The partnerships and channel sales job market has expanded significantly since 2022. What was once a niche function staffed by a single "partner guy" at most companies has become a strategic growth lever with dedicated teams, specialized roles, and executive-level leadership.
This page tracks the data behind that growth: which roles are being created, which industries are hiring, and where the market is heading.
The Numbers: Partnerships Hiring 2022 to 2026
Job postings containing "partnerships," "channel sales," or "partner manager" in the title have grown consistently over the past four years:
| Year | Estimated Job Postings | YoY Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 18,000 | Baseline |
| 2023 | 24,500 | +36% |
| 2024 | 33,000 | +35% |
| 2025 | 45,000 | +36% |
| 2026 (projected) | 58,000+ | +29% |
Growth has moderated slightly in 2026 as the market matures, but the trend remains strongly upward. The partnerships function is following the same trajectory that sales operations followed a decade ago: from optional to essential.
Fastest-Growing Roles
Not all partnership roles are growing at the same rate. The highest demand is concentrated in a few categories:
1. Ecosystem and Platform Partnerships
Roles focused on technology integrations, API partnerships, and platform ecosystem management are growing fastest. Companies building platform plays (think HubSpot, Shopify, Salesforce) need people who can recruit technology partners, manage integration quality, and drive ecosystem adoption. Job postings for "ecosystem" partnership roles have roughly doubled year over year since 2023.
2. Cloud Marketplace Specialists
AWS, Azure, and GCP marketplace co-sell roles are a new category that barely existed before 2022. As enterprise procurement shifts toward cloud commitment drawdown, companies need specialists who understand marketplace listing mechanics, CPPO (Channel Partner Private Offers), and co-sell attribution. These roles command premium compensation because the talent pool is still small.
3. Partner Operations
As partner programs scale, the operational complexity increases. Partner ops roles manage PRM platforms, deal registration workflows, partner data hygiene, and program analytics. This is the "RevOps for partnerships" equivalent, and it is growing as companies realize they cannot scale partner programs without operational infrastructure.
4. Partner Marketing
Co-marketing, through-partner marketing, and partner content roles are expanding as companies invest more in enabling their partners to generate demand. Partner marketing managers who can run co-branded campaigns and measure partner marketing ROI are in high demand.
Industries Hiring the Most
Partnership hiring is concentrated in a few sectors:
- B2B SaaS: By far the largest employer of partnership professionals. Every major SaaS category (CRM, marketing automation, HR tech, fintech, cybersecurity) is building or expanding partner programs.
- Cloud infrastructure: AWS, Azure, GCP, and the ISV ecosystem around them. Cloud marketplace roles are a major driver.
- Fintech: Embedded finance and banking-as-a-service companies are building partnership functions to distribute through non-financial brands.
- E-commerce and retail tech: Shopify, BigCommerce, and the app ecosystem around them. Agency partnerships and technology integrations are key growth levers.
- Cybersecurity: Channel-heavy by tradition, now adding modern partnership roles (ecosystem, co-sell, marketplace) on top of the traditional reseller model.
Geographic Distribution
Partnership roles have followed the broader remote work trend in tech:
- Fully remote: Approximately 45% of partnerships job postings list remote as an option, up from 25% in 2022
- Hybrid: 30% of postings require some in-office presence, typically 2 to 3 days per week
- Onsite: 25% require full-time office presence, mostly at enterprise companies or in field partnership roles
The top metro areas for in-person partnership roles remain San Francisco, New York, Seattle, Austin, and Boston. For detailed salary data by location, see our Salary by Location page.
Compensation Trends
Partnership salaries have risen faster than the broader tech market over the past three years, driven by talent scarcity:
- Entry-level partner roles: Base salaries have increased 12 to 18% since 2023
- Mid-level partner managers: Base salaries up 15 to 22%, with OTE growth outpacing base as companies add variable compensation tied to partner-sourced revenue
- Director and VP level: Total compensation packages have grown 20 to 30%, with equity becoming a standard component at growth-stage companies
The compensation premium for partnerships roles reflects the difficulty of hiring experienced talent. Unlike sales or marketing, the partnerships talent pool is still relatively shallow. Companies often compete for the same candidates, driving up offers. For current salary benchmarks, see our full Salary Data section.
What This Means for Your Career
If you are considering a career in partnerships or already in the function, the market fundamentals are strongly in your favor:
- Demand exceeds supply. There are more open partnership roles than qualified candidates. This gives you leverage in job searches and salary negotiations.
- Specialization pays. Generalist partner managers are abundant. Specialists in cloud marketplace, ecosystem strategy, or partner operations command premium compensation.
- The function is still being defined. Unlike sales or marketing, partnerships does not have rigid career ladders at most companies. Early career professionals who join now can shape the function as it matures.
- Adjacent skills transfer well. If you are in sales, marketing, CS, or solutions engineering, the transition to partnerships is shorter than you think. See our guide on how to become a partner manager for specific paths.