💡 Why it matters: Companies grow when they find new customers and partners. Business development managers build relationships and turn conversations into deals.
🌍 Around the world
- United States: Jobs are projected to grow 4% from 2025 to 2035, as fast as average (US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
💰 What it can pay
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Starting out
- ₦2M – ₦5M
- Mid-career
- ₦6M – ₦15M
- Senior
- ₦15M – ₦40M
≈ ₦500k – ₦1.3M a month mid-career. Indicative estimate by Incusim.
🇺🇸 United States
Closest US category: Sales managers. Median pay; low and high are the 10th and 90th percentiles. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025
🇨🇦 Canada
Closest Job Bank category: Business development officers and market researchers and analysts. Hourly wage low/median/high x 2,080 hours.. Job Bank (Government of Canada), 2023-2024
Yearly pay before tax. UK, US and Canada figures come from the official sources named on each card. Nigeria has no official salary survey, so those are our indicative estimates. Real pay depends on the employer, the place, your skills and experience.
🛠️ What you actually do
- Research new markets and possible customers
- Meet and pitch to potential partners
- Negotiate prices and agreements
- Work with the product and marketing teams
- Track sales targets and report results
⚡ Skills you'll need
- Persuasion
- Communication
- Networking
- Resilience
- Research
Get ready at school
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Start in sales after OND, HND or secondary school and grow
- Sales bootcamps and professional marketing certificates (e.g. CIM)
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Business development or sales executive apprenticeship
- Start in sales or account management and move up
🇺🇸 United States
- Entry-level sales or business development rep jobs
- Sales training programs and certificates
🇨🇦 Canada
- Start as a sales representative or business development coordinator
- Co-op placements during college or university
🗺️ Your path to this career
- 1Study Commerce and English well
- 2Get a degree in business, marketing or similar
- 3Start in sales or as a business development rep
- 4Build a strong network and close bigger deals
- 5Lead a team or a whole region
⏰ A day in the life
You send three messages to possible partners, then jump on a call with a supermarket chain that wants your products. After lunch you tweak your pitch and update your sales tracker before an evening networking event.