Sales accounts and business development managers: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time sales accounts and business development managers in the UK earned a median £57,625 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 48% more than the £39,039 median for all full-time jobs.
What the figures show
That ranks 25th of 382 occupations on this measure.
Pay is widely spread: the 90th percentile (£106,958) is 3.3 times the 10th (£32,651).
The mean, £67,172, is 17% above the median, a sign of a few very high earners.
Median full-time pay: women £52,328 a year, men £60,632 a year.
ASHE counts roughly 474,000 employee jobs, 95% full-time.
From £45,826 in 2021, the median is up 25.7%, close to the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 356,300 people in this line of work, 16% of them in South East.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £32,651 | £634.70 | £16.51 | £30,021 | £576.90 | £16.07 |
| 20th percentile | £39,434 | £766.60 | £19.76 | £37,512 | £724.80 | £19.42 |
| 25th percentile | £43,049 | £814.50 | £21.21 | £40,920 | £771.50 | £20.59 |
| 30th percentile | £46,036 | £864.60 | £22.56 | £44,198 | £832.10 | £22.04 |
| 40th percentile | £52,082 | £965.40 | £25.55 | £50,425 | £936.80 | £25.01 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £57,625 | £1,075.30 | £28.37 | £56,021 | £1,049.10 | £27.91 |
| 60th percentile | £64,492 | £1,199.60 | £31.59 | £62,847 | £1,168.50 | £31.06 |
| 70th percentile | £74,124 | £1,341.60 | £35.57 | £72,105 | £1,323.40 | £35.09 |
| 75th percentile | £79,598 | £1,436.10 | £37.93 | £78,507 | £1,401.70 | £37.59 |
| 80th percentile | £86,162 | £1,542.90 | £41.26 | £84,869 | £1,532.50 | £40.87 |
| 90th percentile | £106,958 | £1,889.70 | £49.82 | £105,797 | £1,859.00 | £49.57 |
| Mean | £67,172 | £1,201.50 | £31.46 | £65,268 | £1,164.20 | £31.22 |
Pay since 2021
| ASHE year | Full-time, annual median | Full-time, weekly median | Full-time, hourly median | All, annual median | All, weekly median | Jobs (thousands, indicative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 revised | £45,826 | £867.70 | £23.11 | £45,000 | £862.40 | 446 |
| 2022 revised | £47,781 | £905.70 | £24.01 | £47,098 | £888.30 | 432 |
| 2023 revised | £52,295 | £971.30 | £25.88 | £50,784 | £958.20 | 523 |
| 2024 revised | £55,210 | £1,021.50 | £27.21 | £53,660 | £997.10 | 515 |
| 2025 provisional | £57,625 | £1,075.30 | £28.37 | £56,021 | £1,049.10 | 474 |
Sales accounts and business development managers by region
UK: 356,300 (± 23,200), April 2025 to March 2026. 1 of the 12 regions and nations have samples too small to publish.
| Region or nation | People in employment | 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 58,000 | ± 9,500 |
| London | 50,500* | ± 11,600 |
| West Midlands | 35,900* | ± 7,800 |
| North West | 35,500* | ± 7,200 |
| East of England | 34,200* | ± 8,000 |
| South West | 33,200* | ± 6,600 |
| East Midlands | 30,100* | ± 7,300 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 26,000* | ± 6,000 |
| Scotland | 25,100* | ± 5,700 |
| Wales | 12,500* | ± 3,200 |
| North East | 10,100* | ± 3,100 |
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What sales accounts and business development managers do
Sales accounts and business development managers plan, organise and undertake market research to meet the requirements of an organisation’s marketing and sales policies. (ONS SOC 2020, 3556)
Also covers: account manager (sales), area sales manager, business development manager, product development manager, sales manager, area manager, bid manager, brand manager, channel manager, circulation manager, district manager, E-commerce manager, export manager, import manager, label manager, licensing manager, pricing manager and production manager (76 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Liaises with other senior staff to determine the range of goods or services to be sold, contributes to the development of sales strategies and setting of sales targets
- Discusses employer’s or client’s requirements, carries out surveys and analyses customers’ reactions to product, packaging, price, etc.
- Compiles and analyses sales figures, prepares proposals for marketing campaigns and promotional activities and undertakes market research
- Handles customer accounts
- Recruits and trains junior sales staff
- Produces reports and recommendations concerning marketing and sales strategies for senior management
Entrants to the professional qualifications of the Chartered Institute of Marketing require GCSEs/S grades, A levels/H grades, a BTEC/SQA award, a degree or equivalent qualification and/or relevant experience. Qualifications in sales and from other relevant professional bodies are available.
Related
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals (median £45,000) · Estate agents and auctioneers · Events managers and organisers · salary percentile · UK average weekly earnings growth · Mean
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026