Executive Summary

About 293,930 sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products work nationally, and $100,070 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown fell about 32% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 5.2% annual decline.

Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products: what the data shows

Common questions about sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.

What is a sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products?

Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 41-4011.

U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 293,930 workers.

What does a sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products do?

O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Getting Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work, Communicating with People Outside the Organization, Selling or Influencing Others, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.

How much does a sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products make?

BLS national median annual wage: $100,070 (May 2024 in our extract).

Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $131,986 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.

Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).

Wage percentileAnnual wage
10th percentile$59,520
25th percentile$81,177
Median (50th)$126,771
75th percentile$169,901
90th percentile$217,253

What skills do you need?

O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Speaking, Persuasion, Active Listening, Negotiation, Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation, and knowledge areas including Customer and Personal Service, Sales and Marketing, English Language, Administration and Management. See Education & Skills for detail.

Is sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products in demand?

Historical employment trend in our series implies about 5.2% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).

Five-year projected employment change: -23.3%.

Ten-year projected employment change: -41.2%.

Current U.S. headcount: 293,930.

We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.

Where do sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific productss work?

Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:

IndustryEmploymentShare
Cross-industry293,93020.1%
Cross-industry, Private Ownership only293,90020.1%
Wholesale Trade171,18011.7%
Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods103,1507.1%
Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers81,7805.6%
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods51,2803.5%

See Industry for charts.

What degrees lead to this career?

Common majors for Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products in O*NET:

See Related degrees.

What careers are related?

Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:

OccupationU.S. employmentMedian wage
Civil Engineers355,410$99,590
Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians136,390$78,680
Computer Hardware Engineers75,710$155,020
Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters43,640$39,270
Brickmasons and Blockmasons53,520$60,800
Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians36,880$52,080
Computer Systems Analysts497,800$103,790

Employment

Employment and salary information for the Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products workforce.

Employment Over Time

293,930 U.S. workforce (OEWS)

California employment for Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products shrank from 195,620 in 2009 to 83,580 in 2025 (57.3%).

Historical employment for Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.

Yearly Wage Ranking

$100,070 Median pay (BLS national)

Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products earn $100,070 as the BLS national median annual wage.

Wage ranking compared to other occupations.

Wage Distribution

This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products.

Salary distribution for Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products.

Employment Growth Projections

-5.2% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)

64,075 Projected Employment (5 years)

Projected growth: -23.3%

49,122 Projected Employment (10 years)

Projected growth: -41.2%

This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.

Historical employment trends and future projections for Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products and on wages for those in the field.

Occupations by Industries

This graphic shows the share of Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products employed by various industries.

Industry distribution for Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products.

Wage Trends by Industry

-5.3% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate

Historical wage growth trends by industry for Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products.

Geographic Distribution

Employment and wage information by geographic location for Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products.

State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.

Top States by Employment

Top States by Employment:

  • TX: 53,770 employees, $103,290 avg wage
  • CA: 24,420 employees, $129,080 avg wage
  • FL: 19,970 employees, $127,150 avg wage
  • NC: 13,300 employees, $121,330 avg wage
  • AZ: 10,670 employees, $98,130 avg wage
  • OH: 10,410 employees, $109,550 avg wage
  • WA: 10,240 employees, $145,360 avg wage
  • MA: 10,050 employees, $113,860 avg wage
  • TN: 9,400 employees, $97,450 avg wage
  • NY: 9,090 employees, $140,500 avg wage

Top 10 states by employment for Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products.

Top Metropolitan Areas

Top Metropolitan Areas:

  • Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 17,730 employees, $102,730 avg wage
  • Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 9,720 employees, $105,360 avg wage
  • Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX: 9,490 employees, $94,790 avg wage
  • Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ: 8,210 employees, $99,160 avg wage
  • Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: 8,130 employees, $149,390 avg wage
  • New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 7,720 employees, $148,040 avg wage
  • Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 7,490 employees, $113,250 avg wage
  • Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 6,580 employees, $121,830 avg wage
  • Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 6,450 employees, $150,570 avg wage
  • Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 6,440 employees, $114,660 avg wage

Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products.

Diversity

Demographic information on Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products in the US.

Gender and Age

The U.S. workforce for Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products is about 293,930 people in our OEWS extract.

Gender and age distribution for Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products.

Races

Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.

Race and ethnicity distribution for Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products.

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices and required skills for Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products.

Majors

The most common majors achieved by Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Business.

Common majors for Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products.

Education Levels

The main educational levels achieved by Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products workers.

Education level distribution for Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products.

Skills

Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products need many skills, but most especially Speaking, Persuasion, Active Listening, Negotiation, Social Perceptiveness.

Required skills for Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products.

Knowledge & Abilities

Knowledge areas and abilities required for Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products.

Knowledge Areas

The most important knowledge areas for Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products include Customer and Personal Service, Sales and Marketing, English Language, Administration and Management, Mathematics.

Knowledge areas required for Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products.

Abilities

Key abilities needed for Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products include Oral Expression, Speech Recognition, Speech Clarity, Oral Comprehension, Written Comprehension.

Required abilities for Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products.

Work Activities

Common work activities performed by Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products.

Daily Activities

Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products spend their time on activities such as Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Getting Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work, Communicating with People Outside the Organization.

Most important work activities for Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products.

About

Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products

Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products earn $100,070 as the BLS national median annual wage.

SOC Code

41-4011 - Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products

Insights and Analysis

High earnings profile: Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products reports an average salary of $131,986, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.

Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 293,930 workers, indicating sustained demand.

Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -5.2%, which should inform long-term career planning.

Data Sources

This page uses data from the following sources:

  • College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
    • Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
    • Employment and wage data by occupation
    • Latest data: May 2024
    • Source: bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
    • Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
    • Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
    • Source: onetcenter.org
  • IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
    • Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
  • Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
    • Demographic and workforce data
    • Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
    • Source: census.gov/acs

Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.

Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.

Methodology

Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.

All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.