Sales Careers in Atlanta: Your Guide to Thriving in a Growing Market

Atlanta is one of the Southeast’s biggest hubs for sales careers, with opportunities ranging from tech and healthcare to logistics, media, and retail. If you live in Atlanta—or are thinking about moving here—and want to build or level up a sales career, you’re in a strong market.

This guide walks through where the sales jobs are in Atlanta, what skills employers look for, typical earning potential, and local resources that can help you get started or move up.

Why Atlanta Is a Strong City for Sales Careers

Several factors make Atlanta, Georgia a powerful place to grow a sales career:

• Major corporate presence in Midtown, Buckhead, and Perimeter Center
• Growing tech and startup scene around Midtown’s Tech Square and downtown
• Transportation and logistics hub, thanks to Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport and the I-75/I-85 and I-285 corridors
• Diverse industries, from healthcare and fintech to media, construction, and manufacturing

For job seekers, this means you’re not limited to one type of sales. You can pivot between industries without leaving the metro area.

Common Types of Sales Careers in Atlanta

H3: Business-to-Business (B2B) Sales

Many Atlanta companies sell products or services to other businesses. Common B2B roles include:

• Account Executive (AE)
• Business Development Representative (BDR) / Sales Development Representative (SDR)
• Account Manager
• Territory Sales Representative

You’ll see these positions heavily concentrated in:

• Midtown Atlanta – especially near Georgia Tech and Tech Square for tech and SaaS companies
• Buckhead – financial services, professional services, consulting
• Sandy Springs / Perimeter Center – regional HQs, healthcare, logistics, and tech

These jobs often involve inside sales (phone, email, video) and field sales (in-person meetings around the metro area).

H3: Retail and Customer-Facing Sales

Atlanta’s shopping districts and malls support a large number of retail sales roles:

• Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza (Buckhead)
• Cumberland Mall (Cobb County)
• Perimeter Mall (Dunwoody)
• Atlantic Station and Downtown retail areas

Roles here include:

• Retail Sales Associate
• Store Manager / Assistant Manager
• Wireless / Electronics Sales Consultant
• Car sales at dealerships clustered along major corridors like Cobb Parkway, Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, and the I-285 perimeter

These positions suit people who enjoy face-to-face customer interaction and often offer commission or bonus opportunities.

H3: Tech and Software Sales (SaaS)

Atlanta’s growing tech scene fuels demand for:

• Software Sales Representatives
• SaaS Account Executives
• Customer Success Managers (CSM)
• Sales Engineers (technical pre-sales)

You’ll find many of these roles in:

• Midtown (Tech Square, Peachtree corridor)
• Old Fourth Ward / Ponce City Market area
• Alpharetta and “Technology Corridor” north of the city

These jobs usually require comfort with online demos, CRM tools, and learning software platforms quickly. Many offer base salary + commission with potential for career growth into leadership or enterprise sales.

H3: Real Estate and Property Sales

With a busy housing and commercial market, Atlanta offers:

• Residential real estate agent roles
• Commercial real estate broker positions
• Leasing agents for apartments and mixed-use developments

Real estate and leasing jobs show up throughout the metro, especially in high-growth areas like West Midtown, Old Fourth Ward, Sandy Springs, and Gwinnett and Cobb suburbs.

Real estate requires licensing in Georgia, plus strong networking and local market knowledge.

H3: Healthcare, Pharma, and Medical Device Sales

Given Atlanta’s concentration of hospitals and medical centers—such as Emory University Hospital, Grady Memorial Hospital, and Piedmont Atlanta Hospital—there is ongoing demand for:

• Pharmaceutical sales representatives
• Medical device sales reps
• Healthcare software sales (EHR, telehealth, etc.)

These roles often involve travel between clinics and hospitals across the metro area and require learning clinical terminology and product details.

Typical Sales Career Paths in Atlanta

Most sales careers in Atlanta follow a pattern like this:

You can start in retail sales at a major mall, move into B2B inside sales in Midtown, and later specialize in tech or healthcare sales without leaving the city.

Skills and Traits Atlanta Employers Look For

Regardless of the industry, sales hiring managers across Atlanta tend to look for:

• Communication skills – Clear speaking and writing, especially for phone and video calls
• Relationship-building – Building trust with clients from diverse backgrounds
• Resilience – Handling rejection and staying persistent
• Goal orientation – Comfort working with quotas and performance metrics
• Local knowledge – Understanding Atlanta neighborhoods, commuting patterns, and regional business culture
• Tech comfort – Using CRM tools, email, video meetings, and presentation software

For roles in inside sales or tech sales, employers often expect basic familiarity with:

• CRM systems (customer relationship management)
• Sales pipelines and stages
• Online presentation tools for demos

Where to Find Sales Jobs in Atlanta

You can locate sales positions in several ways:

H3: Corporate and Business Districts

Midtown Atlanta
A hub for tech, marketing, and professional services. Many buildings along Peachtree Street NE near North Avenue and Tech Square house companies with sales teams.

Buckhead
Known for finance, consulting, and luxury retail. Office towers around Peachtree Road NE, Lenox Road, and Piedmont Road often have corporate sales roles.

Perimeter Center (Sandy Springs / Dunwoody)
Cluster of headquarters and large offices near I-285 and GA-400, including tech, healthcare, logistics, and telecom companies.

