The 10 highest-paying sales jobs
Shutterstock // Ground Picture
The 10 highest-paying sales jobs
Three smiling businesspeople looking at the laptop on a table in an office.
Sales jobs exist across industries and experience levels, from retail to sophisticated equipment manufacturing.
From sales associates who actively seek out potential customers to sales executives who lead teams and shape an organization’s sales strategy, the broad scope of sales as a profession attracts workers with a wide range of skills and interests. It’s worth noting that even positions like real estate agents are functionally sales roles. Could you have a future in sales? Xactly used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to identify the highest-paying sales jobs.
When people think of sales, they tend to think of business-to-consumer professions, where sales representatives work to sell goods to the general public—that includes everything from products like smartphones and refrigerators to services such as music streaming or cloud storage. Consumer preferences drive sales, and the sales cycle in B2C marketing is often short.
Sales professionals actually fall into three categories: B2C, business-to-business, and business-to-government. In B2B marketing, the end customer is another business. Sales professionals must be well-versed in the end-user’s business needs and operational constraints to sell them goods and services. B2B marketing often has longer sales cycles.
In B2G, the end customer is the government. Sales professionals in B2G marketing must work within complex bureaucratic structures at the local, state, and federal levels, often participating in lengthy bidding processes for contracts to sell goods and services to the government. For example, defense contractors that supply weapons to the U.S. and allied armed forces often engage in B2G sales. This job requires awareness of the sector’s requirements and the political landscape.
Driven by the rise of social media, some content creators have also become salespeople. Known as influencer marketing, brands offer payment and free products or services to influencers with substantial followings in exchange for a mention or review of the product or service. An influencer’s well-placed product can be more effective than traditional marketing.
Transitioning from an entry-level sales position to a higher-paying one requires varied skills, including communication, time management, emotional intelligence, negotiation, and strategic thinking. An extensive network that helps with leads and referrals helps, too. Keep reading to find out which 10 sales roles have the highest salaries.
Shutterstock // Gorodenkoff
#10. Real estate brokers and sales agents
A real estate agent standing in an empty space with glass large windows, tablet in his hand, gesturing upward while a young couple looks on eagerly.
– Annual median wage: $56,620 ($27.22 per hour)
– Nationwide employment: 249,080
Real estate brokers and sales agents play a crucial role in selling homes and other forms of property. They advise both purchasers and sellers of properties on optimal pricing, help clients find a suitable fit, prepare contracts, and promote sale properties through various means, including open houses.
Generally, becoming a licensed real estate agent requires a high school diploma and a state-specific licensing exam. Brokers typically need additional experience and education.
Shutterstock // Ground Picture
#9. Insurance sales agents
A middle-aged smiling couple sits on a couch across from a woman, who is shaking hands with the man.
– Annual median wage: $59,080 ($28.40 per hour)
– Nationwide employment: 457,510
Insurance agents are critical in linking clients with appropriate coverage. They promote new insurance products and tailor existing plans to client needs. Through networking, cold calling, and referrals, they build relationships with potential customers, assess their risk profiles, and recommend suitable insurance options, all while maintaining customer confidentiality.
A high school diploma is the minimum educational requirement for most insurance agent positions. However, employers often favor candidates with a bachelor’s degree, and licensure in the relevant state is mandatory.
Shutterstock // PeopleImages.com – Yuri A
#8. Advertising sales agents
Five people sit at a conference table with their attention to a man standing in front of a white board, holding a marker, and talking to the group.
– Annual median wage: $61,270 ($29.46 per hour)
– Nationwide employment: 108,100
Advertising sales agents sell advertising services and spaces to clients. This B2B sales role involves researching client needs, competitor offerings, and market trends to develop targeted business advertising proposals. Entry-level advertising sales roles are usually open to those with a high school diploma, but a bachelor’s degree makes applicants more attractive.
Shutterstock // Friends Stock
#7. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
A young, smiling man sitting at the desk while holding a phone to his ear and looking at a laptop.
– Annual median wage: $64,600 ($31.06 per hour)
– Nationwide employment: 1.1 million
Service sales representatives answer customer inquiries about services, pricing, and availability. They cultivate relationships with prospective clients and demonstrate how specific services can address their unique needs.
A high school diploma is a requirement for a service sales representative. Familiarity with office software and customer relationship management tools like Salesforce, along with previous experiences, can strengthen one’s candidature for the position.
Shutterstock // Dmytro Zinkevych
#6. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
Two men wearing helmets shaking hands while meeting each other in a warehouse.
– Annual median wage: $65,630 ($31.56 per hour)
– Nationwide employment: 1.3 million
This role entails working with customers to sell them products tailored to their requirements, giving estimates of prices, communicating contract terms, and informing clients of warranties and delivery dates. It also includes keeping in touch with clients after the sale is finalized to provide support.
Most employers require a four-year bachelor’s degree or vocational training for sales reps. Sales reps must also be knowledgeable about the products they sell.
Shutterstock // Zivica Kerkez
#5. Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents
A man writes on a piece of paper while sitting next to two women at a table.
– Annual median wage: $76,900 ($36.97 per hour)
– Nationwide employment: 479,630
Financial sales agents play a key role in financial markets, connecting buyers and sellers of financial instruments. They generally work over 40 hours per week. A bachelor’s degree is a requirement for aspiring financial sales agents, but an MBA can unlock opportunities for advancement in this field.
Shutterstock // fizkes
#4. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
A woman sitting at the front of the table in a conference room looking at a group of people in front of her.
– Annual median wage: $84,570 ($40.66 per hour)
– Nationwide employment: 227,150
First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers oversee and coordinate the activities of non-retail sales personnel. Their responsibilities may encompass budgeting, accounting, human resource functions, and core supervisory duties. Typical requirements for this job include a high school diploma and experience in a related profession.
Shutterstock // Ground Picture
#3. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
A man in a suit with a tablet talking to a doctor.
– Annual median wage: $99,710 ($47.94 per hour)
– Nationwide employment: 311,780
Salespeople in this profession must have substantial technical or scientific knowledge about the products they sell to clients on behalf of wholesalers or manufacturers. At least two years of education in a vocational school or a bachelor’s degree is necessary to develop the technical knowledge for the job.
Shutterstock // imtmphoto
#2. Sales engineers
A young man putting an adhesive note on glass while three people also look at the glass board.
– Annual median wage: $116,950 ($56.23 per hour)
– Nationwide employment: 59,340
Sales engineers combine technical knowledge with the skills necessary for selling products. They collaborate with sales teams and the client’s engineers to help them understand a complex product or service. Sales engineers typically enter the job with a bachelor’s degree in engineering or another related STEM major. They also need to have strong interpersonal communication skills.
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#1. Sales managers
A woman stands in front of a white board facing two people in an office.
– Annual median wage: $135,160 ($64.98 per hour)
– Nationwide employment: 575,880
A sales manager implements strategic sales plans to increase a company’s customer base and achieve growth targets. They recruit, train, and supervise sales representatives and provide upper management with sales reports, revenue forecasts, and competitor analysis. The job often requires regular travel. Sales managers typically possess a bachelor’s degree and have worked in junior sales roles.
Story editing by Alizah Salario. Copy editing by Kristen Wegrzyn. Photo selection by Ania Antecka.
This story originally appeared on Xactly and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
