Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products
Sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers where technical or scientific knowledge is required in such areas as biology, engineering, chemistry, and electronics, normally obtained from at least 2 years of postsecondary education.
What it pays
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products earn a median of $50.44/hr — about $105,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $25.29/hr; the top 10% earn $96.37/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products earn a median of $50.44/hr — about $105,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $25.29/hr; the top 10% earn $96.37/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- Negotiate prices or terms of sales or service agreements.
- Prepare and submit sales contracts for orders.
- Visit establishments to evaluate needs or to promote product or service sales.
- Maintain customer records, using automated systems.
- Answer customers' questions about products, prices, availability, or credit terms.
- Quote prices, credit terms, or other bid specifications.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).
The feel of the work
Much of the work happens outdoors; you're around people constantly. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 2.1% of sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are take-charge, organized and detail-focused and hands-on.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
- First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers
- Sales Engineers
- Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents
- Real Estate Brokers
- Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products
- Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel
Quick questions
- How much does a sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific product make?
- The median pay is $50.44 per hour — roughly $105,000 a year, with the real range running from about $25.29/hr (10th percentile) to $96.37/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific product?
- The typical entry-level education is: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation level: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).
- What does a sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific product actually do all day?
- Negotiate prices or terms of sales or service agreements. Prepare and submit sales contracts for orders. Visit establishments to evaluate needs or to promote product or service sales.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.