RU

Occupation · 2026 assessment

Sales Manager

A Sales Manager runs a commercial or organisational function, works with clients and metrics and is accountable for agreements and economic outcomes. The assessment separates automation of individual tasks from accountability for the professional outcome.

High risk level Search jobs ↗
How risk may change

A forecast estimate, not a guaranteed scenario.

61%2026
64%2028
68%2030
74%2035

Which tasks are exposed

Risk applies to individual tasks—not to a person or an entire occupation.

TaskRisk
finding and qualifying needs79%
preparing a proposal74%
negotiation70%
formalising agreements65%
coordinating delivery59%
monitoring budget and metrics49%
handling objections or claims38%
developing relationships30%

Task map

AI replaces ↔ AI augments

Each task is positioned by AI capability and the degree of human involvement still required.

  1. 1finding and qualifying needsAI 79% · human 46%
  2. 2preparing a proposalAI 74% · human 47%
  3. 3negotiationAI 70% · human 56%
  4. 4formalising agreementsAI 65% · human 48%
  5. 5coordinating deliveryAI 59% · human 50%
  6. 6monitoring budget and metricsAI 49% · human 56%
  7. 7handling objections or claimsAI 38% · human 69%
  8. 8developing relationshipsAI 30% · human 69%

Why technology can change this work

  • AI systems can already perform part of the information and preparation work
  • full automation is constrained by variable real-world conditions
  • many cases still require professional judgement
  • the main inputs and outputs already exist digitally

What protects the occupation

  • physical presence
  • individual client needs
  • on-site result quality

United States · before tax

Average pay and outlook

Estimated nominal monthly pay. The scenario reflects sector, demand and task resilience; it is not a guarantee of income.

2026$7 150per month
2035$9 650scenario estimate
2026: $7 15020262027: $7 40020272028: $7 65020282029: $7 90020292030: $8 15020302031: $8 45020312032: $8 75020322033: $9 05020332034: $9 35020342035: $9 6502035
Find jobs ↗The partner link may contain referral parameters. Data benchmark: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics ↗

Practical next step

Where to move next

Do not restart from zero: carry your experience forward and add scarce skills.

AI Adoption Coach

Emerging role
New role risk19%
DemandHighDifficultyMediumTime6–12 monthsSkill fit64%

AI Vendor Manager

Emerging role
New role risk31%
DemandHighDifficultyLowTime3–6 monthsSkill fit87%

Customer Success Manager

Established resilient role
New role risk30%
DemandHighDifficultyLowTime3–6 monthsSkill fit85%

AI Workflow Designer

Emerging role
New role risk31%
DemandHighDifficultyHighTime12–24 monthsSkill fit52%

Real Estate Market Analyst

Established resilient role
New role risk49%
DemandMediumDifficultyMediumTime6–12 monthsSkill fit58%

AI Procurement Manager

Emerging role
New role risk29%
DemandHighDifficultyHighTime12–24 monthsSkill fit50%

Job search and transitions

Find work with a lower risk index

Compare adjacent paths and open a current search for the selected occupation.

Skills you already have

  • negotiation
  • deal economics
  • CRM
  • business writing
  • performance analytics
  • relationship management

Skills to build

  • AI for sales and planning
  • demand forecasting
  • CRM automation
  • personalisation governance
  • customer-data management
  • experiment design
CurrentSales Manager · 61%
→
Keepnegotiation · deal economics · CRM
→
AddAI for sales and planning · demand forecasting · CRM automation

Sources and update

Updated: 2026-09-26 · Assessment confidence: Medium

International Labour Organization · 2025Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure

Nearly 30,000 tasks; a global assessment of GenAI exposure across detailed occupational groups.

World Economic Forum · 2025The Future of Jobs Report 2025

A survey of more than 1,000 employers representing over 14 million workers across 55 economies.

O*NET Resource Center · 2026O*NET Database

Occupational, task, skill and work-context structure.