At a glance
Median pay for Sales Managers runs from $101,020 in Fresno to $215,150 in New York across 75 curated metros; the middle value is $138,790.
After the BEA 2024 price adjustment, the top three are Durham ($195,107), New York ($191,137), Boston ($190,836).
These are workforce estimates from published medians, not job offers or expected hiring pay.
Sources: BLS wages (May 2025) · BEA price parity (2024) · Census ACS (2020–2024) · metro areas, not city limits · How we calculate
Sales Managers salary comparison
Sales manager earnings often depend on commission or bonus tied to team results. BLS wages include commissions but not nonproduction bonuses, so base pay in an offer may differ from total earnings. 75 of 75 curated metros have a reported occupation median. The table is sorted by the site-calculated adjusted metric, not by predicted hiring demand.
Scroll sideways to explore every column →
| Metropolitan area | Median annual wage | Adjusted median* | Median gross rent / month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durham, NC | $190,370 | $195,107 | $1,466 |
| New York, NY–NJ | $215,150 | $191,137 | $1,830 |
| Boston, MA–NH | $206,610 | $190,836 | $2,023 |
| San Jose, CA | $201,780 | $182,734 | $2,840 |
| Kansas City, MO–KS | $159,990 | $172,882 | $1,249 |
| Richmond, VA | $168,590 | $172,280 | $1,447 |
| Denver, CO | $181,580 | $171,655 | $1,874 |
| Rochester, NY | $165,140 | $170,186 | $1,143 |
| Buffalo, NY | $163,090 | $170,162 | $1,057 |
| Atlanta, GA | $166,920 | $166,823 | $1,672 |
| Raleigh, NC | $163,520 | $166,590 | $1,573 |
| Charlotte, NC–SC | $162,000 | $166,413 | $1,473 |
| Seattle, WA | $184,320 | $165,855 | $2,000 |
| Albany, NY | $163,510 | $164,223 | $1,280 |
| Virginia Beach, VA–NC | $158,750 | $162,087 | $1,478 |
| Washington, DC–VA–MD–WV | $175,820 | $161,475 | $2,027 |
| Worcester, MA | $162,810 | $158,803 | $1,426 |
| Bridgeport, CT | $169,300 | $158,426 | $1,875 |
| Hartford, CT | $161,410 | $157,096 | $1,416 |
| Tulsa, OK | $140,040 | $156,971 | $1,078 |
Show all 75 metros with a reported median
Scroll sideways to explore every column →
| Metropolitan area | Median annual wage | Adjusted median* | Median gross rent / month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durham, NC | $190,370 | $195,107 | $1,466 |
| New York, NY–NJ | $215,150 | $191,137 | $1,830 |
| Boston, MA–NH | $206,610 | $190,836 | $2,023 |
| San Jose, CA | $201,780 | $182,734 | $2,840 |
| Kansas City, MO–KS | $159,990 | $172,882 | $1,249 |
| Richmond, VA | $168,590 | $172,280 | $1,447 |
| Denver, CO | $181,580 | $171,655 | $1,874 |
| Rochester, NY | $165,140 | $170,186 | $1,143 |
| Buffalo, NY | $163,090 | $170,162 | $1,057 |
| Atlanta, GA | $166,920 | $166,823 | $1,672 |
| Raleigh, NC | $163,520 | $166,590 | $1,573 |
| Charlotte, NC–SC | $162,000 | $166,413 | $1,473 |
| Seattle, WA | $184,320 | $165,855 | $2,000 |
| Albany, NY | $163,510 | $164,223 | $1,280 |
| Virginia Beach, VA–NC | $158,750 | $162,087 | $1,478 |
| Washington, DC–VA–MD–WV | $175,820 | $161,475 | $2,027 |
| Worcester, MA | $162,810 | $158,803 | $1,426 |
| Bridgeport, CT | $169,300 | $158,426 | $1,875 |
| Hartford, CT | $161,410 | $157,096 | $1,416 |
| Tulsa, OK | $140,040 | $156,971 | $1,078 |
| Detroit, MI | $155,560 | $155,098 | $1,207 |
| Austin, TX | $151,760 | $154,753 | $1,726 |
| Portland, OR–WA | $162,640 | $154,277 | $1,724 |
| Chicago, IL–IN | $158,690 | $153,183 | $1,430 |
| Cleveland, OH | $143,870 | $153,179 | $1,050 |
| Philadelphia, PA–NJ–DE–MD | $156,500 | $152,603 | $1,480 |
| Minneapolis, MN–WI | $158,100 | $150,827 | $1,440 |
