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The differences between business development executives and representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 8-10 years to become a business development executive, becoming a representative takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a business development executive has an average salary of $97,871, which is higher than the $36,023 average annual salary of a representative.
The top three skills for a business development executive include business development, digital transformation and customer service. The most important skills for a representative are cleanliness, patients, and customer issues.
| Business Development Executive | Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $97,871 | $36,023 |
| Hourly rate | $47.05 | $17.32 |
| Growth rate | 10% | -4% |
| Number of jobs | 189,950 | 252,761 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Average age | 39 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 12 |
A business development executive serves as a senior manager who drives company sales. Business development executives convince existing clients to buy more offerings and also source new clients. The focus of their job is on lead generation, prospect management, and customer acquisition. They collaborate with management in terms of sales objectives, planning, and prediction. The skills necessary for this job include customer service and relations, time management, strong written communication, and sales process experience.
Representatives are lawmakers who represent the people in a specific district. They run for office to represent their districts in their hometown or their current place of living. Representatives are usually charismatic and good communicators. These characteristics are especially important during campaign and election periods. Representatives should be able to capture the hearts of the voters through their planned projects and advocacies. They are then elected by their constituents. Upon election, representatives author bills that will eventually be passed into law should it be approved by the majority of the congress. They also vote on the passage of bills authored by other representatives. They also participate in discussions and debates regarding different bills, issues, and laws. Representatives are expected to vote according to their conscience and in consideration of the voice of their constituents.
Business development executives and representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Business Development Executive | Representative | |
| Average salary | $97,871 | $36,023 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $149,000 | Between $23,000 And $55,000 |
| Highest paying City | Phoenix, AZ | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Arizona | New York |
| Best paying company | Clifford Chance | |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a business development executive and a representative in terms of educational background:
| Business Development Executive | Representative | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | - |
Here are the differences between business development executives' and representatives' demographics:
| Business Development Executive | Representative | |
| Average age | 39 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.8% Female, 36.2% | Male, 41.8% Female, 58.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 20.9% Asian, 7.5% White, 54.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 7% |