Sales salaries and recruiting trends in 2024

21/02/2024 – Sales experts are being courted more intensively by companies, thus experiencing an improved negotiating position in the labour market. Simultaneously, the core areas in demand are shifting, which has a decisive impact on the required expertise, recruitment strategies and salary structures. The Robert Walters Salary Survey 2024 provides in-depth insights into salary developments and labour market trends for sales positions in the coming year.

Current developments in sales recruiting for 2024

Renewable energies and sustainability

Current economic policy developments are increasing the demand for sales experts in the energy sector, especially in solar, wind energy and hydrogen technology. Expertise in fuel cell technology is particularly valued in industries such as automotive, energy supply, and environmental technology.

Digitalisation and innovative sales technologies

Companies in the IT, telecommunications and e-commerce sectors are increasingly seeking sales staff with experience in modern CRM systems and digital sales platforms.

Strategies for future-orientated personnel management

Higher evaluation of professional experience

Research indicates that a sales professional´s experience is often more meaningful than the final grade. Practical achievements and successes in sales provide a realistic insight into a candidate's potential.

Attractive bonus system

Many sales employees are strongly performance-orientated. An uncapped bonus system serves as an important motivator and helps to retain top performers within the company.

Flexibility in work organisation

The ability to work flexibly including remotely, is increasingly appreciated by sales professionals. Such flexibility can significantly increase employee satisfaction and productivity.

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Prospects for applicants in the sales environment

Due to the high demand for sales experts in 2024, there will be abundant career opportunities, which can be further optimised through the following recommendations: 

Specialising in niche skills

- Focusing on e-commerce, particularly in digital sales strategies and expertise in digital customer loyalty, provides significant advantages for account managers.

- In the energy sector, knowledge of renewable energy and innovative sales solutions is increasingly in demand, which offers good career opportunities for sales managers in this sector.

Targeted further training and expansion of skills

- Knowledge of digital sales techniques and CRM systems, such as Salesforce or HubSpot, is essential for today's sales world and can be acquired through focused training.

- Soft skills, including communication and emotional intelligence, are also crucial for sales success and can be enhanced through workshops or coaching.

- Learning modern sales techniques and strategies opens new opportunities, while specialised seminars can enrich your own sales repertoire.

- Additionally, a profound understanding of the respective target industry, regarding market trends and customer needs, can also offer decisive competitive advantages.

Salary trends in sales 2024

According to the Robert Walters salary survey, 71% of managers plan to offer higher salaries to sales experts in 2024. However, these planned salary increases will mainly compensate for inflation. Apart from this, salaries are expected to stagnate for most positions. Notably, Sales Directors or Heads of Sales may see salary increases of up to 33%, while consultants in SaaS/PaaS/IaaS fields can expect an increase of around 6%, while sales managers in the cyber security sector may anticipate an increase of 8%.

For further and more detailed market and salary developments in sales, please refer to our current salary survey.