$146,93020,320$68,340$233,080
Oklahoma$130,010$148,5102,920$68,740$225,250
Arizona$129,690$157,32013,390$65,850$239,200+
Maryland$129,180$145,5808,310$65,930$233,950
Pennsylvania$128,640$145,51019,850$66,750$226,090
Iowa$128,010$140,4702,960$68,890$208,620
Oregon$127,780$145,8406,000$69,100$239,200+
Tennessee$127,060$142,41012,440$68,420$222,610
Indiana$126,740$141,7209,380$63,200$224,390
Idaho$126,560$127,8002,360$56,690$192,920
Florida$126,410$146,13037,060$60,850$239,200+
Montana$125,170$138,210750$70,660$227,760
North Dakota$124,500$137,560400$66,670$212,310
Nebraska$124,440$140,8002,980$66,570$224,820
South Carolina$123,860$139,5507,620$60,190$220,730
Vermont$123,260$144,570860$79,930$234,030
Kentucky$120,500$140,6706,950$59,860$227,420
Arkansas$119,990$147,8403,350$49,340$232,830
Hawaii$116,640$130,9501,810$69,580$209,810
Alabama$108,740$136,9504,380$66,100$239,200+
Maine$106,340$132,5902,030$59,640$223,460
New Mexico$106,330$125,2201,270$64,990$210,160
Mississippi$106,290$128,3301,720$59,990$226,870
Nevada$106,020$135,3605,150$60,210$214,380
Louisiana$102,710$125,4004,320$58,750$205,570
Missouri$102,420$122,3408,510$53,820$211,700
West Virginia$101,920$119,0701,140$58,140$206,420
Alaska$97,330$110,610830$65,540$165,020

Highest Paying Metro Areas

Metro AreaMedianMeanEmployment
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$211,670$244,41040,990
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$200,450$208,4709,170
Boulder, CO$183,880$211,680890
Trenton-Princeton, NJ$181,500$191,910850
Fort Collins-Loveland, CO$177,240$183,830360
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$176,620$198,6906,580
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$175,360$195,97011,110
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$174,610$195,73017,890
Dover, DE$173,780$172,140100
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$172,440$195,1506,950
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC$172,010$175,3801,360
Harrisonburg, VA$170,660$158,110140
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$168,770$181,1607,360
Greeley, CO$167,360$179,720250
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR$167,210$198,2901,060
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA$166,460$174,780130
Glens Falls, NY$165,410$188,770120
Rochester, NY$164,990$187,8701,120
Richmond, VA$164,320$176,2001,520
Binghamton, NY$164,230$184,400110

About Sales Managers Salary Data

This data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The median salary represents the midpoint — half of sales managerss earn more and half earn less. The 10th percentile represents entry-level pay, while the 90th percentile represents the highest earners in this occupation. Employment counts represent estimated total jobs in May 2024.

Understanding Salary Percentiles

Salary percentiles show how wages are distributed across workers in this occupation. The 10th percentile represents entry-level pay — only 10% earn less. The median (50th percentile) is the true midpoint of all wages. The 90th percentile reflects top earners, typically in senior roles or high-cost metro areas. A wide gap between the 10th and 90th percentiles indicates that experience, location, and specialization significantly affect pay.

Factors That Affect Pay

Several factors influence salary for this occupation. Location is one of the biggest — the same job can pay 50% more in a high-cost metro area like San Francisco or New York compared to a rural area. Experience matters significantly; workers at the 90th percentile typically have 10-20+ years in the field. Industry also plays a role — the same occupation often pays differently in finance, technology, healthcare, or government. Education and certifications can boost pay, especially in fields that require advanced degrees or specialized licenses.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between median and mean salary?

The median is the midpoint — half earn more, half earn less. The mean (average) is the total of all salaries divided by the number of workers. The median is generally more useful because it is not skewed by a small number of extremely high earners.

Do these figures include bonuses and benefits?

No. BLS OEWS data measures base wages and salaries only. It does not include bonuses, commissions, tips, overtime, stock options, health insurance, retirement contributions, or other benefits. Total compensation may be 20-40% higher than base salary.

How reliable is this data?

The BLS OEWS survey covers approximately 1.1 million business establishments across the U.S. and uses rigorous statistical sampling methods. It is considered one of the most reliable sources of occupational wage data available. Self-employed workers and certain agricultural positions are not included.

How often is this data updated?

The BLS publishes new OEWS data annually, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period. This page shows May 2024 data, the most recent release.