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

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

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/sales-representatives-wholesale-and-manufacturing-except-technical-and-scientific-products
- SOC code: 41-4012.00
- Career family: Sales
- Median annual pay: $72,080 (10th percentile $39,090, 90th percentile $137,550)
- Projected growth: Little or no change, -0.9%
- Openings a year: 99,800
- Typical entry education: High school diploma
- Bright outlook: yes
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code ECS)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 27 |
| Investigative (I) | 21 |
| Artistic (A) | 11 |
| Social (S) | 28 |
| Enterprising (E) | 85 |
| Conventional (C) | 65 |

## What you'd do

- Selling or Influencing Others (importance 97/100)
- Getting Information (importance 87/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 85/100)
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge (importance 85/100)
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships (importance 82/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 81/100)
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events (importance 80/100)
- Working with Computers (importance 77/100)
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings (importance 76/100)
- Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment (importance 75/100)

## 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

## 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

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Agricultural Business and Management](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/0101) (CIP 0101, 394 colleges)
- [General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5218) (CIP 5218, 358 colleges)
- [Specialized Sales, Merchandising and  Marketing Operations](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5219) (CIP 5219, 189 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Cornell University-New York](https://www.collegesref.com/college/cornell-university-new-york-710) | Agricultural Business and Management | $101,659 | $145,218 | $13,000 |
| [Baylor University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/baylor-university-194) | General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | $85,374 | $125,167 | $21,375 |
| [Texas A & M University-College Station](https://www.collegesref.com/college/texas-a-m-university-college-station-2694) | General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | $72,444 | $93,141 | $18,458 |
| [California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo SLO](https://www.collegesref.com/college/california-polytechnic-state-university-san-luis-obispo-slo-360) | Agricultural Business and Management | $62,504 | $88,396 | $14,167 |
| [University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-illinois-at-urbana-champaign-main-campus-2927) | Agricultural Business and Management | $64,122 | $86,646 | $15,340 |
| [Bowling Green State University-Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/bowling-green-state-university-main-campus-290) | General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | $63,510 | $86,245 | $22,625 |
| [University of Missouri-Columbia Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-missouri-columbia-main-campus-2965) | Agricultural Business and Management | $57,745 | $82,831 | $16,375 |
| [Weber State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/weber-state-university-3186) | General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | $73,639 | $82,549 | $15,668 |

## Related careers

- [Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/sales-representatives-wholesale-and-manufacturing-technical-and-scientific-products): $104,920 median pay
- [Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/sales-representatives-of-services-except-advertising-insurance-financial-services-and): $69,990 median pay
- [Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/wholesale-and-retail-buyers-except-farm-products): $77,710 median pay
- [Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/buyers-and-purchasing-agents-farm-products): $77,710 median pay
- [Advertising Sales Agents](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/advertising-sales-agents): $64,820 median pay
- [Sales Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/sales-engineers): $124,900 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

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.