What is a country manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted Expert
Dr. Kim Roberts

A country manager sees the growth and expansion of their company by representing the company in another country or region. You oversee the operations of the company in that region and ensure maximum profitability and further expansion. Your activities typically include drawing up budgets, creating financial projection plans, and working with the marketing team to develop strategic plans for revenue growth and an increase in brand awareness. You are also responsible for generating regular progress reports. You must research to reach out to the right international clients for partnerships and collaborations. You will also be required to lead internal risk management processes.

To be a successful country manager you must have great interpersonal relationship skills and excellent communication skills as you must foster mutually beneficial relationships for your company. You are also expected to be skilled in logistics, business development, product development, and marketing strategies. A minimum qualification of a bachelor's degree is required to work as a country manager. The average country manager earns $58,001 annually or $27.89 hourly.

What general advice would you give to a Country Manager?

D

Dr. Kim RobertsDr. Kim Roberts LinkedIn Profile

Professor of Operations Management, Website

Business-related occupations offer attractive salaries and offer a variety of disciplines, such as accounting, contract management, cybersecurity, finance, human resources, logistics, marketing, management, operations, sales, and more. However, business careers are often demanding, requiring long work weeks and travel.

Skills
leadership
communication
innovation
adaptation
critical thinking
problem solving
emotional intelligence
empathy
teamwork
cultural competence
conflict management
ethics and social responsibility
ScoreCountry ManagerUS Average
Salary
7.6

Avg. Salary $99,341

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
9.6

Growth Rate 6%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.47%

Asian 6.37%

Black or African American 6.18%

Hispanic or Latino 15.19%

Unknown 4.34%

White 67.46%

Gender

female 14.40%

male 85.60%

Age - 44
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44
Stress Level
9.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
9.2

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
3.6

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Country Manager career paths

Key steps to become a country manager

  1. Explore country manager education requirements

    Most common country manager degrees

    Bachelor's

    59.4 %

    Master's

    26.2 %

    Associate

    6.0 %
  2. Start to develop specific country manager skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Logistics13.28%
    Business Development9.31%
    Business Strategy7.95%
    Product Development7.39%
    Revenue Growth6.42%
  3. Complete relevant country manager training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New country managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a country manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real country manager resumes.
  4. Research country manager duties and responsibilities

    • Achieve 3pp in EBITDA growth from 2015 and 9pp vs budget.
    • Manage Striderite's offshore sourcing operations in the Caribbean.
    • Manage two to four grants annually, totaling 1-2 million USD each year.
    • Manage billing, payroll, and other necessary fix and variable costs, maintaining profit growth year to year.
  5. Apply for country manager jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a country manager job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Country Manager Job

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Average country manager salary

The average Country Manager salary in the United States is $99,341 per year or $48 per hour. Country manager salaries range between $56,000 and $173,000 per year.

Average Country Manager Salary
$99,341 Yearly
$47.76 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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