Sales is an important part of any business, no matter what industry it’s in. Ag is no exception. Ag sales managers play a critical role in any agribusiness, helping to link up farmers and organizations in need of items or equipment with the best equipment they can get. Whether it’s tractors or processing equipment, animal feed or seeds, or pest control solutions, Ag sales managers can do it all.

What an Ag Sales Manager Needs to Succeed

While specific requirements vary from company to company and organization to organization, Ag sales managers tend to have a certain level of skills, experience, and education required to succeed.

• Degree required. Ag sales managers typically require at minimum an Associate’s degree, typically in a relevant field.
• Education. Ag sales managers can’t just be sales specialists; they need to know and understand agribusiness and agricultural economics.
• Training. Some organizations and schools offer agricultural degrees or training programs, of which sales is often a part. These may be certificates, associate’s degrees, bachelor’s degrees, or simply training programs.
• Experience. Ag sales managers are just that: managers. They need relevant experience in Ag sales before they can gain positions in management for sales departments.

With all of this in hand, Ag sales can be a lucrative position. There are around two million farms in the United States and approximately 132,000 companies that offer products of varying sorts to those farms.

The predicted growth of Ag sales is, unfortunately, lower than the average for national job growth. The Bureau of Labor Statistics places Ag sales at around 4% growth from 2018 to 2028, which is respectable but lower than average.

Ag Sales Manager Compensation Information

Different data sources offer different information for the overall compensation of an Ag sales manager. Here is data compiled from these sources. All of this is largely in line with new trends we have observed in the past.

Learn.org places the median salary for an Ag sales representative at $79,680 per year. This is for a representative, rather than a manager; managerial salaries tend to be higher, but no specific data is offered on managerial positions.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics places median pay rates for sales managers at $132,290 annually, or around $63.60 per hour. They also predict a growth rate of 7% for sales management as a whole. This data, however, is for general sales managers, not specifically Ag sales managers.

Similarly, data for Ag managers across the board – not just sales managers – shows generalized information for a broader category. Ag managers can expect a salary of around $68,090 per year, or $32.73 per hour. Unfortunately, the predicted growth rate for Ag managers is -1%; a slow loss of positions within the industry.

Salary.com offers a bleaker picture of Ag management, with a median salary of just $48,967 per year. Again, however, this is data for Ag managers as a whole, not sales managers. No specific data for sales managers exists in their database.

Comparably offers a higher salary for Ag equipment sales managers, at $110,000 per year on average.

Most sources do not offer information about benefits beyond raw compensation. Some indicate that there are little to no benefits, while others make some mention of 401(k) plans, health benefits, and other benefits. Data for these is largely company-dependent and thus hard to generalize. A good benefits package can balance out a lower salary, while a higher salary with no benefits may be less attractive than it seems.

The Ag industry may be going through some hard times, as the old guard retires and the industry centralizes, but the times are changing. These trends can shift in the span of months, so it’s important to double-check with companies directly for accurate sales information.

Moreover, with a job market that may be stagnant or offering very slow growth, the Ag industry is in need of talented managers and executives to take the lead. If you’re executive material in search of an Ag role, or if you’re an agribusiness seeking an excellent executive, you’ve come to the right place. Reach out and contact us at Ag1Source today.