Sales Director Salary Outlook

By Henry Steele - January 8, 2018
Reading Time: 11 minutes
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The following article discusses the career path of Sales Director. Learn about how to become one, education requirements, job duties, traits and qualities, national salary outlook as well as top national employers of Sales Directors.

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Sales Director Job Duties

Sales directors direct the overall sales team. They may do this for the company as a whole, or for a branding or regional division. They set the vision and guide their team so that they are able to execute the expected sales quotas for the company’s products or services. Furthermore, they often direct marketing initiatives and sales campaigns. They line manage a sales manager or a team of sales managers, ensuring they can lead the teams directly. They also set the standards and direction for how sales personnel is trained.

A sales director is an executive who has a lot of influence on the company’s various sales initiatives. This means that they examine and approve sales projections, focus on budgets, and ensure sales campaigns are properly costed and approved. They also oversee large sales campaigns that influence multiple teams, reporting on the results to senior management, including the board or directors.

It is very important that a sales director achieves consistent standards among all the people they lead. They do this by building relationships with individual line managers, ensuring that the appropriate hiring policies and procedures are followed. They also hold quality interviews, ensuring that a standard for excellence is set across every level of the organization, including training. They follow up on identified issues, particularly during performance reviews.

Typically, sales directors work closely with logistics, supply, branding, and marketing teams. This ensures that the various departments that have interlinking roles operate in an efficient manner.

Other job duties of a sales director include:

  • Directing and planning activities for the sales force in an effort to drive profit across all market segments.
  • Ensuring that the sales volume is at maximum potential across all market segments.
  • Ensuring that all sales strategies, promotional programs, advertising efforts, and other plans are properly executed
  • Acting as a point of contact for customers and key markets, thereby further increasing volume of sales.
  • Line managing other members of staff to ensure they are able to meet the organization’s various goals and objectives.

Where Sales Director’s Work

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 385,500 sales managers in 2016. The largest employers of these professionals were:

  • Wholesale trade: 20%
  • Retail trade: 18%
  • Manufacturing: 12%
  • Professional, scientific, and technical services: 10%
  • Finance and insurance: 9%

How to Become a Sales Director

A sales director usually has at least a bachelor’s degree. They also have many years’ experience, generally coming from a sales representative background.

Sales Director Education Requirements

Usually, a sales director will have a bachelor’s degree as a minimum. The subject of this degree varies, but it is preferred for them to have completed courses in statistics, marketing, mathematics, finance, accounting, economics, management, and business law. Work experience is usually of greater importance than education, however. Often, they will have at least five years of experience in the field.

Typically, sales directors grow into their position, coming from occupations relating to sales. They may have been a purchasing agent, a manufacturing or wholesale sales representative, or a retail sales worker, for instance. They are then usually promoted to sales manager internally and, eventually, to the position of director of sales.

Sales Director Traits & Qualities

The most effective sales directors have the following traits to some degree or other:

  • Strong analytical skills
  • Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written
  • Great customer service skills
  • Strong leadership skills

Sales Director Minimum Education

Bachelor’s Degree

Sales Director National Salary

The national average salary estimate for Sales Director was $107,659. This number is estimated from over 2,258,924 employees, users past and present job advertisements from Indeed.com. This equates to an hourly salary of $56.07 and monthly of $8,972.

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$21,000

$260,000

Salary Distribution

Sales Director Salary by State

The following section lists Sales Director salaries in each state around the country. The figures are based on the total number of job postings through Indeed.com. For example, DC had the largest quoted salary of $135,424 while Maine had the smallest quoted salary of $59,308.

Alabama Massachusetts Ohio
Arkansas Maryland Oklahoma
Arizona Maine Oregon
California Michigan Pennsylvania
Colorado Minnesota Rhode Island
Connecticut Missouri South Carolina
DC Mississippi South Dakota
Delaware Montana Tennessee
Florida North Carolina Texas
Georgia North Dakota Utah
Iowa Nebraska Virginia
Illinois New Hampshire Vermont
Indiana New Jersey Washington
Kansas Nevada Wisconsin
Louisiana New York Wyoming
Alabama – $63,235 Rank: 43rd
The average salary ranks 43rd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Sahara Intl., Holiday Inn, Hampton Inn Fairhope – Mobile Bay, and Cube Management.

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$14,000

$172,000

Salary Distribution
Arkansas – $90,125 Rank: 33rd
The average salary ranks 33rd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau, La Quinta Inns & Suites, Department of Parks and Tourism, and Cameron Smith & Associates.

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$17,000

$222,000

Salary Distribution
Arizona – $91,190 Rank: 31st
The average salary ranks 31st among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like AppleOne, Cube Management, Life Science Company, and Aerotek.

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$17,000

$223,000

Salary Distribution
California – $118,923 Rank: 5th
The average salary ranks 5th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like hc1.com, LED Lighting Fixture Company, Manufacturing / Diversified Company, and Bloom Consulting Services, LLC..

