Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
Bachelor's degree
None
Moderate-term on-the-job training
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
Discover metro markets where compensation, hiring demand, and long-term momentum align.
Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Sales representatives of wholesale and manufacturing technical and scientific products focus on selling specialized products to business customers. This career combines strong communication with technical understanding, as you help clients choose products that fit their needs. Nationally, there are about 303,000 people working in this occupation, reflecting a sizable professional community. The national median annual salary is $100,070, indicating strong earning potential for established workers. Employment is projected to grow by 1.9%, and there are about 27,000 annual openings, suggesting a steady flow of opportunities from both growth and turnover. A bachelor’s degree is the typical education level, supported by skills in speaking and listening, customer service, mathematics, problem solving, and technology. This path can appeal to people who enjoy building client relationships, explaining complex information clearly, and using analytical skills to support business decisions, with opportunities spread across many states and metro areas.
The national median annual salary for sales representatives of technical and scientific products is $100,070. Several states offer higher median pay, including Colorado at $135,000, New York at $129,410, Washington at $127,390, California at $124,220, and Massachusetts at $118,980. Among major metro areas, San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA stands out with a median salary of $167,630. The New York–Newark–Jersey City metro has a median salary of $133,690, and San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, CA offers $130,710. Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV and Boston–Cambridge–Newton, MA–NH also show median salaries above $120,000. These figures suggest that location can significantly influence earnings, with certain metros and states offering higher median salaries than the national midpoint. For career planning, comparing local salary levels to the national median can help you evaluate the financial potential of different regions.
This occupation employs about 303,000 people nationally, with projected employment growth of 1.9%. While the growth rate is modest, the field still offers approximately 27,000 annual openings. These openings reflect both new positions and opportunities created when workers change roles or leave the workforce. The combination of an existing large employment base and consistent annual openings indicates that job seekers may find opportunities in multiple locations and at different experience levels. The projected 1.9% growth is also reflected consistently in the top states and metros listed, which can help when comparing options across regions. For students and career changers, the presence of thousands of annual openings suggests that, with the typical bachelor’s degree and relevant skills, there are recurring chances to enter or advance within this field over time, even without rapid overall expansion.
Location plays an important role in opportunities for sales representatives of technical and scientific products. Among states, California, Massachusetts, New York, Colorado, and Washington stand out by CareerGPS opportunity score. California leads with an opportunity score of 67.38, a median salary of $124,220, and employment of 27,590. Massachusetts and New York both show opportunity scores above 65, with median salaries of $118,980 and $129,410, respectively. Colorado and Washington also offer six-figure median salaries and opportunity scores in the mid-50s. At the metro level, San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA and New York–Newark–Jersey City, NY–NJ have the highest opportunity scores, both above 77, with median salaries of $167,630 and $133,690. San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, CA, Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV, and Boston–Cambridge–Newton, MA–NH also feature strong scores and median pay above $120,000. These differences highlight that both salary and opportunity scores can vary meaningfully between regions.
The typical education level for sales representatives of technical and scientific products is a bachelor’s degree. This educational foundation supports the wide range of skills that are important in the role. Strong speaking and listening abilities and customer service skills are central for working with clients and building relationships. Mathematics, problem solving and decision making, and critical and analytical thinking help with understanding technical information and evaluating options. Writing and reading skills support clear communication and documentation, while interpersonal skills are valuable for collaborating with clients and colleagues. Project management skills contribute to organizing activities and handling multiple accounts or tasks. Creativity and innovation, combined with proficiency in computers and information technology, round out a versatile skill set. For students and career changers, focusing education and training on these areas can help align your background with the typical expectations for this occupation.
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