SOC 41-4012.00Bright outlook

    Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products

    Sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers to businesses or groups of individuals.

    Median pay
    $72,080
    Growth
    -0.9%
    Little or no change
    Openings a year
    99,800
    Typical education
    High school diploma

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $39,090
    Median
    $72,080
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $137,550
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    1,238,190 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    These sales representatives sell wholesale and manufactured goods to businesses and organizations. The career offers a median annual pay of $72,080, with top earners making over $137,550.

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products do

    Job Zone 4: Considerable preparation

    Sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers to businesses or groups of individuals. Work requires substantial knowledge of items sold.

    Most need a bachelor's degree and several years of related experience.

    What the work is like

    Professionals in this field focus on selling and influencing others to purchase manufactured items or wholesale goods. Day-to-day tasks involve getting information about client needs, solving problems, and maintaining strong interpersonal relationships. Representatives must constantly update their knowledge of the products they sell, which requires substantial product familiarity. They use computers for administrative tasks and frequently operate vehicles to meet clients in person.

    This career strongly appeals to individuals with enterprising interests who enjoy taking initiative and leading projects. Success in this role requires key skills such as active listening, persuasive speaking, negotiation, and social perceptiveness. Representatives rely on their knowledge of sales, marketing, customer service, and the English language to communicate effectively. Because the work involves meeting goals and handling client rejection, key work styles include perseverance, self-confidence, optimism, and high stress tolerance.

    How to get there

    To enter this career, the Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that a high school diploma is the typical minimum education. However, the occupation is classified as requiring considerable preparation, meaning most workers actually hold a bachelor's degree and have several years of experience in a related sales role. Students interested in this path often major in agricultural business and management, general sales, or specialized sales and merchandising marketing operations.

    Depending on the location, some states list licensing requirements for this line of work. Professionals can also earn voluntary industry certifications to improve their advancement opportunities. Examples of these credentials include the Business of Retail certification, the Certified Professional Manufacturers Representative designation, the Certified Professional Sales Leader credential, and specialized certifications like the Certified Sales Counselor or Route Driver Certification.

    Pay and outlook explained

    The median annual pay for these sales representatives is $72,080. Earnings can vary significantly based on experience and performance, with the lowest 10% of workers earning less than $39,090 and the highest 10% earning more than $137,550.

    There are 1,238,190 people employed in this occupation. Between 2025 and 2035, employment is projected to experience little or no change, with a slight decrease of -0.9%. Despite this flat growth, the field offers strong job prospects, with 99,800 job openings projected each year.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R)
    27 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    21 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    11 / 100
    Social (S)
    28 / 100
    Enterprising (E) · strongest
    85 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    65 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code ECS. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Selling or Influencing Others
    97
    Getting Information
    87
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    85
    Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
    85
    Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
    82
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    81
    Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
    80
    Working with Computers
    77
    Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
    76
    Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
    75
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Active Listening
    • Speaking
    • Negotiation
    • Persuasion
    • Social Perceptiveness
    • Critical Thinking
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Writing
    • Active Learning
    • Complex Problem Solving

    Knowledge

    • Sales and Marketing
    • Customer and Personal Service
    • English Language
    • Mathematics
    • Transportation
    • Computers and Electronics
    • Administration and Management
    • Communications and Media
    • Telecommunications
    • Psychology

    Abilities

    • Oral Expression
    • Oral Comprehension
    • Speech Clarity
    • Speech Recognition
    • Written Comprehension
    • Written Expression
    • Category Flexibility
    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Fluency of Ideas
    • Information Ordering

    Work styles

    • Perseverance
    • Social Orientation
    • Self-Confidence
    • Achievement Orientation
    • Optimism
    • Dependability
    • Initiative
    • Adaptability
    • Self-Control
    • Stress Tolerance

    Also called

    Account Representative · Account Specialist · Agricultural Produce Commission Agent · Apparel Trimmings Sales Representative · Architectural Supplies Sales Representative · Artists Materials Sales Representative · Barber and Beauty Equipment Sales Representative · Barber and Beauty Supplies Sales Representative · Bottle Sales Representative · Bottling Equipment Sales Representative

    Career pathway

    From your interests to sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products

    Interests that fit the work, the career, majors that lead there and colleges whose graduates in those majors earn the most. Hover or focus a step to follow one path.

    1. Interests

    2. This career

      • Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products$72,080 median pay

    3. Majors

    4. Colleges

    College Scorecard program outcomes

    Colleges with strong outcomes

    Programs that lead to this career, ranked by what their graduates earn four years after finishing. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid.

    1. 1Cornell University-New York logo
      Cornell University-New York

      Ithaca, NY · Agricultural Business and Management · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $101,659
      4 yrs after
      $145,218
      Median debt
      $13,000
    2. 2Baylor University logo
      Baylor University

      Waco, TX · General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $85,374
      4 yrs after
      $125,167
      Median debt
      $21,375
    3. 3Texas A & M University-College Station logo
      Texas A & M University-College Station

      College Station, TX · General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $72,444
      4 yrs after
      $93,141
      Median debt
      $18,458
    4. 4California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo SLO logo
      California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo SLO

      San Luis Obispo, CA · Agricultural Business and Management · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $62,504
      4 yrs after
      $88,396
      Median debt
      $14,167
    5. 5University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Main Campus logo
      University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Main Campus

      Champaign, IL · Agricultural Business and Management · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $64,122
      4 yrs after
      $86,646
      Median debt
      $15,340
    6. 6
      Bowling Green State University-Main Campus

      Bowling Green, OH · General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $63,510
      4 yrs after
      $86,245
      Median debt
      $22,625
    7. 7University of Missouri-Columbia Main Campus logo
      University of Missouri-Columbia Main Campus

      Columbia, MO · Agricultural Business and Management · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $57,745
      4 yrs after
      $82,831
      Median debt
      $16,375
    8. 8Weber State University logo
      Weber State University

      Ogden, UT · General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $73,639
      4 yrs after
      $82,549
      Median debt
      $15,668

    Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Programs with few graduates are not listed.

    NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk

    Majors that lead here

    Related programs by four-digit CIP code. They are common routes in, not the only ones.

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Training

    Programs of study that prepare people for this work.

    • Agricultural/Farm Supplies Retailing and Wholesaling
    • Apparel and Accessories Marketing Operations
    • Fashion Merchandising
    • General Merchandising, Sales, and Related Marketing Operations, Other
    • Sales, Distribution, and Marketing Operations, General
    • Special Products Marketing Operations

    Find training near you on CareerOneStop

    Licenses by state

    19 states list a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

    All careers

    Questions about sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What are some alternative job titles for this career?

    Workers in this field are also known as account representatives, account specialists, apparel trimmings sales representatives, or agricultural produce commission agents.

    What are the primary skills needed for this sales role?

    Success in this career relies heavily on active listening, speaking, negotiation, persuasion, and social perceptiveness. Representatives must also use critical thinking and complex problem solving to address customer needs.

    Is a college degree required to get a job in this field?

    While a high school diploma is the typical entry-level education, most people working in this career hold a bachelor's degree and have several years of relevant work experience.

    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.