Commercial Manager
Own the commercial terms of contracts, supplier deals and major customer accounts.
This UK commercial manager career guide covers what the role involves day to day, typical salary at each stage, the usual entry route, the skills employers expect, and related careers worth comparing.
Quick facts
- Starting salary
- £35,000 - £48,000
- Mid-career salary
- £55,000 - £80,000
- Senior salary
- £95,000 - £150,000
- Work environment
- Office or hybrid
- Time to entry
- 2 - 5 years
- Degree required
- Often required
- Category
- Business, Finance and Legal
What a Commercial Manager does
Own the commercial terms of contracts, supplier deals and major customer accounts.
- Construction Commercial Mgmt - Run commercial side of construction projects.
- IT Services Commercial - Manage commercial terms on outsourced IT contracts.
- Outsourcing Commercial - Run commercial side of large outsourcing deals.
- Public Sector Commercial - Public sector commercial and procurement leadership.
How to become a Commercial Manager
- Look up Commercial Manager roles on LinkedIn or Indeed and read 5 real job ads
- Talk to someone already working as a Commercial Manager - even a 15-minute call helps
- Find one beginner course or qualification used by people in this role
- Build one small piece of evidence you've explored this (project, shadowing, short course)
- Apply to one entry-level role or related opportunity within the next month
Key skills
- Contracts
- Negotiation
- Pricing
- Stakeholder mgmt
- Commercial modelling