Career Profile: First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers

Salary and Outlook

According to the US Department of Labor, there are 406,900 people employed as first-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers in the United States. The median annual salary is $79,680. Entry level employees earn approximately $47,510 per year and senior employees earn approximately $160,120 per year.

Estimates do not include other potential benefits such as health insurance, overtime, or retirement benefits that may be offered by employers.

Job Duties

• Listen to and resolve customer complaints regarding services, products, or personnel.
• Monitor sales staff performance to ensure that goals are met.
• Provide staff with assistance in performing difficult or complicated duties.
• Direct and supervise employees engaged in sales, inventory-taking, reconciling cash receipts, or performing specific services.
• Coordinate sales promotion activities, such as preparing merchandise displays and advertising copy.
• Prepare rental or lease agreements, specifying charges and payment procedures for use of machinery, tools, or other items.
• Keep records pertaining to purchases, sales, and requisitions.
• Hire, train, and evaluate personnel.
• Confer with company officials to develop methods and procedures to increase sales, expand markets, and promote business.
• Plan and prepare work schedules, and assign employees to specific duties.
• Attend company meetings to exchange product information and coordinate work activities with other departments.
• Visit retailers and sales representatives to promote products and gather information.
• Formulate pricing policies on merchandise according to profitability requirements.
• Prepare sales and inventory reports for management and budget departments.
• Examine products purchased for resale or received for storage to determine product condition.
• Examine merchandise to ensure correct pricing and display, and that it functions as advertised.
• Analyze details of sales territories to assess their growth potential and to set quotas.
• Inventory stock and reorder when inventories drop to specified levels.

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