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Wholesale Distribution
Grainger, Fastenal, HD Supply
Home / All Jobs / Business / Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products
This job sells products like equipment, supplies, or materials to business buyers rather than individual shoppers. Reps spend a lot of time explaining features, prices, delivery terms, and credit options, then following up when orders hit a snag. The tension in the role is that success depends on both relationship-building and hard-nosed negotiation, often under pressure to close deals without giving away too much margin.
Also known as Sales RepresentativeWholesale Sales RepresentativeManufacturing Sales RepresentativeTerritory Sales RepresentativeOutside Sales Representative
Median Salary
$66,780
Mean $81,470
U.S. Workforce
~1.3M
114.8K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+0.3%
1310.5K to 1314.9K
Entry Education
High school diploma or equivalent
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products sits in the Business category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~1.3M workers, with a median annual pay of $66,780 and roughly 114.8K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 1310.5 K in 2024 to 1314.9K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with High school diploma or GED, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Inside Sales Representative and can progress toward Sales Manager. High-value skills usually include Salesforce, HubSpot & CRM Platforms, Microsoft Excel & Sales Forecasting, and CPQ, Quote-to-Cash & Order Entry Systems, paired with soft skills such as Active Listening, Speaking, and Negotiation.
Core Responsibilities
- Answer customer questions about products, pricing, stock availability, and payment terms.
- Reach out to current and potential buyers to introduce products, explain what they do, and ask for orders.
- Negotiate prices, discounts, warranties, and delivery schedules.
- Stay in touch after a sale to solve problems, handle complaints, and encourage repeat business.
Keep exploring: more Business careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Answer customer questions about products, pricing, stock availability, and payment terms.
02 Reach out to current and potential buyers to introduce products, explain what they do, and ask for orders.
03 Negotiate prices, discounts, warranties, and delivery schedules.
04 Stay in touch after a sale to solve problems, handle complaints, and encourage repeat business.
05 Find new leads through business directories, referrals, trade shows, clubs, and industry events.
06 Watch competitor offers and market changes, then prepare quotes, contracts, order forms, sample kits, and catalogs.
Industries That Hire
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Industrial Equipment Manufacturing
Caterpillar, Ingersoll Rand, Stanley Black & Decker
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Electrical & Automation Manufacturing
Honeywell, Schneider Electric, Siemens
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Building Products
Sherwin-Williams, Owens Corning, Masco
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Consumer Packaged Goods Manufacturing
PepsiCo, Nestlé, General Mills
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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You can usually enter the field with a high school diploma, and BLS says no prior work experience is typically required.
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Pay is decent for the barrier to entry: the median is $66,780 and the mean is $81,470.
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There are a lot of openings, with 114.8K annual openings projected.
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The work is varied, combining prospecting, product demos, pricing, and follow-up instead of the same task all day.
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The skills you build in this role can carry into account management, purchasing, and sales leadership.
Challenges
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Growth is basically flat, at just 0.3% through 2034, so the field is not expanding fast.
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Even with a solid mean salary of $81,470, earnings can be uneven because results often depend on deals closing.
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You will spend a lot of time hearing no, chasing leads, and following up on prospects who do not buy.
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Routine quoting, order entry, and product information can be pushed into CRM systems and online purchasing portals, which can compress lower-level sales work.
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The job is exposed to industry swings; if manufacturing, construction, or distribution slows, quotas get harder to hit.
Career Progression
Inside Sales Representative
0-2 years
$42K-$58K
Handles inbound questions, prepares quotes, and supports field reps while learning the product line and customer base.
Wholesale and Manufacturing Sales Representative
2-6 years
$62K-$88K
Manages accounts, pitches products, negotiates terms, and keeps deals moving from first contact through order entry.
Senior Sales Representative THIS ROLE
6-10 years
$88K-$125K
Works larger or harder-to-win accounts, handles more complex pricing, and often mentors newer reps.
Sales Manager
10+ years
$125K-$170K
Leads a team or territory, sets sales targets, reviews performance, and helps shape pricing and account strategy.
Education Paths
High school diploma or GED
BLS lists this as the typical entry point, and the job is usually learned through moderate-term on-the-job training rather than a long formal degree program.
Some college courses
This is the most common O*NET education level, held by 14.18% of workers in this role.
Associate's degree in business, sales, or marketing
A smaller share of workers, 3.96%, report this level, so it can help but is not required.
Sales certification or employer training
This is a realistic alternative for candidates who can show product knowledge, prospecting ability, and comfort with customer conversations.
Key Skills
Technical
Salesforce, HubSpot & CRM Platforms 82%
Microsoft Excel & Sales Forecasting 78%
CPQ, Quote-to-Cash & Order Entry Systems 75%
ERP & Inventory Lookup Systems 72%
Trade Show Lead Capture & Prospecting Databases 68%
Soft Skills
Active ListeningSpeakingNegotiationPersuasionSocial PerceptivenessCritical Thinking Job Outlook and Trends
+0.3%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
114.8K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 1310.5K to 1314.9 K over the next decade, representing 0.3% growth. Around 114.8 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Moderate. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.