Careers · Explore one path
First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers
Directly supervise and coordinate activities of sales workers other than retail sales workers. May perform duties such as budgeting, accounting, and personnel work, in addition to supervisory duties.
Other titles employers use
Customer Service Department Supervisor · Customer Service Supervisor · Driver Sales Supervisor · Information Center Supervisor · Inside Sales Supervisor · Reservations Supervisor · Sales Department Supervisor · Sales Leader
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- 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.
- Listen to and resolve customer complaints regarding services, products, or personnel.
- Keep records pertaining to purchases, sales, and requisitions.
- Hire, train, and evaluate personnel.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to persuading, organizing and helping work.
- Persuading
- Leading, selling, starting projects, or making a case
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Monitoring
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Social Perceptiveness
- Coordination
Subjects to know
- Customer and Personal Service
- Administration and Management
- English Language
- Personnel and Human Resources
- Economics and Accounting
Useful strengths
- Oral Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Speech Recognition
- Speech Clarity
- Written Comprehension
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 3.0 | Shared rooms, but not shoulder to shoulder |
| On your feet | 2.5 | Mostly seated |
| Talking face to face | 4.9 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 3.0 | Little of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a high school diploma. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- A four-year degree 45%
- A certificate or some college 16%
- High school or less 16%
- A master's degree 13%
- A two-year degree 10%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Customer relationship management CRM software
- Video conferencing software
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
- Electronic mail software
- Presentation software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 37,380
- Job openings each year
- 3,180
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 8.2%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 37,380 | 3,180 | 8.2% |
| Texas | 32,210 | 2,780 | 10.6% |
| New York | 28,900 | 10 | — |
| California | 28,600 | 2,280 | −1.4% |
| New Jersey | 21,950 | 1,760 | — |
| North Carolina | 16,560 | 1,380 | 4.7% |
| Virginia | 14,630 | 1,170 | — |
| Wisconsin | 13,380 | 1,120 | 5.9% |
| Colorado | 12,610 | 1,060 | 6.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 12,350 | 980 | −1.7% |
| Ohio | 11,850 | 950 | −1.3% |
| Washington | 11,650 | 1,150 | 12.9% |
| Georgia | 11,560 | 960 | 3.6% |
| Tennessee | 7,970 | 700 | 14.0% |
| Michigan | 7,800 | 610 | −3.9% |
| Illinois | 6,460 | 510 | −1.8% |
| Maryland | 6,230 | 500 | — |
| Arizona | 5,850 | 490 | 4.5% |
| Missouri | 5,540 | 440 | −1.2% |
| Oklahoma | 5,300 | 430 | — |
| Iowa | 4,990 | 400 | 1.0% |
| Minnesota | 4,640 | 370 | −1.9% |
| Puerto Rico | 4,240 | 380 | 16.2% |
| Indiana | 4,120 | 320 | −4.0% |
| South Carolina | 4,120 | 340 | 4.3% |
| Nebraska | 3,720 | 300 | 1.9% |
| Utah | 3,540 | 310 | 13.8% |
| Alabama | 3,460 | 280 | −1.1% |
| Kentucky | 3,340 | 270 | — |
| Connecticut | 3,300 | 270 | — |
| Arkansas | 3,160 | 260 | 1.6% |
| Oregon | 3,120 | 250 | — |
| New Hampshire | 2,850 | 240 | 3.3% |
| Massachusetts | 2,500 | 200 | −1.2% |
| Louisiana | 2,490 | 200 | — |
| Mississippi | 2,230 | 180 | 1.8% |
| Maine | 1,800 | 140 | −6.3% |
| Idaho | 1,570 | 140 | 10.6% |
| Rhode Island | 1,530 | 130 | 6.3% |
| Montana | 1,370 | 120 | 7.9% |
| Nevada | 1,340 | 120 | 10.7% |
| Kansas | 1,300 | 100 | −8.5% |
| South Dakota | 1,200 | 100 | 8.1% |
| West Virginia | 1,180 | 100 | 1.7% |
| Delaware | 980 | 80 | −3.0% |
| New Mexico | 900 | 80 | 5.9% |
| District of Columbia | 610 | 50 | — |
| Vermont | 420 | 30 | — |
| North Dakota | 390 | 30 | −2.5% |
| Wyoming | 320 | 30 | 6.7% |
| Alaska | 130 | 10 | — |
| Guam | 110 | 10 | 10.0% |
| Virgin Islands | 60 | 10 | 20.0% |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College
- Degrees each year
- 580
- Admit rate
- 50%
- Annual cost after aid
- $6,000
Texas A & M University-College Station
- Degrees each year
- 311
- Admit rate
- 63%
- Annual cost after aid
- $17,000
Fashion Institute of Technology
- Degrees each year
- 481
- Admit rate
- 58%
- Annual cost after aid
- $20,000
University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Degrees each year
- 232
- Admit rate
- 43%
- Annual cost after aid
- $8,000
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
- Degrees each year
- 229
- Admit rate
- 79%
- Annual cost after aid
- $20,000
University of South Carolina-Columbia
- Degrees each year
- 147
- Admit rate
- 61%
- Annual cost after aid
- $20,000
Kent State University at Kent
- Degrees each year
- 232
- Admit rate
- 87%
- Annual cost after aid
- $17,000
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
- Degrees each year
- 105
- Admit rate
- 77%
- Annual cost after aid
- $10,000
Compare every college offering general sales, merchandising and related marketing operations