Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
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.
Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products 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. The role reports a median annual salary of $100,070 in the US and is showing modest growth of 2% over the next decade. Entry typically requires a Bachelor's degree, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.50 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include Persuasion, Speaking, Active Listening, Negotiation, Social Perceptiveness.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £37,924 a year for Business sales executives (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £30,244 to £52,105 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 3552). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
No official India pay figure for this career: it falls in more than one occupation group, and the Government of India's labour survey (PLFS) publishes pay only by occupation group.
3 open listings on our jobs board → Recent listings whose job title matches this career. Some jobs in this career are advertised under other titles.
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Customer and Personal Service
- Sales and Marketing
- English Language
- Administration and Management
- Mathematics
- Production and Processing
- Computers and Electronics
- Administrative
A day in the life
You start the day checking emails from customers, then review your schedule of visits to hospitals, laboratories or factories. At your first appointment you meet a lab manager to understand the equipment problems she faces and explain how your company's instruments could help, answering detailed technical questions. You quote prices and credit terms and promise a formal proposal. Next you visit an existing client to check that a recent installation is working well and listen to feedback. Over lunch in the car you update customer records. In the afternoon you negotiate terms for a large order, balancing price with service support, and then prepare the sales contract. Later you research a competitor's new product so you are ready for questions. Travel and sales targets can be demanding, but helping customers solve real problems with the right product is very rewarding.
Illustrative: one typical day, written from the O*NET task statements for this occupation. Real days vary by employer and seniority.
What you'd actually do
- Negotiate prices or terms of sales or service agreements.
- Prepare and submit sales contracts for orders.
- Visit establishments to evaluate needs or to promote product or service sales.
- Maintain customer records, using automated systems.
- Answer customers' questions about products, prices, availability, or credit terms.
- Quote prices, credit terms, or other bid specifications.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products 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.
What does a typical day look like in Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products?
You start the day checking emails from customers, then review your schedule of visits to hospitals, laboratories or factories. At your first appointment you meet a lab manager to understand the equipment problems she faces and explain how your company's instruments could help, answering detailed technical questions. You quote prices and credit terms and promise a formal proposal. Next you visit an existing client to check that a recent installation is working well and listen to feedback.
How much does Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products earn?
The median annual salary for Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products in the US is $100,070.
What is the job outlook for Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products?
The role is showing modest growth of 2% over the next decade. Current US employment is approximately 303,200 workers.
How do I become sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products?
The typical entry education is a Bachelor's degree. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Persuasion, Speaking, Active Listening, Negotiation, Social Perceptiveness, Reading Comprehension. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products?
Our AI-durability model gives Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products a score of 0.50 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products has moderate barrier to entry — moderately gated — a bachelor's degree or equivalent training is typically required.