| Madison, WI | $146,380 | $150,462 | $1,354 |
| Milwaukee, WI | $144,560 | $149,128 | $1,139 |
| Des Moines, IA | $136,570 | $148,930 | $1,150 |
| Louisville, KY–IN | $137,880 | $148,140 | $1,116 |
| San Francisco, CA | $170,810 | $147,743 | $2,474 |
| Providence, RI–MA | $148,880 | $146,286 | $1,307 |
| Cincinnati, OH–KY–IN | $138,790 | $145,528 | $1,105 |
| Columbus, OH | $138,580 | $145,157 | $1,274 |
| Greensboro, NC | $134,760 | $145,114 | $1,093 |
| Dayton, OH | $133,450 | $143,968 | $1,039 |
| Boise City, ID | $141,440 | $143,753 | $1,487 |
| Indianapolis, IN | $137,410 | $143,590 | $1,191 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $148,320 | $143,560 | $1,702 |
| Tucson, AZ | $138,880 | $143,329 | $1,212 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $143,930 | $142,691 | $1,583 |
| Omaha, NE–IA | $130,100 | $141,550 | $1,192 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $127,110 | $140,596 | $1,124 |
| Dallas, TX | $144,290 | $139,965 | $1,614 |
| Memphis, TN–MS–AR | $128,560 | $139,468 | $1,220 |
| Charleston, SC | $139,830 | $138,498 | $1,605 |
| Greenville, SC | $129,090 | $138,419 | $1,150 |
| Houston, TX | $135,880 | $137,769 | $1,430 |
| Columbia, SC | $128,650 | $137,356 | $1,193 |
| Grand Rapids, MI | $131,030 | $137,138 | $1,202 |
| Nashville, TN | $131,600 | $136,602 | $1,528 |
| Allentown, PA–NJ | $135,220 | $135,263 | $1,365 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $133,460 | $134,152 | $1,513 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $125,060 | $132,100 | $1,053 |
| San Antonio, TX | $124,750 | $131,710 | $1,363 |
| Tampa, FL | $132,010 | $130,845 | $1,628 |
| Birmingham, AL | $119,740 | $130,658 | $1,172 |
| St. Louis, MO–IL | $123,870 | $130,269 | $1,113 |
| Baltimore, MD | $135,910 | $130,074 | $1,611 |
| Orlando, FL | $131,770 | $129,928 | $1,760 |
| Knoxville, TN | $119,380 | $128,963 | $1,145 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $116,740 | $128,597 | $1,135 |
| New Orleans, LA | $118,540 | $128,017 | $1,217 |
| North Port, FL | $124,820 | $121,874 | $1,747 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $132,330 | $116,523 | $2,063 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $110,160 | $115,295 | $1,156 |
| Little Rock, AR | $102,300 | $114,476 | $1,055 |
| Miami, FL | $130,180 | $114,038 | $1,869 |
| San Diego, CA | $119,750 | $107,028 | $2,246 |
| Sacramento, CA | $113,980 | $106,853 | $1,819 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $117,120 | $105,551 | $2,083 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $103,580 | $103,358 | $1,626 |
| Fresno, CA | $101,020 | $98,886 | $1,392 |
| Riverside, CA | $103,220 | $96,973 | $1,846 |
The table shows the 20 highest adjusted medians; the full list of 75 metros is expandable above. The price-adjusted wage equals the BLS May 2025 annual occupational median × 100 ÷ the BEA 2024 all-items regional price parity. Census rent, household income and commuting figures are ACS 2020–2024 five-year estimates. They describe different populations and do not determine take-home pay, employment prospects or individual rent. ACS gross rent includes contract rent plus estimated utility and fuel costs.
How pay for Sales Managers varies across metros
Across the 75 curated metros with a reported median, the nominal annual median for Sales Managers runs from $101,020 in Fresno to $215,150 in New York, a 2.13× difference. After dividing each median by its metro’s BEA price parity, the range is $96,973 in Riverside to $195,107 in Durham, a 2.01× difference. The middle value across these metros is $138,790 nominal and $143,753 adjusted.
