How much does a customer experience manager make?

According to Glassdoor, the average base pay range for a customer experience manager is between $46,000 and $79,000 annually. The median annual salary is $77,204.

One of the key factors that impact your salary is your experience level. Here’s how a CX manager’s salary varies according to experience (based on Glassdoor’s data):

• Assistant CX manager: $65,223 per year
• CX manager: $77,204 per year
• Lead CX manager: $97,074 per year
• Senior CX manager: $104,426 per year

Where you live also has a significant impact on your earnings as a CX manager. Here’s how a CX manager’s annual salary varies across major US cities:

• San Francisco: $98,524 per year
• New York: $98,422 per year
• Boston: $89,243 per year
• Washington, DC: $82,235 per year
• Chicago: $92,567 per year

Customer experience manager career path

A CX manager’s career usually starts with an entry-level role like a customer service representative or sales associate. You can also transition into a CX manager’s role from other positions, such as marketing manager and customer insights analyst.

Here’s what the typical career path of a CX manager looks like:

• Entry-level positions (0-2 years): Roles like customer service representative, CX associate, and sales executive offer a gateway to a career in customer experience.
• Account Manager (2-4 years): An account manager is in charge of specific customer accounts and focuses on improving their retention and lifetime value.
• Customer Experience Manager (4-6 years): After gaining adequate experience in customer-facing positions, you can step into the role of a CX manager.
• Senior Customer Experience Manager (6-8 years): This role involves leading a team of CX professionals to execute various customer experience programs. Also, you’re responsible for collaborating with cross-functional teams.
• Director of Customer Experience (8-10 years): As the Director of CX, you’re in charge of a company’s entire customer experience function.
• VP of Customer Experience (10-15 years): In this senior-level role, you’re responsible for fostering a customer-centric culture across the organization and shaping various CX programs.
• Chief Experience Officer (CXO) (15+ years): This C-suite role is the highest position in a CX management career.

Best practices to be a great customer experience manager

Building a stellar career as a CX manager takes more than acquiring the right certifications or using the right tech. It’s also about developing the willingness to go out of your way to help customers realize their goals.

Here are a few tips to help you become a successful CX manager:

• Embrace a customer-first mindset: A customer-first mindset is the key to understanding user needs, pain points, and expectations. The idea is to put the customer at the heart of all your decisions and initiatives.
• Champion customer advocacy: Look beyond understanding user needs and become the voice of customers for the rest of the organization. Convey their pain points and expectations to relevant teams clearly and concisely.
• Be a team player: Develop the ability to lead cross-departmental teams to give their best effort when executing CX programs. Also, you have to inspire them to adopt a customer-centric culture.
• Predict problems and brainstorm solutions: Addressing customer complaints as they emerge isn’t enough. You must have the ability to identify potential issues and devise ways to mitigate them.
• Adapt with changing times: As customer preferences shift and new CX trends emerge, you must be able to keep up with these changes. In other words, you must approach each day with an open mind and never shy away from new challenges.
• Grow your network: Attend industry events and join online communities to connect with like-minded professionals. It’ll help you keep up with the latest developments in the CX ecosystem and find opportunities for collaboration and mentorship.

Best resources for customer experience managers

If you’re looking to build a successful career in CX management, the following resources will come in handy:

Best books for customer experience managers

Dive into these insightful reads to gain a deeper understanding of CX principles, strategies, and psychology:

• The Ten Principles Behind Great Customer Experiences by Matt Watkinson – Dig deeper into the core principles of CX with real-life examples.
• The Cult of the Customer by Shep Hyken – Discover strategies to delight customers and turn them into loyal brand advocates.
• More Is More by Blake Morgan – Understand the importance of going the extra mile to design excellent customer experiences.
• The Effortless Experience by Matthew Dixon, Nick Toman, and Rick DeLisi – Discover a four-step framework to win customers with a frictionless experience.
• The Power of Moments by Chip Heath and Dan Heath – Find out what goes into creating memorable moments that make customers stick.

You’ll find these books on Amazon and eBay.

