Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products
Sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers to businesses or groups of individuals. Work requires substantial knowledge of items sold.
- Median pay
- $72,080
- Doing it now
- 1,279,400
- By 2035
- Down 0.9%
- Usually needs
- High school diploma or equivalent
a year
across the country
99,800 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- Answer customers' questions about products, prices, availability, product uses, and credit terms.
- Recommend products to customers, based on customers' needs and interests.
- Contact regular and prospective customers to demonstrate products, explain product features, and solicit orders.
- Estimate or quote prices, credit or contract terms, warranties, and delivery dates.
- Consult with clients after sales or contract signings to resolve problems and to provide ongoing support.
- Provide customers with product samples and catalogs.
- Identify prospective customers by using business directories, following leads from existing clients, participating in organizations and clubs, and attending trade shows and conferences.
What to study
The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.
- Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing OperationsSee 93 colleges that teach it
- General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing OperationsSee 88 colleges that teach it
- Agricultural Business and ManagementSee 137 colleges that teach it
Who it suits
O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.
Leading and persuading
Organised and precise
Helping and teaching
Careers like this one
- First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers$48,520
- Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents$78,660
- General and Operations Managers$105,770
- Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products$104,920
- Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel$69,990
- First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers$87,520
Where this comes from: the description and the task list are O*NET, which the Department of Labor maintains. Pay, workforce size, outlook and the education normally needed are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections programme, 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections. Half of them earn more than $72,080 a year, which means half earn less, and what you would earn depends on where you work and how long you have been doing it. The fields of study come from the National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk.