A first-line supervisor of non-retail sales workers leads and develops a team of sales professionals. You manage performance, coach staff, solve problems, and drive results. Most positions require a bachelor's degree and considerable work experience.
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You oversee sales teams and guide them toward targets. Your day involves communicating with your team and upper management, coaching staff to improve their skills, and making decisions that affect performance. You monitor progress, identify problems, and motivate people to succeed. You also stay current on products, market conditions, and customer needs so you can help your team serve clients well. This role blends people management with business acumen.
Core work activities
Career video courtesy of CareerOneStop.
First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers earn a median of $87,520 a year, based on 2025 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and location.
The outlook is modest. Employment is projected to grow 0 percent from 2024 to 2034, little or no change for all occupations, with about 24,800 openings a year.
Top skills
Knowledge areas
Most employers expect a bachelor's degree for this role. Before you supervise, you will typically work in sales yourself to understand the work and build credibility with your team. That hands-on experience is essential. During your sales career, focus on developing the skills supervisors need: communication, active listening, critical thinking, and the ability to read people and situations. Many companies promote strong performers into supervisory roles, so excelling in your sales position is your pathway forward.
This career typically starts with a sales role, then moves into supervision as you prove yourself. If you are deciding whether to pursue a bachelor's degree now or start in an entry-level sales position, Pathly can map the first-line supervisor of non-retail sales workers path that fits you with your counselor to map out the timing and steps that fit your situation.
You do not need a license to work as a first-line supervisor of non-retail sales workers, but professional certifications can strengthen your resume.
Common certifications
You are enterprising: you like to lead, persuade, and drive results. You enjoy building teams, solving business problems, and moving people toward shared goals.
Reading about a career is the easy part. Turning it into a plan is where most students get stuck. Pathly takes you from curious to a clear next step, and gives your counselor the insight to champion you along the way.
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Last updated July 1, 2026.
Data sources. Career details from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Salary and outlook figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025 wages; 2024–2034 projections), delivered via the CareerOneStop API. Certification, licensing, wage, and outlook data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by USDOL/ETA and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).