Best webinars for customer experience managers

Expand your knowledge and stay up-to-date with the latest CX trends and insights through these informative webinars:

• Userpilot – Find live and on-demand webinars on customer experience and product analytics, particularly in the context of SaaS.
• BrightTALK.com – Discover a vast collection of fireside chats, talks, and webinars by industry experts.
• Gartner – Learn about the impact of new tech like generative AI on customer experience.
• Cisco – Explore a selection of webinars featuring insights into the latest CX trends from industry experts.
• Qualtrics – Watch on-demand webinars on topics like using AI for customer experience and measuring the impact of CX.

Best blogs for customer experience managers

Stay informed and get your daily dose of CX inspiration with these insightful blogs:

• Userpilot’s blog touches upon several CX-related topics, from user behavior analytics and feedback to onboarding.
• Shep Hyken’s Customer Service Blog spills the beans on different aspects of CX, including customer loyalty, relationship management, and more.
• CustomerThink brings you insights on CX strategies, technology, and more from a global community of experts.
• Customer Bliss brings Jeanne Bliss’s expertise to help you win new customers at scale.
• HubSpot’s Service Blog covers a broad spectrum of CX-related topics, with a special focus on customer success.

Best podcasts for customer experience managers

Tune in to these engaging podcasts to hear from CX experts, learn about new strategies, and get inspired:

• Crack the Customer Code by Jeannie Walters and Adam Toporek – Understand the ins and outs of designing unforgettable customer experiences with insights from different industry professionals; available on Apple and Spotify.
• The CX Leader Podcast by Steve Walker – Discover tactics to build the necessary skills and advance your career in CX leadership; available on Apple and Spotify.
• CX Today – Stay on top of the latest trends and best practices shaping the CX landscape; available on Apple and Spotify.
• Experience This! by Joey Coleman and Dan Gingiss – This lively show covers a broad spectrum of CX-related topics, from fundamentals to future trends; available on Apple and Spotify.
• The Intuitive Customer by Colin Shaw and Prof. Ryan Hamilton – A show that covers the most complex CX topics with a casual and fun vibe; available on Apple and Spotify.

Best tools for customer experience managers

Being a CX manager means juggling multiple responsibilities, from mapping user journeys to monitoring the impact of customer experience strategies. Plus, you have to stay on top of market trends and changing user preferences. You’re even responsible for training and guiding customer-facing teams to improve user interactions at various touchpoints.

While the job comes with several complexities, using the right tools can make it easier. Here are a few tools that come in handy for customer experience managers:

• Best tool for in-app CX: Userpilot – Userpilot offers numerous features to help you improve the in-app experience of your users. From tooltips to resource centers and surveys, it lets you understand your customers and create self-help resources for them.
• Best tool for project management: Monday – The feature-packed project management platform lets you choose from 27+ views, including Gantt charts and Kanban boards. It’s ideal for CX managers leading hybrid cross-functional teams to develop and execute various CX strategies.
• Best tool for product management: Jira – With Jira, you can collaborate with product teams and stay on top of product development and enhancement projects. You can even use the platform’s AI capabilities to generate actionable insights from your ideas.
• Best tool for CX: Freshdesk – The cloud-based software by Freshworks comes with an AI-powered ticketing system and helpdesk solution. It’s ideal for delighting users with prompt, personalized support.
• Best tool for customer success: ClientSuccess – The intuitive platform comes with several useful features, such as customer portals and user journey mapping. Plus, you can access a ton of valuable insights into user retention and churn.
• Best tool for data analytics: Tableau – The business intelligence software helps CX managers analyze user behavior data, retrieve actionable insights, and generate visual reports.

Product Teams Can Use Userpilot to:

• Improve Product Adoption with Insights from Analytics
• Improve User Onboarding Interactive Guidance
• Collect User Feedback with No-Code In-App Surveys

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Conclusion

Now that you have a better understanding of the salary range for a customer experience manager position, you can take steps to improve your earning potential.

Consider pursuing relevant certifications, developing your skillset, or negotiating effectively during the job offer stage.

Looking into tools for customer experience managers? Userpilot is an all-in-one product platform with engagement features and powerful analytics capabilities. Book a demo to see it in action!