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$26,000

$279,000

Salary Distribution
Colorado – $115,154 Rank: 8th
The average salary ranks 8th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like LED Lighting Fixture Company, Nigel Frank International, Bleum Inc., US, and Strategic Ventures.

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$24,000

$273,000

Salary Distribution
Connecticut – $104,542 Rank: 19th
The average salary ranks 19th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Yorhealth (Health & Wellness), Marshall Hotels & Resorts, CPG, and Contract Staffing Recruiters.

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$22,000

$249,000

Salary Distribution
DC – $135,424 Rank: 1st
The average salary ranks 1st among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like AAA NationalUSA, Inc, Ed Wallach Search Group LLC, Great Bay Staffing, and Dynamic Federal Solutions Inc..

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$30,000

$316,000

Salary Distribution
Delaware – $120,967 Rank: 4th
The average salary ranks 4th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Professional Recruiting Partners, LLC.

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$31,000

$268,000

Salary Distribution
Florida – $87,528 Rank: 35th
The average salary ranks 35th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like LED Lighting Fixture Company, SaaS and Digital Banking Solutions, Strategic Ventures, and DSR.

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$17,000

$214,000

Salary Distribution
Georgia – $106,813 Rank: 15th
The average salary ranks 15th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Atlanco, Atlanco, Inc, Wilmot and Associates, and ProVision.

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$24,000

$249,000

Salary Distribution
Iowa – $108,161 Rank: 11th
The average salary ranks 11th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Executive Technologies, Inc. and Combined Insurance.

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$29,000

$236,000

Salary Distribution
Illinois – $115,175 Rank: 7th
The average salary ranks 7th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Resume Library, Strategic Ventures, Quantum Leap Recruitment Specialists, and Sales Empowerment Group.

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$25,000

$271,000

Salary Distribution
Indiana – $106,952 Rank: 13th
The average salary ranks 13th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like hc1.com, CyberCoders, Aegis Worldwide, LLC, and Hatfield Copper Decor.

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$21,000

$259,000

Salary Distribution
Kansas – $95,470 Rank: 29th
The average salary ranks 29th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Advastar, Specialists Group LLC, The, Strategic Ventures, and CyberCoders.

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$20,000

$227,000

Salary Distribution
Louisiana – $75,840 Rank: 39th
The average salary ranks 39th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Cube Management and Franchise Career Advisors.

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$14,000

$199,000

Salary Distribution
Massachusetts – $127,588 Rank: 2nd
The average salary ranks 2nd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like hc1.com, Diedre Moire, Brightergy, and Strategic Ventures.

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$30,000

$291,000

Salary Distribution
Maryland – $95,756 Rank: 27th
The average salary ranks 27th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Millman Search Group, Hilton, Gecko Hospitality, and Point3 Security.

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$15,000

$250,000

Salary Distribution
Maine – $59,308 Rank: 45th
The average salary ranks 45th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Goodwin Recruiting and Summer Homes LLC.

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$14,000

$147,000

Salary Distribution
Michigan – $115,614 Rank: 6th
The average salary ranks 6th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Harper Associates, Strategic Ventures, Nigel Frank International, and Michael Page.

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$30,000

$257,000

Salary Distribution
Minnesota – $110,557 Rank: 9th
The average salary ranks 9th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like University of Minnesota, Nigel Frank International, Executive Recruiting Services, Inc., and Feggestad & Hill, Inc..

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$22,000

$269,000

Salary Distribution
Missouri – $101,366 Rank: 22nd
The average salary ranks 22nd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Personnel Services, Inc., Varsity Tutors, Maritz Inc., and Accounting Career Network.

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$21,000

$242,000

Salary Distribution
Mississippi – $72,481 Rank: 40th
The average salary ranks 40th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Schulte Hospitality Group, Nuance Production Services, and Gecko Hospitality.

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$14,000

$177,000

Salary Distribution
Montana – $64,711 Rank: 41st
The average salary ranks 41st among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Next Move Hospitality Search and Ranches at Belt Creek.

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$14,000

$153,000

Salary Distribution
North Carolina – $99,284 Rank: 23rd
The average salary ranks 23rd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like HireNetworks, Clinical Research Technology Solutions, Strategic Ventures, and Lucas Select.

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$20,000

$237,000

Salary Distribution
North Dakota – $61,129 Rank: 44th
The average salary ranks 44th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Staybridge Suites Minot.

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$14,000

$183,000

Salary Distribution
Nebraska – $77,621 Rank: 38th
The average salary ranks 38th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Sylvan Learning of Nebraska.

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$14,000

$214,000

Salary Distribution
New Hampshire – $104,225 Rank: 20th
The average salary ranks 20th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like CyberCoders, Disha Outsourcing Pvt. Ltd, and Brook Street USA.

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$33,000

$213,000

Salary Distribution
New Jersey – $107,190 Rank: 12th
The average salary ranks 12th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Holiday Inn, Porter Group, ITC Infotech, and CyberCoders.

