Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
This question is about sales representative salaries and sales representative jobs.
What is a sales representative's salary?
The salary of a sales rep can vary greatly depending on the type of sales rep and the commission structure of the position. Keep in mind that 17% of sales rep positions do not have a commission-based pay structure, rather what you earn as your hourly rate.
However, over 35% of sales rep positions do pay both an hourly rate and a commission. About 17% use a base plus commission plus bonus plan (i.e., best case scenario - base pay plus opportunity to make money).
While 14% of companies use a draw against commission (i.e., pay is based on an advance payment), and 10% of commissioned sales rep positions use straight commission (no base rate, just commission).
The typical commission rate for sales starts at about 5%, which usually applies to sales teams that have a generous base pay. The average in sales, though, is usually between 20-30%.
What is then a good commission rate for sales? Some companies offer as much as 40-50% commission. However, these are typically sales reps that require more technical skills and knowledge, plus have a compensation structure that relies more heavily on commission.
How competitive your commission, though, depends largely on what industry your company works in. According to the BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey, the 2019 sales commission averages for industries are:
Engineering: $112,780 per year
Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services: $93,090 per year
Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products: $92,980 per year
Insurance: $67,780 per year
Advertising: $64,660 per year
Real Estate: $62,060 per year
Retail: $29,360 per year
Choose from 10+ customizable resume templates
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
