Career comparison
Account Executive vs. Sales Manager
Side-by-side pay, training, growth and day-to-day duties to help you choose between two related careers.
Sales managers earn more at the median ($148,270 vs. $69,990), while account executives usually get to work faster (1–6 months of training). Account executives sell services and software to businesses and grow client accounts. Sales managers lead sales teams, set goals and drive revenue growth.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
| Account Executive | Sales Manager | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $69,990 ($33.65/hr) | $148,270 ($71.28/hr) |
| Pay range (10th–90th) | $37,980 – $148,840 | $73,170 – $290,540 |
| Job growth, 2025–35 | +2.7% (about as fast as average) | +4.5% (about as fast as average) |
| Openings per year | 115,700 | 47,300 |
| Typical entry education | High school diploma or equivalent | Bachelor's degree |
| Training time | 1–6 months | 4 years plus 3–5 years in sales |
| Key credential | HubSpot Sales Software certification | Certified Sales Leader |
| Work setting | Account executives work in offices or remotely, on phones and video calls, with some travel for field sales roles.. | Sales managers work in offices or remotely and travel to visit clients and teams.. |
What each job does
Account Executive
- Prospect and qualify leads
- Run discovery calls and demos
- Write proposals and quotes
- Negotiate and close deals
- Manage a pipeline in CRM
Sales Manager
- Hire, train and coach sales reps
- Set quotas and territories
- Review pipelines and forecasts
- Analyze sales performance data
- Help close key deals
How they’re similar
Both careers involve working with people, desk work, and a fast pace. Both are part of the sales & retail field, so many skills transfer between them.
Which should you choose?
Choose account executive if…
- I like talking with people
- I’m motivated by goals
- I can handle rejection
Choose sales manager if…
- I love leading teams
- I’ve been successful in sales
- I like coaching people
Still torn? Take the Account Executive fit quiz and the Sales Manager fit quiz, or the full Career Match Quiz.
Quick comparisons
Which pays more, account executive or sales manager?
Sales Managers earn more at the median: $148,270 versus $69,990 for account executives, based on BLS May 2025 data.
Which takes less time to train for?
Account Executives typically train faster (1–6 months) than sales managers (4 years plus 3–5 years in sales).
Which career has better job growth?
BLS projects sales managers to grow +4.5% from 2025–35, compared with +2.7% for account executives.