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Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products

Typical education: Certificate or apprenticeshipHigh pressure

What they do

Sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers where technical or scientific knowledge is required in such areas as biology, engineering, chemistry, and electronics, normally obtained from at least 2 years of postsecondary education.

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.

High 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 $104,920 Median per year · $50.44/hr Most earn $52,600–$200,440

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Advise customers on product usage to improve production.
  • Sell service contracts for technical or scientific products.
  • Contact new or existing customers to discuss how specific products or services can meet their needs.
  • Complete expense reports, sales reports, or other paperwork.
  • Compute customer's installation or production costs and estimate savings from new services, products, or equipment.
  • Select or assist customers in selecting products based on customer needs, product specifications, and applicable regulations.

Job outlook

United States
1% more jobs by 2035, slower than average · about 23,600 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

  • Professional and commercial equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers29.4%
  • Merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods19.0%
  • Computer systems design and related services7.3%
  • Wholesale trade agents and brokers5.4%
  • Merchant wholesalers, durable goods4.4%

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: Certificate or apprenticeshipExperience before this job: 2 to 4 years

You can often start this job after a certificate, apprenticeship, or about two years of technical training, but most people first spend 2 to 4 years in a related entry-level sales role to learn the products and customers. Expect the full path to take roughly 3 to 6 years from finishing school. For typical pay near you and nationally, check this career's page in the app.

  1. High school diploma plus a technical certificate, apprenticeship, or associate degree in a science or engineering field

    1-2 years

    Training in areas like chemistry, biology, electronics, or engineering gives you the technical knowledge that technical sales employers look for.

  2. Inside Sales Representative

    2-4 years

    You take orders, answer product questions, and follow up with customers by phone or email, which teaches you the products and how buyers make decisions.

  3. Sales Representative, Technical and Scientific Products

    Ongoing

    You sell technical or scientific products to wholesalers or manufacturers, using your product knowledge to explain how they solve customers' problems.

Where it can lead

  1. Sales Engineer

    3-5 years of experience first

    You combine sales with deeper technical work, helping customers design solutions and specifying products, which usually calls for a bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.

  2. First-Line Supervisor of Non-Retail Sales Workers

    4-6 years of experience first

    You lead a team of sales reps, set targets, coach people, and manage accounts, which requires strong sales results and leadership skills.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take chemistry, biology, physics, and mathStrong science and math classes give you the technical vocabulary and confidence that technical sales employers expect.
  • Take a speech, debate, or public speaking classExplaining complicated ideas clearly to others is a core part of selling technical products.
  • Join a business, marketing, or science club at schoolClub roles like treasurer or event organizer give you real practice with planning, presenting, and working with a team.
  • Get a part-time job in retail or customer serviceHelping customers find the right product teaches you how to listen, ask good questions, and handle objections.
  • Enter a science fair or engineering projectPresenting your project to judges gives you experience explaining technical work to people who may not be experts.

In college

  • Major in a technical field such as chemistry, biology, engineering technology, or electronicsA technical major gives you the product knowledge that technical sales employers look for, and this career's education range starts at about two years of postsecondary training.
  • Complete an internship at a manufacturer, distributor, or lab supplierSeeing how technical products are bought, sold, and used helps you decide whether this path is right for you and gives you experience to list on applications.
  • Take a business, marketing, or professional communication courseCourses in sales, negotiation, or presenting help you learn how to build relationships and close deals.
  • Work a campus job that involves customers or salesJobs like campus bookstore, tutoring center, or admissions tour guide build the people skills and reliability employers want.
  • Earn a certification related to your technical fieldA recognized certificate in an area like electronics or lab technology shows employers you have verified technical skills.

Tips for getting started

  • Build strong science or technical knowledge now, because being able to explain a product clearly is what makes technical sales work stand out.
  • Get comfortable talking to people you don't know. Customer service jobs, speaking roles, and team projects all count as practice.
  • Look for internships or part-time jobs at manufacturers, distributors, or lab suppliers so you can see how products are bought and sold.

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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