Moving out of sales

[Jags4186]

I currently work in a salaried sales management position.  I do not like job.  I've been with the company for 8 years or so and it seems that I get 3% raises every year and regardless of how good my numbers are I receive between 10-16k/yr as a bonus--mostly based on how the company has performed.  I am a manager but I have no one "under me".  I manage an outside sales company (Acosta Sales and Marketing). Management does not give out "targets" although I'm sure if my numbers were down I would either get a warning or let go.  I've decided I want to leave my company and I also want to leave my industry as it just doesn't interest me.  There is only 1 position above me and I am low man on the totem pole to ever get that position.  I clear approximately $85-90k/yr depending on bonus. 

Has anyone successfully moved out of sales?  If so how have you done it and what type of jobs did you move into?  Did you take a big pay cut?  I don't really have a high earnings potential at my current job, nor do I have the ability to get promoted at this point.  I would be willing to take a pay cut to go somewhere else, but I also don't want to go into a 40k/yr position starting at the bottom at the age of 30.

[minority_finance_mo]

It seems like you have a sales job right now, without any of the benefits of sales (i.e. commission.) Would you move to a company with a lower base pay if you could get a contract that allows you commission on your sales with a potential to earn a lot more?

[StockBeard]

I do not like job.  I've been with the company for 8 years or so and it seems that I get 3% raises every year and regardless of how good my numbers are I receive between 10-16k/yr as a bonus--mostly based on how the company has performed.  I am a manager but I have no one "under me".

I'm not in sales but I was shocked to see how this paints such a precise picture of my own situation.
Good luck. As moe__rants stated, it sounds like you don't have the benefits of a typical sales job. It's tough job where the only point seems to be the commission or performance-based bonus.

[Dicey]

I was in outside sales, then moved to inside sales in a different industry and after ten years went back to outside sales in yet another industry. In retrospect, it was not the shortest path to FIRE. It seems that the best move is to keep building on what you know and continue working with the same customers or same types of customers. I would have made more money faster and retired earlier had I taken this advice. FWIW, I don't think anybody could have talked me out of my choices; I'm just sharing my 20/20 hindsight since you asked.

Alternately, can you make a game of this and live on half or less of what you're making so that you can just quit working completely, a la MMM? You may really hate your job, or there might be something else going on. Frankly, a sales job without "target" pressure is pretty unheard of, in my experience.