What Does a Sales Specialist Do?
While a catalog lists what a manufacturer makes, buyers still want someone who knows which product fits their shelves, budget and customers. Sales specialists fill that gap, selling a wholesaler's or manufacturer's goods to retailers, businesses and institutions and looking after those accounts over time. Many earn salary plus commission.
Other Job Titles for This Work
Workers in this occupation report titles such as Account Representative, Customer Account Technician, Inside Salesperson, Outside Sales Representative, Route Sales Representative, Sales Consultant, Sales Professional, Sales Representative (Sales Rep).
Sales Specialist Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of a sales specialist include:
- Call on retailers, distributors and business buyers to present products and take orders.
- Prospect for new accounts through trade shows, referrals and cold calls in an assigned territory.
- Prepare quotes, price sheets and samples tailored to each buyer's volume and needs.
- Negotiate prices, delivery terms and promotional support within company guidelines.
- Follow up on orders with warehouse and shipping staff so deliveries arrive on time.
- Log calls, orders and forecasts in the CRM so managers can track each account.
- Set up product displays and train store staff on features and selling points.
- Resolve billing errors, damaged shipments and returns quickly to protect the relationship.
- Study competitors' prices and products and report what customers are asking for.
- Plan weekly routes and visit schedules to cover the territory efficiently.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as a sales specialist, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Product knowledge and clear demonstrations
- CRM tools such as Salesforce
- Negotiation and closing
- Prospecting and cold calling
- Excel for quotes and forecasts
- Self-management on the road
- Follow-through on customer problems
- Valid driver's license
Education and Training
Most sales specialists learn the product line through on-the-job training, but some start out by working in customer service or warehouse roles for the same company. Many employers prefer a bachelor's degree. A driver's license is usually needed for territory work.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: $50,470 - $99,640 per year, with a median of $72,080.
The range covers the middle half of earners nationwide. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products.
According to BLS, employment of wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives outside technical and scientific products is projected to dip about 1 percent in the decade ending in 2035. The group is large, and it should still see roughly 99,800 openings a year as reps retire or change jobs. Reps who can sell online and by video as well as in person tend to keep the best accounts.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products.
Sales Specialist Pay Range
| Earners | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $39,090 |
| Bottom 25% earn less than | $50,470 |
| Median (half earn more, half less) | $72,080 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $99,640 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $137,550 |
Highest-Paying States for Sales Specialists
The states with the highest median pay for this occupation are Rhode Island ($82,420), District of Columbia ($80,010), Washington ($79,830), Massachusetts ($79,810), New York ($79,590). Pay is lowest in Hawaii ($59,010), Alaska ($56,830), Arkansas ($55,120).
Median pay in all 51 states with BLS data
| State | Median annual pay |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $64,140 |
| Alaska | $56,830 |
| Arizona | $72,390 |
| Arkansas | $55,120 |
| California | $76,490 |
| Colorado | $79,250 |
| Connecticut | $75,570 |
| Delaware | $62,280 |
| District of Columbia | $80,010 |
| Florida | $62,490 |
| Georgia | $63,860 |
| Hawaii | $59,010 |
| Idaho | $64,840 |
| Illinois | $73,510 |
| Indiana | $71,330 |
| Iowa | $66,760 |
| Kansas | $68,960 |
| Kentucky | $64,280 |
| Louisiana | $63,290 |
| Maine | $63,960 |
| Maryland | $73,080 |
| Massachusetts | $79,810 |
| Michigan | $72,980 |
| Minnesota | $76,750 |
| Mississippi | $59,320 |
| Missouri | $61,940 |
| Montana | $61,670 |
| Nebraska | $64,030 |
| Nevada | $68,150 |
| New Hampshire | $72,790 |
| New Jersey | $79,410 |
| New Mexico | $61,320 |
| New York | $79,590 |
| North Carolina | $70,990 |
| North Dakota | $74,250 |
| Ohio | $73,960 |
| Oklahoma | $62,160 |
| Oregon | $74,180 |
| Pennsylvania | $66,130 |
| Rhode Island | $82,420 |
| South Carolina | $64,250 |
| South Dakota | $77,210 |
| Tennessee | $61,630 |
| Texas | $65,970 |
| Utah | $61,980 |
| Vermont | $76,840 |
| Virginia | $63,400 |
| Washington | $79,830 |
| West Virginia | $63,560 |
| Wisconsin | $65,930 |
| Wyoming | $72,530 |
What the Work Is Like
O*NET surveys people who work as sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products about their daily conditions. Of those surveyed:
- 100% are on the phone every day
- 99% say teamwork is very or extremely important in their job
- 80% use email every day
- 75% say being exact and accurate is very or extremely important
- 72% work indoors in a climate-controlled space every day
- 66% usually work more than 40 hours a week
- 50% spend more than half the workday sitting
Education Workers Say the Job Needs
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Some college | 14% |
Tools and Software Sales Specialists Use
Tools and equipment
Software
Is This Job a Good Fit for You?
People who do well in this job tend to enjoy leading, persuading and making business decisions as well as organized work with data, records and clear procedures.
Skills O*NET rates most important: Active Listening, Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, Persuasion, Negotiation, Critical Thinking.
Knowledge areas used most: Sales and Marketing, Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Mathematics, Transportation.
Preparation: O*NET places this occupation in Job Zone 4 of 5, which means considerable preparation.
Related Careers
These jobs use similar skills, according to O*NET's related-occupation data:
Applying for a Sales Specialist Job
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Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
- O*NET 30.1 Database, occupation 41-4012.00 (Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products). View on O*NET OnLine.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. The Job Explorer has modified some of the information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these changes.