Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products: Career Profile
Sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers to businesses or groups of individuals. Work requires substantial knowledge of items sold.
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What Tasks Do Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products Perform?
The core tasks performed by sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products include:
- 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.
- Monitor market conditions, product innovations, and competitors' products, prices, and sales.
- Perform administrative duties, such as preparing sales budgets and reports, keeping sales records, and filing expense account reports.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Top sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The competencies that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Types of Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products Jobs
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Account Representative
- Account Specialist
- Agricultural Produce Commission Agent
- Apparel Trimmings Sales Representative
- Architectural Supplies Sales Representative
- Artists Materials Sales Representative
- Barber and Beauty Equipment Sales Representative
- Barber and Beauty Supplies Sales Representative
Employment and Demand
There are about 1,257,598 sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +6.0% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $29,657 |
| Hourly median | $14.26 |
| 10th percentile | $20,000 |
| 25th percentile | $23,253 |
| 75th percentile | $36,061 |
| 90th percentile | $42,464 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Washington | $79,190 |
| New Jersey | $78,870 |
| Massachusetts | $78,680 |
| Rhode Island | $78,330 |
| Colorado | $77,830 |
| Connecticut | $77,540 |
| New York | $76,560 |
| Maryland | $75,280 |
| Minnesota | $75,060 |
| Wyoming | $74,870 |
| South Dakota | $74,430 |
| Michigan | $74,070 |
| California | $73,920 |
| Delaware | $73,770 |
| Ohio | $72,970 |
| North Dakota | $71,230 |
| Kansas | $71,000 |
| Oregon | $67,210 |
| Maine | $65,790 |
| Arizona | $65,500 |
| Pennsylvania | $65,490 |
| Illinois | $65,210 |
| Wisconsin | $64,430 |
| Iowa | $64,380 |
| Indiana | $64,160 |
| Vermont | $63,950 |
| Texas | $63,570 |
| South Carolina | $63,280 |
| North Carolina | $63,260 |
| Louisiana | $63,080 |
| Georgia | $63,050 |
| Kentucky | $62,980 |
| Alabama | $62,500 |
| Virginia | $62,470 |
| Nebraska | $61,800 |
| Utah | $61,080 |
| Idaho | $60,940 |
| Missouri | $60,580 |
| Nevada | $60,500 |
| Florida | $60,330 |
| Montana | $60,300 |
| Tennessee | $59,820 |
| Alaska | $59,800 |
| Oklahoma | $59,720 |
| Hawaii | $59,580 |
| West Virginia | $59,390 |
| District of Columbia | $59,120 |
| New Mexico | $59,020 |
| Mississippi | $57,460 |
| Arkansas | $54,970 |
| Virgin Islands | $47,300 |
| Puerto Rico | $30,180 |
| Guam | $30,020 |
Where Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products Earn the Most
Earnings for sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products shift depending on where you work. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $73,414 | 13.2% | 0.94 |
| Far Western US | $73,412 | 15.6% | 0.94 |
| Rocky Mountains | $70,206 | 4.7% | 1.19 |
| Great Lakes | $68,519 | 18.1% | 1.29 |
| Plains States | $68,152 | 8.3% | 1.21 |
| New England | $67,261 | 4.3% | 0.92 |
| Southwest | $63,329 | 9.9% | 0.78 |
| Southeast | $61,540 | 25.6% | 1.08 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $99,690 | 6,660 |
| Midland, MI | MI | $95,000 | 260 |
| Napa, CA | CA | $89,720 | 930 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $83,740 | 14,150 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | NJ | $83,740 | 1,030 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | CT | $83,440 | 3,180 |
| Salinas, CA | CA | $82,500 | 1,040 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $81,150 | 18,570 |
Industry Breakdown
Most sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Wholesale Trade | 808,710 | $65,110 |
| Manufacturing | 233,840 | $75,900 |
| Retail Trade | 79,040 | $57,130 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 32,120 | $79,190 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 22,470 | $76,620 |
| Construction | 18,190 | $68,270 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 18,070 | $62,840 |
| Information | 14,810 | $78,470 |
Below are examples of industries where sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products work:
Tech Stack
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Creative Cloud software (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Desktop publishing software: Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Apple macOS (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
- Video conferencing software: Cisco Webex (hot technology)
- Development environment software: Eclipse IDE (hot technology)
- Medical software: Epic Systems (hot technology)
- Geographic information system: ESRI ArcGIS software (hot technology)
- Enterprise application integration software: Extensible markup language XML (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The work environment for sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Contact With Others
- Telephone Conversations
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
- Deal With External Customers or the Public in General
How to Become Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products
Typical sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Purchasing Managers (Primary-Long)
- Supply Chain Managers (Supplemental)
- Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products (Primary-Short)
- Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products (Primary-Short)
- Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products (Primary-Long)
- Logisticians (Supplemental)
- Counter and Rental Clerks (Supplemental)
- Retail Salespersons (Supplemental)
Where to Study
Future sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products commonly pursue programs in:
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
5 programs across 2 majors
Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, and Related Sciences
1 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 41-4012.00 (Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products).
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