Sales Supervisors
Sales Supervisors oversee and coordinate the activities of sales teams in both retail establishments and non-retail environments such as wholesale operations, manufacturing companies, or service businesses. These professionals manage day-to-day sales operations, monitor staff performance to ensure sales goals are met, and handle various administrative duties including inventory management, budgeting, and customer service oversight.
🎬Career Video
🤖AI Resilience Assessment
AI Resilience Score
Score 2/6: declining job demand indicates this career is being transformed by AI
How we calculated this:
49% of tasks can be accelerated by AI
-5% projected (2024-2034)
EPOCH score: 14/25
📋Key Responsibilities
- •Provide customer service by greeting and assisting customers and responding to customer inquiries and complaints.
- •Direct and supervise employees engaged in sales, inventory-taking, reconciling cash receipts, or in performing services for customers.
- •Examine merchandise to ensure that it is correctly priced and displayed and that it functions as advertised.
- •Monitor sales activities to ensure that customers receive satisfactory service and quality goods.
- •Instruct staff on how to handle difficult and complicated sales.
- •Assign employees to specific duties.
- •Keep records of purchases, sales, and requisitions.
- •Perform work activities of subordinates, such as cleaning and organizing shelves and displays and selling merchandise.
💡Inside This Career
Sales supervisors spend their days orchestrating the complex dance of team management and revenue generation across diverse selling environments. Whether overseeing a bustling retail floor or managing a distributed team of account representatives, these professionals balance direct supervision with strategic planning. A typical morning might begin with reviewing overnight sales reports, analyzing team performance metrics, and preparing for staff meetings where they'll discuss daily targets, address operational challenges, and motivate their teams toward shared goals.
The heart of a sales supervisor's day involves active coaching and problem-solving. They move between one-on-one sessions with underperforming team members, collaborative strategy discussions with top performers, and real-time interventions when customer situations require escalation. In retail environments, this might mean jumping onto the sales floor to assist with difficult returns or inventory issues, while in B2B settings, supervisors often participate in client calls or help close complex deals. They constantly monitor sales dashboards, adjust staffing schedules, and communicate with upper management about team progress and market challenges.
Administrative responsibilities weave throughout their day, from conducting performance reviews and updating training materials to coordinating with other departments like marketing, inventory management, or customer service. Sales supervisors frequently collaborate with regional managers on territory planning, work with HR on hiring decisions, and partner with finance teams to understand commission structures and budget constraints. Their role requires constant adaptation as they respond to changing market conditions, seasonal fluctuations, and evolving customer needs while maintaining team morale and driving consistent results.
📈Career Progression
What does this mean?
This shows how earnings typically grow with experience. Entry level represents starting salaries, while Expert shows top earners (90th percentile). Most workers reach mid-career earnings within 5-10 years. Figures are national averages and vary by location and employer.
📚Education & Training
Requirements
- •Entry Education: High school diploma or equivalent
- •Experience: Some experience helpful
- •On-the-job Training: Few months to one year
Time & Cost
Ready to Start Your Career?
Find jobs and training programs for sales supervisors- Median salary: $53K/year
Find Jobs
Search positions from LinkedIn, Indeed, Glassdoor, and more. Get up to 50 relevant job listings with salary info.
- Real-time results
- Export to Excel
Find Training
Discover training programs, certifications, and educational resources to help you get started or advance your career.
- Local programs
- DOL verified
💻Technology Skills
⭐Key Abilities
🏷️Also Known As
📑Specializations
This career includes 2 specialized roles with different focuses and compensation levels.
| Specialization | Median Pay | AI Outlook | O*NET Code | Find Jobs | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $84,570 | 🟠 | 41-1012.00 | View details | ||
| $46,730 | 🟠 | 41-1011.00 | View details |
🔗Related Careers
Other careers in sales
🔗Data Sources
Have feedback about this page?
Help us make this page better. Share your experience, correct errors, or suggest improvements.