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Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel

Typical education: High school diplomaModerate pressure Bright Outlook

What they do

Sell services to individuals or businesses. May describe options or resolve client problems.

Kinds of work

  • Enterprising: Leading, persuading, selling and starting new projects or businesses.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.
  • Social: Helping, teaching, caring for and supporting other people.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $69,990 Median per year · $33.65/hr Most earn $37,980–$148,840

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Answer customers' questions about services, prices, availability, or credit terms.
  • Maintain customer records using automated systems.
  • Compute and compare costs of services.
  • Create forms or agreements to complete sales.
  • Quote prices, credit terms, contract terms, or fulfillment dates for services.
  • Inform customers of contracts or other information pertaining to purchased services.

Job outlook

Bright Outlook Numerous Job Openings

United States
3% more jobs by 2035, about as fast as average · about 115,700 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Computer systems design and related services9.0%
  • Management, scientific, and technical consulting services6.6%
  • Electronics and appliance retailers6.2%
  • Telecommunications6.1%
  • Software publishers3.5%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: High school diplomaExperience before this job: 2 to 4 years

You can start in this field with a high school diploma, but people usually spend about 2 to 4 years in related customer-facing work first to build selling skills and confidence. It's a good fit if you enjoy talking with people and helping them find the right service.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Build communication, math, and computer skills, and get comfortable speaking with people, which every sales job depends on.

  2. Customer Service Representative

    1-2 years

    Answering questions and solving client problems teaches you how services are explained and how to keep customers happy, which is the core of service sales.

  3. Sales Representative of Services

    2-4 years of related experience before this job

    You now sell services to individuals or businesses, describe options, and resolve client problems while meeting sales goals.

Where it can lead

  1. Sales Manager

    4-6 years of experience first

    You move from selling yourself to leading a team, setting sales targets, and coaching other reps; many employers prefer a bachelor's degree for this step.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take a business or marketing classThese classes introduce how businesses sell products and services and how to write a basic sales pitch.
  • Join a speech, debate, or business clubSpeaking in front of others builds the confidence you need to talk with clients.
  • Get a part-time job with customersWorking a register, a food counter, or a front desk teaches you how to handle questions and tricky customer situations.
  • Volunteer for school or community fundraisersAsking people to support a cause gives you real practice persuading others in a low-pressure setting.

In college

  • Take courses in sales, marketing, or communicationsA business or communications major gives you a foundation in how customers make decisions and how to present services well.
  • Get a campus job in a customer-facing roleJobs like a campus information desk or admissions tour guide build the service and problem-solving experience employers look for.
  • Pursue a sales internship or summer sales jobHands-on selling shows you whether you enjoy the work and gives you experience to list on your resume.
  • Join a business or sales student organizationMeeting people in the field and practicing presentations can lead to networking and early job leads.
  • Learn basic customer softwareBeing comfortable with spreadsheets and customer-tracking tools helps you manage client follow-ups, a common part of service sales.

Tips for getting started

  • Look for part-time jobs where you talk with customers, such as retail, food service, or a box office, since that experience shows up on sales job applications.
  • Keep track of any results you get, like sales goals met or customers you helped keep, so you can point to them in future interviews.
  • Practice explaining a product or service to a friend in simple words; being clear and friendly is a big part of this job.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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