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$23,000

$254,000

Salary Distribution
Nevada – $91,002 Rank: 32nd
The average salary ranks 32nd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Gaming Recruiters, Gecko Hospitality, Vushorus, and Holiday Inn.

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$17,000

$224,000

Salary Distribution
New York – $125,395 Rank: 3rd
The average salary ranks 3rd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like TTS Media, NationStaff, Strategic Ventures, and Cameron Craig Group.

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$28,000

$293,000

Salary Distribution
Ohio – $95,942 Rank: 26th
The average salary ranks 26th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like hc1.com, LED Lighting Fixture Company, Rich Water Consulting Inc, and Software, Professional Services and Hardware.

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$17,000

$240,000

Salary Distribution
Oklahoma – $93,772 Rank: 30th
The average salary ranks 30th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Catapult Staffing, Home2Suites, CIG, and Corporate Image Group.

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$19,000

$225,000

Salary Distribution
Oregon – $96,661 Rank: 25th
The average salary ranks 25th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like CNA Executive Search, Advocate Staffing, HelloFresh, and Girl Scouts of the USA.

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$21,000

$228,000

Salary Distribution
Pennsylvania – $106,820 Rank: 14th
The average salary ranks 14th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like hc1.com, Nigel Frank International, Strategic Ventures, and Verne Johnson & Associates Inc..

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$20,000

$263,000

Salary Distribution
Rhode Island – $97,752 Rank: 24th
The average salary ranks 24th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like New England Institute of Technology.

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$22,000

$226,000

Salary Distribution
South Carolina – $81,105 Rank: 36th
The average salary ranks 36th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Corporate Hiring Solutions and Franchise Career Advisors.

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$16,000

$197,000

Salary Distribution
South Dakota – $88,483 Rank: 34th
The average salary ranks 34th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Franchise Career Advisors.

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$31,000

$173,000

Salary Distribution
Tennessee – $79,494 Rank: 37th
The average salary ranks 37th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Icon Shears, NaviRetail, Idlecreek Hospitality Associates, and AppleOne.

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$14,000

$210,000

Salary Distribution
Texas – $105,673 Rank: 18th
The average salary ranks 18th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like hc1.com, Leading Digital Health and Welllness Company, LED Lighting Fixture Company, and Dell.

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$20,000

$258,000

Salary Distribution
Utah – $95,664 Rank: 28th
The average salary ranks 28th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Cranium Cafe, Mason Frank, and CyberCoders.

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$20,000

$226,000

Salary Distribution
Virginia – $106,614 Rank: 17th
The average salary ranks 17th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Nigel Frank International, Strategic Ventures, Diedre Moire, and G2A Executive Search.

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$19,000

$265,000

Salary Distribution
Vermont – $102,839 Rank: 21st
The average salary ranks 21st among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like CyberCoders and Franchise Career Advisors.

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$30,000

$219,000

Salary Distribution
Washington – $106,655 Rank: 16th
The average salary ranks 16th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like LA Fitness, Goodwin Recruiting, hc1.com, and Strategic Ventures.

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$22,000

$256,000

Salary Distribution
Wisconsin – $110,193 Rank: 10th
The average salary ranks 10th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Cameron Craig Group, Client Staffing Solutions, Ploeger Recruiting Services, and Bertram & Associates.

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$24,000

$260,000

Salary Distribution
Wyoming – $64,526 Rank: 42nd
The average salary ranks 42nd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like GRN-Soutlake and Ramada Gillette.

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$14,000

$153,000

Salary Distribution

Top 20 National Sales Director Employers

According to Indeed.com, the following states had employers looking to hire a Sales Director. The quoted salary figure represents the average salary from all job postings by this employer.

Employer Name Location Average Salary
Ed Wallach Search Group LLC DC $300,000
Maritz Inc. Missouri $300,000
Nigel Frank International Maryland $284,083
hc1.com Massachusetts $275,000
Leading Digital Health and Welllness Company Texas $259,808
Clinical Research Technology Solutions North Carolina $259,234
LED Lighting Fixture Company Texas $252,779
Rich Water Consulting Inc Ohio $250,000
Software, Professional Services and Hardware Ohio $250,000

Learn More

Related Sales Director Careers

Career Name Average Salary
IT Security Specialist $113,452
Data Warehouse Engineer $111,007
Business Intelligence Manager $109,552
Investment Manager $108,746
Director of Sales $108,014
Tax Manager $107,133
Risk Manager $103,743
Technical Project Manager $100,971
Director of Finance $99,996
Finance Director $99,963

Henry Steele
Managing Editor
Henry is Managing Editor of BusinessStudent.com. He is a seasoned business professional who regularly consults with local business's throughout Southern California. Henry pursued his undergrad in Business and Economics at the University of San Diego and gained valuable life changing experience through a unique internship upon graduation.

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