Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products Salary: $131,986 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 293,930 sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products nationally earn a mean of $131,986. Employment in the series shown fell about 32% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 5.2% annual decline.
Key Statistics
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 percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $59,520 |
| 25th percentile | $81,177 |
| Median (50th) | $126,771 |
| 75th percentile | $169,901 |
| 90th percentile | $217,253 |
What education do you need?
For Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
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:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 293,930 | 20.1% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 293,900 | 20.1% |
| Wholesale Trade | 171,180 | 11.7% |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods | 103,150 | 7.1% |
| Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | 81,780 | 5.6% |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods | 51,280 | 3.5% |
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:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Civil Engineers | 355,410 | $99,590 |
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | 136,390 | $78,680 |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | 75,710 | $155,020 |
| Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | 43,640 | $39,270 |
| Brickmasons and Blockmasons | 53,520 | $60,800 |
| Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians | 36,880 | $52,080 |
| Computer Systems Analysts | 497,800 | $103,790 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products workforce.
Employment Over Time
293,930 Workforce in 2023
The Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$131,986 Average Wage
In 2023, Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products earned an average of $131,986.
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.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 17,290 employees, $132,485 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 3,050 employees, $117,418 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 3,020 employees, $166,220 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 2,730 employees, $121,826 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 2,370 employees, $157,466 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 1,770 employees, $119,746 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 1,420 employees, $136,388 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 740 employees, $106,791 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 680 employees, $120,523 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 290 employees, $104,112 avg wage
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 280 employees, $114,562 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 workforce of Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products in 2023 was 293,930 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
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
The average yearly wage for Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products was $131,986 in 2023.
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.