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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.
Other titles employers use
Account Representative · Customer Account Technician · Inside Salesperson · Outside Sales Representative · Route Sales Representative · Sales Consultant · Sales Professional · Sales Representative (Sales Rep)
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- Answer customers' questions about products, prices, availability, product uses, and credit terms.
- Recommend products to customers, based on customers' needs and interests.
- 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.
- Prepare sales contracts and order forms.
- Provide customers with product samples and catalogs.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to persuading and organizing work.
- Persuading
- Leading, selling, starting projects, or making a case
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Social Perceptiveness
- Persuasion
- Negotiation
- Critical Thinking
Subjects to know
- Sales and Marketing
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Mathematics
- Transportation
Useful strengths
- Oral Expression
- Oral Comprehension
- Speech Clarity
- Written Comprehension
- Speech Recognition
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 3.1 | Shared rooms, but not shoulder to shoulder |
| On your feet | 2.7 | Mostly seated |
| Talking face to face | 4.7 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 2.4 | Little of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a high school diploma. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- High school or less 48%
- A four-year degree 34%
- A certificate or some college 14%
- A two-year degree 4%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Data base user interface and query software
- Graphics or photo imaging software
- Operating system software
- Project management software
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software
- Word processing software
- Video conferencing software
- Sales and marketing software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 153,500
- Job openings each year
- 13,720
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 2.7%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 153,500 | 13,720 | 2.7% |
| Texas | 103,260 | 9,810 | 14.5% |
| Florida | 96,480 | 9,060 | 12.0% |
| New York | 76,210 | 0 | — |
| Ohio | 67,680 | 6,010 | 1.6% |
| Illinois | 64,630 | 5,760 | 2.2% |
| Pennsylvania | 60,180 | 5,340 | 1.6% |
| North Carolina | 54,660 | 5,020 | 7.5% |
| Georgia | 49,190 | 4,600 | 10.9% |
| Michigan | 47,340 | 4,150 | — |
| Wisconsin | 39,760 | 3,660 | 8.2% |
| New Jersey | 38,750 | 3,490 | 4.2% |
| Washington | 37,470 | 3,710 | 7.4% |
| Indiana | 35,100 | 3,120 | 1.8% |
| Minnesota | 34,560 | 3,140 | 5.6% |
| Colorado | 34,250 | 3,200 | 10.7% |
| Arizona | 27,910 | 2,620 | 12.0% |
| Virginia | 27,370 | 2,450 | 3.0% |
| South Carolina | 26,120 | 2,440 | 10.5% |
| Alabama | 22,320 | 2,030 | 5.4% |
| Tennessee | 21,540 | 2,020 | 11.8% |
| Missouri | 20,390 | 1,820 | 2.3% |
| Louisiana | 18,630 | 1,690 | 5.3% |
| Iowa | 18,210 | 1,630 | 3.2% |
| Oregon | 17,770 | 1,650 | 9.8% |
| Utah | 16,640 | 1,610 | 19.2% |
| Kansas | 15,600 | 1,400 | 3.2% |
| Kentucky | 15,460 | 1,390 | 3.1% |
| Connecticut | 14,090 | 1,290 | 6.6% |
| Arkansas | 14,020 | 1,270 | 5.2% |
| Oklahoma | 10,830 | 970 | 3.5% |
| Nebraska | 10,430 | 950 | 5.8% |
| Massachusetts | 9,920 | 880 | 1.3% |
| Maryland | 9,680 | 870 | 4.4% |
| Nevada | 9,350 | 900 | 17.8% |
| Mississippi | 9,230 | 850 | 8.0% |
| Idaho | 8,520 | 810 | 13.8% |
| New Hampshire | 8,390 | 780 | 8.7% |
| Puerto Rico | 7,700 | 720 | 9.8% |
| South Dakota | 6,130 | 570 | 10.6% |
| Rhode Island | 5,900 | 540 | 5.9% |
| Montana | 4,800 | 460 | 14.6% |
| North Dakota | 4,320 | 400 | 7.2% |
| New Mexico | 4,130 | 380 | 5.6% |
| Maine | 4,040 | 350 | −3.1% |
| West Virginia | 3,750 | 340 | 3.6% |
| Delaware | 3,350 | 300 | — |
| Vermont | 1,980 | 180 | 2.1% |
| Wyoming | 1,730 | 160 | 13.1% |
| Alaska | 1,160 | 110 | 4.5% |
| District of Columbia | 920 | 80 | 3.4% |
| Guam | 320 | 30 | 10.3% |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
Fashion Institute of Technology
- Degrees each year
- 481
- Admit rate
- 58%
- Annual cost after aid
- $20,000
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College
- Degrees each year
- 580
- Admit rate
- 50%
- Annual cost after aid
- $6,000
Texas A & M University-College Station
- Degrees each year
- 815
- Admit rate
- 63%
- Annual cost after aid
- $17,000
Kent State University at Kent
- Degrees each year
- 232
- Admit rate
- 87%
- Annual cost after aid
- $17,000
University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Degrees each year
- 263
- Admit rate
- 43%
- Annual cost after aid
- $8,000
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
- Degrees each year
- 229
- Admit rate
- 79%
- Annual cost after aid
- $20,000
Saint Joseph's University
- Degrees each year
- 151
- Admit rate
- 86%
- Annual cost after aid
- $24,000
University of Georgia
- Degrees each year
- 168
- Admit rate
- 37%
- Annual cost after aid
- $13,000
Compare every college offering specialized sales, merchandising and marketing operations