Sales
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.
Median pay
$104,920
Growth to 2035
+1%
little or no change
Openings a year
23,600
Time to qualify*
6 months
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- None
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Hazardous conditions
Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products: 79% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- 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.
- Contact new or existing customers to discuss how specific products or services can meet their needs.
- Emphasize product features, based on analyses of customers' needs and on technical knowledge of product capabilities and limitations.
Also called: Inside Sales Representative · Marketing Representative · Sales Representative
Outlook and AI
Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products held 292,000 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 295,500 by 2035 (+1%, little or no change; all jobs: +3.5%).
Productivity change - share decreases as generative artificial intelligence (AI) is integrated into the sales process allowing sales representatives to focus on direct sales activity.
Compare with
- Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products vs. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products vs. Sales engineer
- Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products vs. Buyers and purchasing agents
- Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products vs. Industrial production manager
- Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products vs. First-line supervisor of non-retail sales workers
- Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products vs. Sales manager
- Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products vs. Advertising sales agent
- Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products vs. Purchasing manager