Sales Coordinator
A sales coordinator keeps orders, quotes and customer accounts moving between the sales team and the rest of the business.
- Median salary*
- $59,800
3.8%vs last year, before tax
- People employed*
- 28,500
0.0%vs last year
- Projected growth*
- +2.8%
to 2035
- AI exposure*
- Moderate
- automation risk
- Average hours*
- 38/wk
−2h vs all jobs
- Shortage status*
- Not in shortage
national
Sales coordinators sit between the sales team and the functions that fulfil an order, chasing stock, dispatch and paperwork so a deal a salesperson closes actually reaches the customer. Most work inside wholesale, retail or manufacturing businesses, often as the first point of contact when a client calls about a late delivery or a changed order. The role is easy to confuse with a sales representative, but a coordinator rarely negotiates a sale or manages a territory; the job is keeping what has already been sold on track.
How much do sales coordinators earn?
The median full-time salary for a sales coordinator is $59,800 per annum, before tax, up $12,400 since 2018.
Pay moves with the sector and the size of the employer: wholesale, manufacturing and construction suppliers generally pay more than retail, and larger businesses pay above smaller ones. Some roles carry a bonus tied to team sales or order accuracy, while others sit under an award or enterprise agreement that sets the floor. Where the role is part time, the hours on offer matter as much as the hourly rate.
What does a sales coordinator do day to day?
The list below is what fills most weeks; the exact mix shifts with seniority and whatever stage the current work is at.
- Processing customer orders and tracking each one through to delivery
- Preparing quotes and order documentation for salespeople and customers
- Updating customer records and order history in CRM software such as Salesforce or Pipedrive
- Chasing stock availability and dispatch dates with warehouse and logistics staff
- Answering calls and emails about order status, pricing and product details, often while a customer waits on the line
What skills do sales coordinators need?
Employers look for account and relationship management, data analysis, backed by CRM software (Salesforce, Pipedrive) fluency and strong customer service.
Specialist skills
- Account and relationship management
- Data analysis
Software and tools
- CRM software (Salesforce, Pipedrive)
- Microsoft Excel
- Email platforms
- Order management systems
- Spreadsheets and databases
General skills
- Customer service
- Attention to detail
- Written communication
- Time and deadline management
- Problem solving
Is the job growing?
About 28,500 people work as sales coordinators in Australia, and employment is projected to grow 2.8% over the decade to 2035. That's modest growth: demand is steady rather than booming.
How do you become a sales coordinator?
Here's the path most sales coordinators take, step by step.
- 1Finish school and pick up a business or administration qualification
A Certificate III or IV in Business or Business Administration covers the records, invoicing and customer service basics, and takes about six months to a year of study. Many people enter through this route rather than a degree.
- 2Get a first job where you handle orders or customers
Retail assistant, reception and administration roles all build the phone manner, accuracy and system habits employers look for, and a sales coordinator job usually follows within a year or two.
- 3Learn the systems the role runs on
Comfort with a CRM such as Salesforce or Pipedrive, spreadsheets and an order management system is often the difference between getting interviews and not. Most of this is learned on the job, so ask to be shown the quoting and stock modules.
- 4Add a diploma or degree if you want the larger employers
A Diploma of Business or a Bachelor of Business is common in bigger wholesale and manufacturing companies, and 38% of the people currently in the role hold a bachelor degree. That share describes the existing workforce, not a requirement every employer sets.
- 5Specialise once you know the order book
Coordinators who learn pricing, procurement or a product category often move into field sales, purchasing or team leadership, which is where pay rises fastest.
Ready to apply as a sales coordinator?
Whether you're working toward becoming a sales coordinator or already are one and want a hand with the next step (sharpening your resume for ATS screening, tightening your cover letter, or knowing what you'll actually be asked at interview), here are examples grounded in this specific role, not generic templates.
What jobs can a sales coordinator move to?
Moving into Sales Manager typically comes with the biggest pay rise, worth $79,400 a year more on average.
| Move to | Typical pay change | Overlap | Retraining |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales Manager Coordinating quotes, orders and accounts gives a base for leading a sales team, with further study in management.Known move | +$79,400 | 32% | reskill |
| Customer Experience Manager Handling customer accounts and complaints builds a path into customer experience management with further study.Known move | +$54,900 | 38% | reskill |
| Sales Representative Sales coordinators know the order book and customer accounts, so they move easily into field sales.Known move | +$28,200 | 47% | short course |
| Purchasing Officer Supplier contact and order tracking transfer to purchasing, with study in procurement to handle sourcing and contracts. | +$21,000 | 33% | reskill |
| Administration Officer Order processing and customer records carry straight across to general administration, needing little further study.Known move | −$1,600 | 67% | minimal |
Moves are chosen from Jobs and Skills Australia's Data on Occupation Mobility, which follows income tax records between 2011-12 and 2020-21, together with entry requirements and skill overlap. A known move is one people were seen making in that data. Pay change compares median full-time pay for the two roles.
Who works as a sales coordinator?
The typical sales coordinator is 32 years old; 62% are women, 78% work full-time, and full-timers average 38 hours a week.
- 32
- Median age
- 62%
- Female share
- 78%
- Full-time
- −2h
- vs all-jobs avg
What's it like being a sales coordinator?
