Sales Managers Salaries by State

Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for sales managerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).

National mean salary $164,350 ≈ $79/hr
National median salary $148,270
Total employment 637,080 nationwide

Job Outlook, 2024–2034

Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.

Projected growth +4.7% Faster than average
Annual openings 49,000 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 619,500 → 648,500 (+29,000)
Typical entry education Bachelor's degree

Salary Map

Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.

💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States

  1. New York$239,740
  2. Massachusetts$201,180
  3. Colorado$200,720
  4. Virginia$195,390
  5. New Jersey$190,770

📉 5 Lowest-Paying States

  1. West Virginia$111,170
  2. Alaska$113,120
  3. New Mexico$127,850
  4. North Dakota$128,800
  5. Mississippi$129,830
#StateMeanMedian Hourlyvs. U.S.Employment
1 New York $239,740 $217,640 $115 +45.9% 38,510
2 Massachusetts $201,180 $191,200 $97 +22.4% 15,010
3 Colorado $200,720 $180,850 $97 +22.1% 8,780
4 Virginia $195,390 $191,130 $94 +18.9% 9,670
5 New Jersey $190,770 $173,020 $92 +16.1% 20,090
6 Washington $187,460 $174,000 $90 +14.1% 10,030
7 Connecticut $175,420 $162,110 $84 +6.7% 8,560
8 Oregon $170,570 $155,810 $82 +3.8% 5,260
9 Georgia $170,360 $159,890 $82 +3.7% 17,690
10 Kansas $168,320 $159,990 $81 +2.4% 6,820
11 North Carolina $168,100 $150,470 $81 +2.3% 16,920
12 Illinois $167,030 $155,280 $80 +1.6% 32,240
13 New Hampshire $162,680 $141,900 $78 -1% 2,820
14 Rhode Island $162,160 $154,970 $78 -1.3% 1,120
15 District of Columbia $162,050 $141,800 $78 -1.4% 1,930

Top-Paying Metro Areas

Highest median pay among 517 metro areas.

#Metro areaMedianMeanEmployment
1 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $215,150 $233,770 44,870
2 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $206,610 $207,790 11,540
3 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $201,780 $213,250 8,940
4 Boulder, CO $200,970 $218,310 740
5 Fort Collins-Loveland, CO $198,550 $197,660 400
6 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC $190,370 $199,590 1,150
7 Lawrence, KS $189,740 $193,170 180
8 Balance of Nevada nonmetropolitan area $189,550 $158,140 320
9 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $184,320 $198,940 6,620
10 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $181,580 $202,890 5,930

Pay by Industry

Highest-paying industries employing sales managerss (BLS OEWS, by median).

#IndustryMedianMeanEmployment
1 Pharmacies and Drug Retailers $310,750 $247,440 1,330
2 Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation $297,570 $261,790 80
3 Oil and Gas Extraction $288,690 $279,330 210
4 Oil and Gas Extraction $288,690 $279,330 210
5 Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities $286,390 $289,690 15,020
6 Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services $221,400 $243,510 2,650
7 Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services $221,400 $243,510 2,650
8 Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing $215,500 $213,500 1,930
9 Taxi and Limousine Service $215,480 $203,920 460
10 Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation $214,840 $184,160 620
11 Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, & Other Media Networks & Content Providers $214,820 $241,670 3,620
12 Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures $213,900 $230,460 100

Workforce Deep-Dive

Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.

Annual wage distribution

< $10K
64,072
$10-20k
11,855
$20-30k
12,914
$30-40k
22,020
$40-50k
27,552
$50-60k
38,659
$60-70k
39,503
$70-80k
37,010
$80-90k
38,294
$90-100k
31,195
$100-110k
44,480
$110-120k
26,254
$120-130k
32,104
$130-140k
21,935
$140-150k
19,526
$150-160k
30,641
$160-170k
13,122
$170-180k
15,029
$180-190k
16,300
$190-200k
9,403
$200k+
111,797

Pay by age band

16-24
$43,857
25-34
$102,564
35-44
$135,671
45-54
$161,866
55-64
$130,660
65+
$67,369

Education level

Bachelors Degree
$145,528
1 or more years of college credit, no degree
$99,745
Masters Degree
$165,862
Regular high school diploma
$85,835
Associates Degree
$95,663
Some college, but less than 1 year
$85,945
GED or alternative credential
$124,855
Professional degree
$154,018
Doctorate degree
$165,326
12th grade - no diploma
$59,203
No schooling completed
$59,909
Grade 11
$51,674
Grade 6
$84,567
Grade 10
$95,025
Kindergarten
$36,589
Grade 9
$47,680
Grade 8
$22,901
Nursery school, preschool
$76,239
Grade 7
$119,382

Full-time vs part-time

Full-time
567,619 · $142,791
Part-time
21,708 · $59,857

Race / ethnicity

White
$131,645
Two or More Races
$114,817
Black
$98,545
Asian
$131,523
Other
$94,717
American Indian
$161,940
American Indian and Alaska Native tribes specified; or American Indian or Alaska Native, not specified and no other races
$106,692
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
$137,608

Top fields of study

Business Management And Administration
$134,230
Marketing And Marketing Research
$157,139
General Business
$144,827
Communications
$154,119
Economics
$213,542
Finance
$183,477
Political Science And Government
$161,032
Psychology
$147,459

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do sales managers make in the U.S.?

The median sales managers salary in the United States is $148,270 per year (mean $164,350), and about 80% earn between $73,170 and $290,540.

How much do sales managers make per hour?

Roughly $79 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $164,350 and 2,080 work hours per year.

Which state pays sales managers the most?

New York has the highest average pay for sales managers at $239,740 per year (median $217,640).

What is the job outlook for sales managers?

Employment is projected to change +4.7% from 2024 to 2034 (Faster than average), with about 49,000 openings per year.

What People Search

Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.

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