The price adjustment changes the order. Out of 75 metros, Kansas City moves from 20th on nominal pay to 5th on adjusted pay while San Francisco moves from 8th to 32nd. These ranks compare published medians only, not openings or offers.
Beyond the median: published wage percentiles
The following six metros lead this curated set on the price-adjusted median measure. The five annual wage statistics are the original BLS estimates; they have not been price-adjusted. They illustrate the estimated wage distribution for the same occupation and geographic unit.
Scroll sideways to explore every column →
| Metropolitan area | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durham, NC | $82,880 | $122,560 | $190,370 | $268,570 | $337,780 |
| New York, NY–NJ | $109,210 | $160,200 | $215,150 | $310,750 | $368,210 |
| Boston, MA–NH | $106,220 | $153,940 | $206,610 | $253,490 | $323,670 |
| San Jose, CA | $84,330 | $128,620 | $201,780 | $306,900 | $345,980 |
| Kansas City, MO–KS | $83,790 | $115,370 | $159,990 | $204,750 | $249,990 |
| Richmond, VA | $90,440 | $121,440 | $168,590 | $225,670 | $296,170 |
Percentiles describe a distribution, not an individual’s pay; suppressed values are marked Unavailable.
National career outlook and entry requirements
The BLS projects national employment for Sales managers from 2025 to 2035. These occupational projections are national; they do not forecast openings in any particular metro area.
Among the 80 occupations curated on this site, projected 2025–2035 growth of +4.5% ranks 47th (the middle value is +5.0%), and about 47,300 projected annual openings rank 34th. This compares only the occupations on this site and does not predict hiring in any one metro.
The BLS lists less than 5 years of related work experience as typical for entry. It lists no typical on-the-job training. National employment base: 650,100 workers in 2025; projected 679,100 in 2035.
Openings are projected national totals, including replacements, not job ads or local vacancies. Education and training categories are typical patterns; licensing varies by role. BLS 2025–2035 Occupational Projections, Table 1.2. Read the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
What to check for this occupation before moving
How roles can differ: Sales managers lead teams and are often paid a base salary plus commission or bonus tied to team results. Compensation structure and quota design can matter more than the base figure.
Questions to ask about a real offer: Ask how quotas are set, what share of recent managers hit target, and how commissions are paid and capped. Get the plan in writing, including how territory changes and mid-year departures are handled.
This is editorial guidance, not a claim that every employer or state follows these practices; verify terms with the employer and relevant authorities.
What this occupation median does—and does not—tell you
BLS OEWS wages are employer-reported estimates for wage-and-salary jobs, so self-employment income is not included. Annual figures assume a 2,080-hour year. Wages include commissions and tips but exclude overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits. A median is neither a new-hire salary nor a vacancy count.
Regional price parities compare overall price levels with the U.S. average; housing data come from a different survey and are not subtracted again from the wage. Missing wages and suppressed percentiles stay unavailable. See the methodology for details.
Salary for Sales Managers in Washington, DC–VA–MD–WV
Washington is shown as a worked example (one of the larger metros on this site); it is not a recommendation, and the table above lists every metro with a reported median. Of 75 metros, it ranks 7th on nominal median and 16th on price-adjusted median.
For the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro, the May 2025 BLS annual occupational median is $175,820. The published 25th-to-75th-percentile wage interval is $121,380 to $232,760. The price-adjusted median of $161,475 applies the BEA 2024 all-items index of 108.9 (U.S. = 100). It does not reflect an employer offer, taxes or your individual household costs.
The ACS metro-wide gross-rent median is $2,027 per month; with an ACS margin of error of ±$11. Gross rent includes estimated utilities and covers renters generally, not workers in this occupation. For a data-driven contrast, Virginia Beach has a published BLS median of $158,750 and adjusted median of $162,087. This comparison metro has the closest observed adjusted median in our curated set. This does not establish similar rents or local job conditions. Compare Washington with Virginia Beach in the interactive tool, or review the Washington metro profile for income, housing uncertainty and commute context.
Before relying on a quoted salary, confirm that the job matches this BLS occupation and that pay period, hours and benefits are comparable.