Cumberland / Galleria Area
Near Cobb Galleria Centre and Truist Park, with many regional offices and B2B sales operations.

H3: Major Retail and Automotive Corridors

• Lenox Square / Phipps Plaza – upscale retail
• Cobb Parkway / Barrett Parkway – auto dealers, big-box retail
• Pleasant Hill Road (Gwinnett) – diverse retailers and auto sales
• Southlake and southside malls – additional retail opportunities

These areas are good for entry-level retail and auto sales positions.

Education and Licensing for Sales Roles in Atlanta

H3: Education

Many sales jobs in Atlanta accept a range of backgrounds:

• High school diploma or GED – typical for retail and some entry-level inside sales roles
• Associate or bachelor’s degree – common for B2B, tech, and healthcare sales positions

Because Atlanta has many colleges and universities, some people start in campus-adjacent part-time sales and transition to full-time roles after graduation.

H3: Licensing Where Required

Not all sales jobs require a license, but some do:

• Real estate agents and brokers must be licensed in Georgia.
• Certain insurance sales roles require Georgia insurance licenses.
• Some financial products sales roles may require specific registrations or exams.

Prospective real estate agents often take classes through local schools and complete exams at testing centers in the metro area.

Income and Commission Structures in Atlanta Sales Roles

Earning potential in Atlanta sales careers varies widely by:

• Industry (tech and medical often higher than general retail)
• Role (entry-level vs. senior or enterprise sales)
• Compensation structure (salary, commission, or a mix)

Common structures:

• Base salary + commission – B2B, tech, medical, and many corporate sales roles
• Commission-heavy or mostly commission – real estate, auto sales, some insurance roles
• Hourly + bonus – retail sales, call center sales, and leasing roles

Atlanta’s cost of living is often lower than some large coastal metros, so many find that local sales earnings stretch further—even when base pay is similar to or slightly lower than other cities.

Getting Experience: Entry-Level Options in Atlanta

If you’re new to sales, Atlanta offers many ways to build your resume:

• Retail sales in malls and stand-alone stores across the city
• Call center / contact center roles in and around downtown, Perimeter, and suburban offices
• Leasing consultant roles at apartment communities throughout Midtown, Buckhead, West Midtown, Sandy Springs, and the suburbs
• Customer service positions that can transition into upselling or account management

These jobs help you develop:

• Customer interaction skills
• Comfort working with performance goals
• Basic sales techniques like discovery, needs assessment, and closing

Networking and Professional Associations in Atlanta

H3: Local Networking Opportunities

Face-to-face networking still matters in Atlanta’s sales community. You can look for:

• Business networking meetups around Buckhead, Midtown, and Perimeter
• Chamber of commerce events, such as those hosted by local city chambers in areas like Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, or Alpharetta
• Industry-specific meetups (tech, real estate, marketing, logistics)

Events often take place in hotels, coworking spaces, or business centers along major corridors like Peachtree Street, Peachtree-Dunwoody Road, and Cobb Parkway.

H3: Career Centers and Public Resources

If you need structured help with a resume, job search, or retraining:

• Georgia Department of Labor Career Center – Atlanta
  223 Courtland St NE
  Atlanta, GA 30303
  Phone: (404) 232-3500

• WorkSource Atlanta (city workforce development programs)
  Often offers job search assistance, training referrals, and career coaching for residents preparing for in-demand roles, including sales.

These organizations can help you understand which sectors are hiring and how your background might fit different sales roles.

How to Make Your Sales Resume Stand Out in Atlanta

To be competitive in the local hiring market:

• Highlight measurable results
  • Example: “Increased monthly sales by 20% at retail store in Buckhead”
• Show local familiarity
  • Mention territory experience around Metro Atlanta, if applicable
• Include technology tools
  • List CRM systems, point-of-sale (POS) tools, or virtual meeting platforms you’ve used
• Tailor to the industry
  • Emphasize tech comfort for Midtown SaaS jobs, or customer service skills for retail in Lenox/Perimeter

🎯 Tip: Many Atlanta employers screen resumes quickly. Use a clean format and clear bullet points so your achievements are easy to spot.

Day-to-Day Reality of Sales Work in Atlanta

Life in a sales career here can look different depending on the role:

• Inside sales / tech sales
  • Mostly office or hybrid work in Midtown, Buckhead, or Perimeter
  • Heavy use of phone, email, and video calls
• Field sales / medical or territory reps
  • Driving between client sites across Metro Atlanta
  • Need to plan around traffic on I-285, GA-400, I-20, and local surface streets
• Retail and auto sales
  • Set shifts, including evenings and weekends
  • High customer interaction in malls, dealerships, and showrooms

Being realistic about commute times, parking, and work hours is important when comparing job offers in different parts of the city.

Is a Sales Career in Atlanta Right for You?

A sales career in Atlanta can be a strong fit if you:

• Enjoy talking with people and solving problems
• Are comfortable with goal-based work and performance metrics
• Want the ability to move between industries (tech, healthcare, retail, real estate, etc.)
• Prefer a city where sales roles exist at many experience levels—from first job to executive leadership

With its mix of corporate headquarters, tech growth, healthcare institutions, and major retail centers, Atlanta offers a wide range of sales career paths. By understanding the local landscape, targeting the right neighborhoods and industries, and building the skills employers value, you can create a long-term sales career in the city.