Research Summary. Using a combination of public government and company data as well as data gathered from thousands of job postings, the Zippia data team has created average salary estimates for jobs across the US. Using that data set, the team has identified the types of representatives that are the highest paid based on their average annual salaries.
Here is a summary of our findings for the highest-paying types of representatives:
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Business Representative is the highest-paid type of representative with an average salary of $51,604 and an average hourly rate of $24.81.
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The second highest-paying type of representative is field representative, with an average salary of $43,321.
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The average representative salary is $36,023 per year, and the average hourly pay is $17.32.
Table Of Contents: Background | Table | Methodology | FAQs
Background
Choosing a career path can be difficult, and while pay shouldn’t be the only thing you consider in your decision, it is a significant factor. So if you’d like to work as a representative, it helps to have an idea of what the highest-paid types of representatives are so that you can plan your career progression.
Here are the top salaries for different types of representatives:
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Business Representative
Average Salary: $51,604
Typically working as a member of a company’s sales team, a business representative offers products and services to customers through appointments or calls and correspondence, securing sales and customer satisfaction. Among their responsibilities include answering inquiries, processing payments, assisting clients in filling out forms, negotiating contracts, developing sales strategies, researching new business and client opportunities, and producing sales reports. Furthermore, as a business representative, it is essential to have a great understanding of the company’s vision and mission, including its policies and regulations.
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Field Representative
Average Salary: $43,321
The primary role of field marketing representatives is to drive brand awareness through face-to-face customer interaction. They are the liaisons between sellers and buyers, providing vital information on products and services. To drive sales, they typically promote human relations via communication and distribution of marketing collateral. They design, implement, and execute field marketing campaigns. Other responsibilities of a field marketing representative include negotiating with retailers, promoting business expansion opportunities to merchants and retailers, and attending relevant trade events.
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Phone Representative
Average Salary: $42,827
A phone representative answers customer calls, complaints, and inquiries professionally. They handle and resolve customer complaints related to its services/products and product/service sales. Besides processing applications, orders, and forms requested by customers, phone representatives also update customers about the products/services information. These professionals record customer complaints, inquiries, feedback, and actions taken. They develop and maintain mutually beneficial and professional relationships with each customer. Moreover, they create and maintain cordial relationships with all new customers.
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Client Representative
Average Salary: $41,785
Client Representatives are professionals who work on behalf of their clients. They coordinate with external parties with which their clients are involved. They represent their clients during meetings and appointments when their clients are not available. Client Representatives should have a background related to the business that their clients are involved in. This would help them catch up with conversations. They are expected to act as if they are the client themselves. They must act within the client’s best interest at all times. As such, they should be familiar with their clients’ interests and needs.
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Customer Sales Representative
Average Salary: $38,744
The primary role of customer service representatives is to help customers with questions and complaints. It is also their duties and responsibilities to provide customers with information about services and products, take and process orders, and process returns and modifications. They also store records of customer transactions and interactions and provide feedback on customer service efficacy. Customer service representatives must also ensure that they can give customer satisfaction and offer the best professional support.
Below is a full table of the average pay for various representative that pay the most followed by a more detailed explanation of our methodology.
Highest-Paying Types Of Representatives
Methodology
Zippia uses publicly published information from government sources such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Foreign Labor Certification Data Center (FLC), and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to create its salary estimates.
Our data science team also checks job postings and company-published resources for additional up-to-date salary information for representatives.
Once they’ve gathered the data, the team calculates a weighted average for each job title they’re estimating a salary for. For more details on our salary estimates, you can read the detailed methodology.
Highest-Paying Types Of Representative Jobs FAQs
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What is the highest-paid representative job?
The highest-paid representative job is a business representative. Business Representatives earn an average salary of $51,604, which is $ 24.81 hourly.
Typically working as a member of a company’s sales team, a business representative offers products and services to customers through appointments or calls and correspondence, securing sales and customer satisfaction. Among their responsibilities include answering inquiries, processing payments, assisting clients in filling out forms, negotiating contracts, developing sales strategies, researching new business and client opportunities, and producing sales reports. Furthermore, as a business representative, it is essential to have a great understanding of the company’s vision and mission, including its policies and regulations.
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What is a good salary for a representative?
A good salary for a representative is $36,023 or more. The average representative salary is $36,023, so those making at least $36,023 are earning above-average paychecks.
Keep in mind, however, that the average representative salary does fluctuate based on location, as companies will adjust their pay scales based on the cost of living in that area. Research what the average salary is in your area for someone of your expertise and experience level to get a more accurate view on how well you’re being paid.
In addition, if you’re just starting your career as a representative, the average entry level salary is $21,831, so don’t base your opinion of your salary on the $36,023 average, as this includes all representatives of all skill and experience levels.
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Do Representative jobs pay well?
No, representative jobs don’t pay well. As in any industry, some representative jobs pay better than others, but the average representative salary of $36,023 is times the average national salary of about $44,225 per year.
In addition to this, many representative jobs have high earning potential, with the top 10% of representatives earning $56,299 a year on average.
Representatives’ salaries will fluctuate based on their experience level, industry, and location, so pay attention to these factors when you’re looking for a job as a representative. Do your research on the going rate for a representative in your area with your expertise, and don’t be afraid to negotiate your salary based on that information.
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Where do representatives get paid the most?
Representatives get paid the most in Pennsylvania. In Pennsylvania, representatives earn an average annual salary of $47,319 and an average hourly wage of $22.75.
Following PA, the states with the highest-paid representatives are New Jersey, Rhode Island, and New York, with average annual salaries of $50,276, $46,818, and $56,253 respectively.
The cities with the highest-paid representative salaries are:
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Washington, DC – $63,166
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New York, NY – $56,478
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Boston, MA – $51,222
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Author
Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.
