Learn about the role of an outside sales representative. Explore the salary you can expect according to your experience, skills, and education, as well as where you live and the industry you choose, to decide upon your career path.
An outside sales representative is a sales professional who works 鈥渙utside.鈥 This means they travel and sell by physically visiting external customers or potential customers. In this role, you鈥檒l spend time out of the office and on the road, meeting clients and pitching products and services. You'll need excellent interpersonal skills for this role because you'll spend so much time face-to-face with customers.
Learn more about the role of an outside sales rep and the factors that affect the salary you can expect to take home. Explore the high-paying states and companies and learn about the related job titles you can apply for.听
Read more: Inside Sales vs. Outside Sales: How Are They Different?
Outside sales representatives work in the field, traveling to meet clients to sell products and services. You might sell to businesses (B2B) or to individual customers (B2C). The role involves a great deal of face-to-face communication and relationship building, as well as the skills to close deals and the stamina to travel from place to place to meet different people.听
Some of your other responsibilities might include:聽
Maintaining sales records聽
Teaching potential customers about the benefits of your services or products聽
Negotiating contract terms聽
Staying on top of market trends and monitoring your competition聽
Collaborating with marketing to help build the company's brand聽
Setting monthly goals and quotas聽
Attending professional conferences and conventions聽
According to various job posting websites, the average annual base salary for an outside sales representative in the US is between $55,927 and $110,120. The salary ranges from four websites are as follows [1,,,]:
Lightcast | Glassdoor | Payscale | Indeed |
---|---|---|---|
$110,120 | $93,567 | $55,927 | $81,106 |
According to Glassdoor, the total annual pay is significantly higher when you account for bonuses and commissions. With this in mind, your salary can rise as high as an average of $180,491 [].
You鈥檒l discover a number of factors that impact an outside sales representative salary. Explore each of these factors in more detail.
In general, having a high school diploma may be sufficient to work as a sales rep. However, employers increasingly seek candidates with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in a relevant subject such as marketing, business, or communications. According to Zippia, 67 percent of outside sales representatives hold a bachelor鈥檚 degree [闭.听
Your qualifications have a direct impact on your earnings. According to Zippia, a bachelor鈥檚 degree commands higher salaries than a high school diploma, and salaries rise further if you have a relevant master鈥檚 degree. Here is a breakdown of average salaries depending on education level []:
High school diploma: $51,798
Bachelor鈥檚 degree: $67,057
Master鈥檚 degree: $74,239
Certification and Professional Certificates are another way of developing and documenting your skills and knowledge to leverage for a higher salary. Gaining a credential in sales may help you move from outside sales representative to other sales roles, including those with leadership responsibility, such as sales manager.
Some examples of certificates that you can add to your resume to maximize your salary include:
Certified Professional Sales Consultant (CPSC)
SIOR Sales Management Specialist
Certified Professional Sales Leader
Read more: Sales Representative Career Guide
As is typical with many professions, the more experience you gain, the more you can earn. According to Zippia, working up to a senior level gives you a significantly larger income than an entry-level role []:
Entry-level: $48,300
Mid-level: $62,300
Senior-level: $99,500听
Promotions can help you earn a higher salary. These career advancements typically require building experience and demonstrating your sales skills.
Skills play a big part in gaining a promotion. You鈥檒l learn many workplace and technical skills that you must master to command the highest salaries as an outside sales rep. The better you are at mastering the essential skills of an outside sales representative, the more commissions you will likely earn. Some vital skills to work on include:
Workplace:
Organization
Physical stamina
Negotiation
Adaptability
Time management聽
Relationship building
Technical:
Cold calling
Product knowledge
Lead generation聽
Customer relationship management software
Sales techniques
Where you work can affect your salary as an outside sales rep. Certain cities and states pay higher than others. According to Zippia, the current top five highest-paying locations, with their average annual income, include []:
Minneapolis: $68,832
Boston: $67,503
Hartford: $66,463
New York: $66,437
Seattle: $66,364聽
Zippia also reports on the highest-paying states (average annual salary) if you鈥檙e an outside sales rep []:
New Jersey: $69,256
Minnesota: $68,770
North Dakota: $67,722
Massachusetts: $67,477
Connecticut: $66,453
Working as an outside sales rep opens up many opportunities, as the role spans several industries. This means you can match the position to your skills and interests, and you can research the industries offering the best salary.听
According to Zippia, the highest-paying industries that outside sales representatives work in, with the average annual salary, are as follows []:
Manufacturing: $62,233
Automotive: $62,120
Professional: $60,545
Construction: $59,304
Retail: $55,498
Working as an outside sales rep extends beyond these fields. You鈥檒l also find jobs available in sectors such as health care, technology, and pharmaceuticals.听
Read more: What Is a Good Salary?
Companies pay different salaries depending on their industry, size, stature, and commission structure. Earnings can vary considerably, so make sure you do your research on various companies to find out whether they pay what you expect.听
The company where you work can impact how much you earn as well. According to Glassdoor, some of the highest-paying companies for outside sales representatives in the United States are as follows []:
Trinity Solar: $190,005
Abbvie: $188,384
Fox Pest Control: $175,879
ADInstruments: $163,300
ADT Solar: $161,233
Working as an outside sales rep means you gain valuable transferable skills that you can use in other sales roles. You鈥檒l find several related jobs that you may consider, including
Inside sales representative: $49,765听
Sales manager: $83,076聽
Regional sales representative: $93,050聽
Account manager: $$67,006聽
Retail sales specialist: $60,886
Sales director: $133,353聽
Territory sales manager: $70,812聽
Business development manager: $98,978聽聽
Read more: What Is Sales Management: Definition, Scope, Objectives, Careers
*All annual base salary data is sourced from Glassdoor as of September 2024 and does not include additional pay, such as commission and benefits.
Outside sales representatives spend much of their time traveling to meetings with clients and taking part in face-to-face interactions. With the right skills and experience, this exciting career choice can lead to a competitive salary.听
Are you ready for a career as an outside sales representative? If so, consider taking an online course to hone your sales skills and enhance your resume, such as Sales Training: Building Your Sales Career, delivered by HubSpot Academy on 糖心vlog官网观看. Alternatively, you can find Professional Certificates on 糖心vlog官网观看, such as the Salesforce Sales Development Representative Professional Certificate.听Upon completing either program, gain a shareable certificate to include in your resume, CV, or LinkedIn profile.
Lightcast鈩 Analyst. "Occupation Summary for Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products." Accessed July 24, 2024.
Glassdoor. 鈥, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/outside-sales-representative-salary-SRCH_KO0,28.htm.鈥 Accessed July 24, 2024.
Payscale. 鈥, https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Outside_Sales_Representative/Salary.鈥 Accessed July 24, 2024.
Indeed. 鈥, https://www.indeed.com/career/outside-sales-representative/salaries.鈥 Accessed July 24, 2024.
Zippa. 鈥, https://www.zippia.com/outside-sales-representative-jobs/education.鈥 Accessed July 24, 2024.
Zippia. 鈥, https://www.zippia.com/outside-sales-representative-jobs/salary/.鈥 Accessed July 24, 2024.
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