Before we dive into a Customer Success Manager’s pocket, let us have a bird’s eye view of what a CSM does? A Customer Success Manager is responsible for maintaining customer loyalty and retaining customers as long as they can. They do whatever is best needed for a company and ensure that all the customers are satisfied with it.
If you are wondering how do they go about it, it can vary quite a bit depending upon the industry they are in, but their work is mostly dependant on the customer building ability and leading a dedicated team. The Customer Success Industry generally continues to heat up with other industries over a common concern of adding new positions on a regular basis.
As per the latest research reports obtained from LinkedIn and the State of the Customer Success Profession for 2019, it is revealed that the Customer Success Manager’s role is one of the fastest expanding and most demanding jobs.
If you are already a part of the industry, you might be wondering how your current salary stacks up against the average paychecks. Or just in case, you are new and are thinking about starting a career in the above business, you would have begun researching how good, bad, or ugly will the gross salary square off to. Fortunately, here, we have pulled average CSM salaries from across the globe, subjected to a lot of variable elements, and then bring you a tentative salary bar.
The Average CSM Salary in Different Geographies:
For this, the software which has been used to garner such colossal information were LinkedIn, Indeed, PayScale, and Glassdoor. It looks pretty appealing and you have nothing to fear as the field continues to grow and thrive. There is no better time to boost your credentials or launch your career in the industry as a CSM.
One more thing you need to note in mind is that, when looking at the salary numbers, remember that many factors contribute to the same. This will vary from geographies, the size of the company, years of experience, and the growth rate of the industry.
Also, note that the cost of living is yet another crucial factor that cannot be given a backseat. The cost of living differs from geographies to geographies. Simply put, a lower salary can go further in a city that has a lesser cost of living.
1. The United States of America
The average salary in the United States jumps somewhere around $80,000 to $85,000 per year. Here is a state-wise look at the same:
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- Texas: $95,000 – $100,000
- New York: $85,000 – $90,000
- Chicago, Washington, and Minneapolis: $75,000 – $80,000
- Denver & Atlanta: $70,000 – $75,000
- Austin: $65,000 – $70,000
2. United Kingdom
The base salary in the United Kingdom is about £40,000 on an annual note. However, do the states take it a slight notch up or a notch down? let us find out. Here are some of the average CSM salaries in the UK:
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- London Area: £28,000 – £70,000
- Oxford Area: £28,000 – £73,000
- Guildford Area: £26,500 – £64,100
- Reading Area: £26,800 – £77,800
3. Australia
The average base salary of a Customer Success Manager in Australia is around AU$81,500 – AU$82,300 per year. Here are some of the state-wise salary insights in Australia:
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- Sydney Area: A$60,000 – A$1,40,000
- Melbourne Area: A$66,700 – A$1,48,000
- Brisbane Area: A$55,000 – A$1,55,000
4. India
The tentative average CSM salary in India hovers around ₹8,20,000 to ₹10,20,000 per year. Now, this may vary from state to state due to multiple reasons. Here are the some of the average salaries of some of the most popular Indian states in a year:
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- Greater Bengaluru: ₹9,50,000 – ₹10,00,000
- Mumbai Metropolitan: ₹10,00,000 – ₹10,20,000
- Greater Delhi: ₹8,00,000 – ₹8,20,000
- Greater Hyderabad: ₹9,50,000 – ₹9,80,000
5. Canada
In Canada, the average CSM salaries hover around CA$59,000 TO CA$70,000 per year. Here are some of the rough estimates state-wise in Canada:
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- Toronto Area: CA$46,300 – CA$1,05,000
- Vancouver Area: CA$ 41,200 – CA$80,000
- Montreal Area: CS$38,300 – CA$97,800
- Ottawa Area: CA$49,600 – CA$86,000
6. Brazil
The average CSM salary in Brazil is about R$125,000 – R$140,000. Here is a statistical figure that shows how the CSM’S salary goes hand-in-hand with the amount of experience received in Brazil.
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7. France
For France, the average Customer Success Manager’s annual salary is around €32,000 to €46,500. Here is an insight about the country capital:
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- Greater Paris Region: €30,000 – €65,000
How to maximize your salary as a Customer Success Manager
1. Negotiation
Be it any job that you wish to switch on to, trust me, salary negotiation is something you need to be affirmative about. If your current CTC is let’s say, ‘X,’ ask for a decent amount of raise, like 10-15%. You can always negotiate this before accepting.
Nonetheless, note that the raise you ask for should not be exorbitant. Asking something like 50-60% can look unreasonable and might stand in the way of you cracking the position. On the other side, 10-15% seems nominal and reasonable as well. This will positively affect your bottom line while coming across as fair and just.
2. Bulletproof Research
No matter how easy the interview be, you must do your part of the research before you head in. Take help from websites like LinkedIn, Indeed, or Glassdoor and in no time, you will get a fair enough idea on what to expect, how much to negotiate and how low or high is the given salary away from the ones in the existing standard.
3. Discussions and Certifications
Further, you may also be a part of the salary discussion and talk to people about what is the going rate for someone who is in your role and location. But before you barge into all the discussion, interviews, or salary negotiations. One thing I would personally recommend is getting certified. Yes, you heard that right!
Getting certified is crucially important in this business. You will always have an upper hand above the rest of your competitors with a certified course in ‘How to become a successful CSM’ or by acquiring a Customer Success Manager Certification can also make your application stand out from the rest of the resumes.
And during the interview, remember to highlight your worth. Sell your credentials as much as possible. Talk about your achievement, and how you have made a difference in your previous companies. Prove your talent and accomplishments. Elucidate on the differences you can make in going forward in the company and most importantly, how the company can benefit from the same.
Nevertheless, remember to do this with a professional tone. Bragging about how you won the lemon race in 3rd grade would cut a sorry impression. Keep it as professional, neat, and concise as possible.
That’s a Wrap
It goes without saying, a company depends a lot on the Customer Success Manager. As it is the CSM who is the fulcrum of contact between a company and a customer, you need to know how to put a direct influence on the customer journey, which would aid in carving out higher revenue for your business and better ROI.
Highly accomplished, motivated, and adaptable sales and operations professional with a track record of successful leadership. Known for an empathetic and consultative approach that consistently exceeds growth and revenue goals.
Published May 12, 2020, Updated June 07, 2023
