Account Executive to Business Development Manager

Summary: None of the 6 core skills listed for Business Development Manager match Account Executive word for word, but 2 build on related experience. The US median salary changes by +24% ($85K → $105K). Difficulty: Major Pivot, typically around 12 months of focused upskilling.

The two roles

Account Executive: Manage client relationships and close deals for products or services.

Business Development Manager: Identify and pursue new business opportunities and partnerships. Growth outlook +8%; AI-resistant. Typical education: bachelor. Typical experience: 3-6 years.

Skills that carry over

None of the listed skills match word for word, but the related experience below transfers.

Builds on related experience

• Business Development — builds on Sales
• Lead Generation — builds on Sales

Skills to learn for Business Development Manager

• Partnerships
• Strategy
• Networking
• Market Research

Salary comparison (median, estimated)

Salary figures are estimates benchmarked against public compensation data — see methodology.

Next steps

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Related

Account Executive career guide | Business Development Manager career guide

Other transitions to consider

• Account Executive to Sales Representative — 3 of the core skills carry over
• Account Executive to Pharmaceutical Sales Rep — 3 of the core skills carry over
• Account Executive to Account Manager — 4 of the core skills carry over
• Account Executive to Enterprise Sales Executive — 5 of the core skills carry over
• Sales Manager to Business Development Manager — 3 of the core skills carry over
• Enterprise Sales Executive to Business Development Manager — 2 of the core skills carry over
• Marketing Manager to Business Development Manager — 2 of the core skills carry over
• Account Manager to Business Development Manager — 2 of the core skills carry over