How Much Does a VP of Sales Make?

As a sales-oriented professional interested in advancing your career, becoming a VP of Sales with a reputable and well-know company could be one of your many career goals. As the Vice President of departmental operations within the sales department, you will be in charge of not only revenues, but also executing the organizations sales plans. If you are a talented leader and you would like to compensated well for your hard work, read on to find out how much you can earn and what you will do daily as a VP.

What is the Average Salary for a VP of Sales?

Money talks, and learning about the average salaries reported within the occupation can help motivate you to perform and succeed. Based on a survey taken by Indeed.com from all employers in the United States employing a VP of Sales, the average salary for the executive job title is $95,000 per year. This average includes the lowest salaries in the bottom 10 percent, as well as the highest salaries in the upper 90 percent. Because salaries in the field can vary, it is important to find out how your region and how your experience can affect your salary. Make sure that you are prepared to meet the qualifications of the highest paying employers, and compete against worthy candidates when you are applying to be a Sales Executive.

How Does Compensation Vary for VPs of Sales?

If you are hired to work for a start-up, you might expect to earn a lower salary than you would with a large and expanding organization that is mature. You have to consider a number of different factors as you are scoping open positions and submitting your application. While VP salaries are almost always negotiable late in the hiring process, you want to have realistic expectations before you state the salary you are expecting to earn. Size and longevity of the employer are two important factors to keep in mind.

Negotiating a Salary

Employers that are in fast growing industries where sales revenues are high will automatically have a larger budget to work with. These organizations also expect applicants for executive positions to have an impressive resume, so your experience in executive roles and your educational background will be closely reviewed. You must consider your professional experience, your region, and the type of employer you are interested in before you can start doing defined salary searches. Once you have all of this, you can narrow down your search to find a more narrow and realistic salary range that will help you get bargaining power as you interview for positions.

It takes a very successful sales person and a very talented leader to become a VP of sales. If you are interested in being more than just a sales representative, the first step is to advance your education. With a professional degree in sales or marketing, you can show that you take the field seriously. You also need to understand the product line of the company you would like to work for, and this often requires experience selling in the industry.