Area sales representative vs sales development representative

The differences between area sales representatives and sales development representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an area sales representative and a sales development representative. Additionally, an area sales representative has an average salary of $58,355, which is higher than the $51,504 average annual salary of a sales development representative.

The top three skills for an area sales representative include customer service, business development and sales process. The most important skills for a sales development representative are SDR, lead generation, and customer service.

Area sales representative vs sales development representative overview

	Area Sales Representative	Sales Development Representative
Yearly salary	$58,355	$51,504
Hourly rate	$28.06	$24.76
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	199,212	199,588
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 83%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	4	4

What does an area sales representative do?

The primary role of an area sales representative is to sell the company's products and services within a specified region or territory. You will be responsible for attracting new clients, increase profitability, and win new accounts. Other duties typically include building and maintaining relationships with both new and existing customers, traveling across the region to visit customers, and maintaining records of customer accounts and sales leads. As an area sales representative, it is also your duty to close deals and negotiate service agreements, prices, and terms of sale.

What does a sales development representative do?

A sales development representative qualifies leads at the sales funnel's initial stages. Sales development representatives need to conduct research for prospective clients and qualify the leads before handing them to the sales team. They develop sales strategies to attract buyers or solicit potential customers. They need to build relationships with their customers to determine their needs and qualify the viability of interests to drive sales. Also, they collaborate with the sales executives making certain that corporate targets and goals are met.

Area sales representative vs sales development representative salary

Area sales representatives and sales development representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Area Sales Representative	Sales Development Representative
Average salary	$58,355	$51,504
Salary range	Between $42,000 And $80,000	Between $34,000 And $77,000
Highest paying City	Syracuse, NY	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	Maine	Alaska
Best paying company	Microsoft	PitchBook Data
Best paying industry	Finance	Start-up

Differences between area sales representative and sales development representative education

There are a few differences between an area sales representative and a sales development representative in terms of educational background:

	Area Sales Representative	Sales Development Representative
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 83%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred	University of Pennsylvania

Area sales representative vs sales development representative demographics

Here are the differences between area sales representatives' and sales development representatives' demographics:

	Area Sales Representative	Sales Development Representative
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 66.0% Female, 34.0%	Male, 63.1% Female, 36.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between area sales representative and sales development representative duties and responsibilities

Area sales representative example responsibilities.

Manage and create all content distribute via various social media outlets: Facebook, twitter, feedback blogs, etc.
Create wholesale catalog using Powerpoint and PDF.
Add and update customer information in Seibel CRM application.
Schedule monthly sales, change POS, acquire extra sales/floor space.
Increase sales and product visibility by placing POS material and encouraging promotion participation within accounts.
Execute weekly on premise promotions and off-site special events that generate brand awareness, increase distribution and additional sales.

Sales development representative example responsibilities.

Manage organization website and Facebook page; writing articles for websites and newsletters.
Develop social media strategies for Facebook, LinkedIn, and emerging social networks, generating leads.
Manage individual sales activities by developing highly effective, communications focuse relationship with multiple sales channels.
supply chain management and procurement software (SaaS).
Handle customer service inquiries, returns, and RMA exchanges.
Develop a strong knowledge of SaaS sales techniques and lead management/generation.

Area sales representative vs sales development representative skills

Common area sales representative skills

Customer Service, 24%
Business Development, 17%
Sales Process, 15%
Customer Relations, 7%
Product Knowledge, 4%
Territory Sales, 3%

Common sales development representative skills

SDR, 11%
Lead Generation, 6%
Customer Service, 6%
Account Executives, 5%
Linkedin, 5%
Outbound Calls, 4%

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Area Sales Representative
Area Sales Representative vs Sales Development Representative

Updated January 8, 2025

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