The job runs on other people's deadlines. Quotes need to go out the same day, orders cut off at set times and customers ring the moment a delivery slips, so the work is a steady stream of interruptions you have to fit your own tasks around. It suits someone who likes detail, keeps a tidy list and gets satisfaction from being the person who knows what happened to order number 4471.
What people like
- You see a sale through to delivery. A salesperson closes the deal; you make sure the stock, paperwork and freight line up, so the result is visible within days rather than months.
- Regular contact with the same customers. Coordinators often deal with the same buyers week after week, which builds relationships that make the work easier and more enjoyable over time.
- The team depends on what you know. You become the person who can find a stock date, a past price or a delivery note, and that makes you genuinely useful to salespeople and customers alike.
- Clear pathways out of the role. The order book and customer records you work with every day are the same ones used in field sales, purchasing and account management.
What people find hard
- You cannot always say yes. When a salesperson has promised a date the warehouse cannot meet, you are the one explaining it to the customer, and the fix is rarely in your hands.
- A queue of small tasks. The work is made up of short items, so a single difficult call can put the rest of the day behind and it is hard to protect time for anything longer.
- Month-end and peak season pile up. Order cut-offs, stocktakes and seasonal rushes land together, and the hours can stretch when a big dispatch has to leave on time.
- The pay ceiling sits below field sales. Coordination is usually salaried and capped, while sales roles that carry commission can earn considerably more for similar product knowledge.
Based on our synthesis of professional-body surveys and public accounts of the role, not first-person verified reviews.
Which industries employ sales coordinators?
Wholesale Trade employs the largest share of sales coordinators, followed by Retail Trade.
Top employing industries
- 1Wholesale Trade
- 2Retail Trade
- 3Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
- 4Manufacturing
- 5Construction
Ranked by employment share; the source doesn't publish an exact percentage per industry.
| Bachelor degree | 38% | |
|---|---|---|
| Diploma / Advanced Diploma | 24% | |
| Certificate III/IV | 20% | |
| Postgraduate | 10% | |
| Other | 8% |
Will AI replace sales coordinators?
Sales coordination sits in the middle: the record-keeping side of the job is being automated quickly, while the parts that depend on knowing the customer and the warehouse are not. CRM and order management systems now generate quotes from price lists, pull order details out of customer emails and push tracking updates without anyone typing them. What remains is the judgement about what to promise, and the conversation when a promise cannot be kept.
Share of typical working time by exposure level
- Entering and tracking ordersCustomer portals, emailed purchase orders and CRM integrations now capture most order details automatically, leaving the coordinator to check exceptions rather than key in every line.30%high
- Preparing quotes and order documentationA standard quote builds itself from the price list in most systems, but non-standard terms, freight estimates and credit questions still need a person to work through.25%moderate
- Sorting out stock and dispatch problemsKnowing which pallet is short, who in the warehouse to ring and what the customer will accept is relationship and context work that no system currently handles.25%low
- Telling customers where an order isTracking links and automatic dispatch notifications answer the routine 'where is it' calls, while a delayed or part-shipped order still needs someone to explain what happens next.20%moderate
Common questions about becoming a sales coordinator
Straight answers to the questions people ask most.
How much does a sales coordinator earn?
The median is $59,800 per year before tax for full-time sales coordinators. Sector and employer size move that figure more than experience does, and bonus schemes in wholesale and manufacturing can add to it. It is a median, so half of the people in the role earn less and half earn more.
How do you become a sales coordinator?
Most people start in a customer-facing or administration job, learn the order and CRM systems, then step into coordination. A Certificate III or IV in Business or Business Administration is the common qualification, and a diploma or degree helps with larger employers. 38% of the current workforce holds a bachelor degree, which reflects who has the job rather than what every employer requires.
Are sales coordinators in demand?
Sales coordinators are currently not in shortage, and employment is projected to grow 2.8% over the decade to 2035. Because the role sits in every business that sells physical goods, most openings come from people changing jobs or leaving rather than from new positions being created. Checking the order systems and product categories an employer uses will tell you more about your chances than the national figure does.
Will AI replace sales coordinators?
Not the whole job, but it is already changing parts of it. Order entry, standard quotes and routine status updates are increasingly automated through customer portals, CRM software and tracking notifications, which reduces the typing but not the explaining. Deciding what to promise when stock is short, and keeping a customer calm when a date changes, still sit with the coordinator.
What can a sales coordinator move into?
Sales representatives earn $28,200 more compared with sales coordinators, because both roles work from the same order book and customer accounts, though field sales carries targets and often commission. Sales managers earn $79,400 more, a step that usually needs study in management or a few years leading a small team. Administration is also open to you, since order processing and customer records carry across with little retraining.
Do you need a degree to be a sales coordinator?
No, plenty of coordinators hold a certificate or diploma and learn the systems on the job. A degree helps mainly with larger manufacturing and wholesale employers, and with later moves into management. If you already have administration experience, the fastest route is a short course in CRM or order management rather than another qualification.
Related roles
- Sales Representative
- Sales Manager
- Administration Officer
- Purchasing Officer
- Customer Experience Manager
- Administration Officer
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