Business & Finance
Sales Representative
Sales reps build relationships and close deals — a results-driven role where strong earners can out-earn many degree-gated careers. Pay often scales with commission.
Median salary (BLS)
$73,000
10th–90th percentile (BLS)
$40k – $160k
Job outlook
+4% (about average)
AI exposure
Plan a path to Sales Representative
Education
Typical entry: No degree required
Often no degree required; product knowledge and people skills matter most.
Plan my path to this →How to qualify
EstimateCost to qualify
$500–$3,150
Time to qualify
1 yr
Renewal
—
- 1
High school diploma or GED
CourseExpected by most employers; if you need the GED, test fees run $0–$150 depending on the state.
$0–$150 · 3 months · varies by state source
- 2
On-the-job training
ExperienceEmployer-provided and typically paid — days to a few months for most no-degree roles.
Cost varies · 3 months source
- 3
Industry certification (optional for many roles)
CertificationRole-dependent — e.g. CPA, Series 7/65, PMP, SHRM. Not always required, but often expected for advancement.
$500–$3,000 · 6 months source
Estimated typical U.S. route for "Sales Representative" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.
Typical progression
Junior Sales Representative
Entry / Junior
$40,000
~2 yrs to advance
Sales Representative
Established
$73,000
~3 yrs to advance
Senior Sales Representative
Senior
$116,500
Key skills
A typical day
- •Prospect and qualify leads
- •Pitch and demo products
- •Close and renew deals
Fields of study
Business · Communications · Marketing
Top colleges for Business & Finance
Explore all- University of Pennsylvania6% admit · $112,000 grad pay
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology4% admit · $124,000 grad pay
- Harvard University4% admit · $119,000 grad pay
- University of California, Berkeley11% admit · $97,000 grad pay
- New York University12% admit · $84,000 grad pay
Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.
Related careers
Other careers from this field of study
Mapped by field-of-study code (Business, Communications, Marketing), not by job-title guessing.