← All careers

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

Estimate

Cost to qualify

$500–$3,150

Time to qualify

1 yr

Renewal

  1. 1

    High school diploma or GED

    Course

    Expected 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. 2

    On-the-job training

    Experience

    Employer-provided and typically paid — days to a few months for most no-degree roles.

    Cost varies · 3 months source

  3. 3

    Industry certification (optional for many roles)

    Certification

    Role-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

  1. Junior Sales Representative

    Entry / Junior

    $40,000

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Sales Representative

    Established

    $73,000

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Sales Representative

    Senior

    $116,500

Key skills

PersuasionRelationship buildingResilienceNegotiation

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

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.