How much should I pay a sales managers in 2026?

A competitive 2026 offer for Sales Managers is $148,262 to $207,334 (market median to the 75th percentile). BLS ECI shows private industry wages growing about 3.1% a year, so budget a similar annual increase to stay at market.

Is a salary competitive for a sales managers?

Compare it to the BLS OEWS range: below $100,360 is below market, $148,262 to $207,334 is competitive, and above $207,334 is above market for Sales Managers.

Sales Managers Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks

SOC 11-2022 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data

Median Annual Salary

$148,262

$71.28/hr

Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026

Is this a competitive Sales Managers salary in 2026?

Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.

Check a salary or offer:$Competitive · ~P50

P10$73K

P25$100K

P50$148K

P75$207K

P90$291K

Drag the dot or type an amount above.

⚡

Demand: ACTIVE. Demand is active -- the broader market openings are at 4.4% (JOLTS, June 2026). A balanced market where the median is a solid, competitive anchor.

📈

Merit budget: Wages in private industry are rising about 3.1% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.7-3.2% merit increase to hold this role at market.

Our read

For a competitive 2026 offer, target $148,262 to $207,334 (market median to the 75th percentile). The median-to-P75 range keeps offers competitive.

Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.

How Sales Managers pay is moving in 2026

Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI

Pay trend

Median pay for this role rose 7.4% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, outpacing the 3.1% wage growth of the broader market (BLS ECI).

Hiring demand · MODERATE

the broader market is running a 4.4% job-openings rate with quits at 2.0% (BLS JOLTS).

Pay spread

Top earners (P90) make about 4.0 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is wider than typical, so expect large pay differences by experience, employer size, and geography; build generous ranges and differentiate strongly.

What changed recently

Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: national job openings little changed at 7.4M (4.4% rate), hires flat at 5.3M, quits steady at 2.0%.
Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: national wages rose 3.2% over the year while CPI reached 3.5%, the first negative real-wage reading since 2022. Benefit costs accelerated to 3.8%.

Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.

Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026

Next refresh: May 2027

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The national median salary for Sales Managers is $148,262 per year ($71.28/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $100,360 and $207,334 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $290,534 per year. There are approximately 637,080 sales managers employed in the United States.

About This Role

BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018

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.

Career Outlook

BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034

10-year growth

+4.7%

Faster than average

Annual openings

49K

per year, on avg

Workforce today

620K

as of 2024

Why those openings exist

6% from new growth94% from people leaving the role

Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.

Typical entry requirements

Education

Bachelor's degree

Experience

Less than 5 years

On-the-job training

None

Industry Wage Breakdown

Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific

Industry	Workforce	Median Pay
Automobile Dealers NAICS 441100	39K	$138,970
Computer Systems Design and Related Services NAICS 541500	38K	$180,460
Management of Companies and Enterprises NAICS 551100	38K	$168,060
Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods (4232, 4233, 4235, 4236, 4237, and 4239 only) NAICS 4230A1	29K	$137,680
Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers NAICS 423400	23K	$167,270

Wage range across top 5 industries: $137,680 to $180,460 (31% spread)

Wage Percentiles

Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)

Percentile	Hourly Rate	Annual Salary
P10	$35.18	$73,174
P25	$48.25	$100,360
P50MEDIAN	$71.28	$148,262
P75	$99.68	$207,334
P90	$139.68	$290,534

Market Context Signal

JOLTS · other sector

Active

Openings Rate

4.4%

Quits Rate

2.0%

The labor market stayed steady in June: job openings were little changed at 7.4M (rate 4.4%), hires held at 5.3M, and total separations changed little at 5.4M. Quits were 3.2M (rate 2.0%). Openings rose in transportation, warehousing & utilities (+97K) and fell in wholesale trade (-74K).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average sales managers salary?

The national median salary for Sales Managers is $148,262 per year ($71.28/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $100,360 and $207,334 annually.

How much do top-earning sales managers make?

The 90th percentile salary for Sales Managers is $290,534 per year ($139.68/hr). The 75th percentile is $207,334 per year.

What is the entry-level salary for sales managers?

Entry-level Sales Managers (10th percentile) earn approximately $73,174 per year ($35.18/hr). The 25th percentile is $100,360 per year.

Related Salary Data

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Sales Managers Salary by State

Top 5 states by employment

California112,440 workers Texas76,010 workers Florida46,480 workers New York38,510 workers Illinois32,240 workers

About This Data

Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.

P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.

Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.

Next OEWS release: May 2027Verify on BLS.gov →

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