TL;DR

About 1,266,860 sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products nationally earn a mean of $87,987. CA accounts for about 123,260 jobs in our geographic extract; much hiring sits in wholesale trade.

Key Statistics

1,266,860
2023 Workforce
None
Average Age
$87,987
Average Salary

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

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

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

Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 41-4012.

U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 1,266,860 workers.

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

O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Selling or Influencing Others, Getting Information, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.

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

BLS national median annual wage: $66,780 (May 2024 in our extract).

Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $87,987 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.

Wage percentileAnnual wage
10th percentile$41,217
25th percentile$53,580
Median (50th)$75,584
75th percentile$104,041
90th percentile$151,485

What education do you need?

For Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except 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, Active Listening, Social Perceptiveness, Persuasion, Negotiation, Critical Thinking, and knowledge areas including Sales and Marketing, Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Mathematics. See Education & Skills for detail.

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

Historical employment trend in our series implies about 0.3% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).

Five-year projected employment change: -1.3%.

Ten-year projected employment change: -2.6%.

Current U.S. headcount: 1,266,860.

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

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

Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:

IndustryEmploymentShare
Cross-industry1,266,86019.9%
Cross-industry, Private Ownership only1,266,44019.9%
Wholesale Trade808,71012.7%
Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods420,8806.6%
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods269,8904.2%
Manufacturing233,8403.7%

See Industry for charts.

What degrees lead to this career?

Common majors for Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except 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
Computer User Support Specialists146,450$73,340
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products293,930$100,070
Technical Writers55,530$91,670
Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School104,450$63,910
Office and Administrative Support Workers, All Other195,890$46,040
Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School14,200$63,620
Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary111,150$61,490

Employment

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

Employment Over Time

1,266,860 Workforce in 2023

The Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products workforce has been growing over time.

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

Yearly Wage Ranking

$87,987 Average Wage

In 2023, Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products earned an average of $87,987.

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, Except Technical and Scientific Products.

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

Employment Growth Projections

-0.3% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)

531,120 Projected Employment (5 years)

Projected growth: -1.3%

524,271 Projected Employment (10 years)

Projected growth: -2.6%

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, Except Technical and Scientific Products.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except 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, Except Technical and Scientific Products employed by various industries.

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

Wage Trends by Industry

-2.5% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate

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

Geographic Distribution

Employment and wage information by geographic location for Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except 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: 123,260 employees, $88,485 avg wage

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

Top Metropolitan Areas

Top Metropolitan Areas:

  • Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 40,450 employees, $82,891 avg wage
  • Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 17,170 employees, $86,248 avg wage
  • Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 12,380 employees, $80,001 avg wage
  • San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 9,250 employees, $86,883 avg wage
  • Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 8,780 employees, $99,769 avg wage
  • San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 6,660 employees, $117,763 avg wage
  • Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 5,560 employees, $84,889 avg wage
  • San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 4,740 employees, $115,245 avg wage
  • Fresno MSA: 2,870 employees, $82,261 avg wage
  • Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 2,750 employees, $86,597 avg wage

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

Diversity

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

Gender and Age

The workforce of Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products in 2023 was 1,266,860 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.

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

Education & Skills

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

Majors

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

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

Education Levels

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

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

Skills

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

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

Knowledge & Abilities

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

Knowledge Areas

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

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

Abilities

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

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

Work Activities

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

Daily Activities

Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products spend their time on activities such as Selling or Influencing Others, Getting Information, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships.

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

About

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

The average yearly wage for Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products was $87,987 in 2023.

SOC Code

41-4012 - Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products

Insights and Analysis

Compensation snapshot: Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products reports an average salary of $87,987.

Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 1,266,860 workers, indicating sustained demand.

Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -0.3%, 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.