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The differences between commercial sales associates and executive sales representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a commercial sales associate, becoming an executive sales representative takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an executive sales representative has an average salary of $78,858, which is higher than the $55,859 average annual salary of a commercial sales associate.
The top three skills for a commercial sales associate include cash handling, financial statements and treasury. The most important skills for an executive sales representative are patients, product knowledge, and oncology.
| Commercial Sales Associate | Executive Sales Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $55,859 | $78,858 |
| Hourly rate | $26.86 | $37.91 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 261,436 | 226,902 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
A commercial sales associate specializes in representing a company to offer products and services to businesses and organizations, ensuring efficiency and client satisfaction. Their responsibilities include performing research and analysis to identify business and client opportunities, pursuing leads, reaching out through calls and correspondence, arranging appointments, explaining or demonstrating products, and negotiating contracts. Aside from securing sales with businesses, a commercial sales associate must also perform clerical tasks such as producing progress reports and presentations, arranging schedules, and maintaining records of all transactions, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
An executive sales representative researches and recommends business opportunities. They analyze sales alternatives and help build business relations with clients and prospects. They must keep updated on business trends and potential competitors to best recommend new product ideas. They must be open-minded, risk-takers, adaptive, and innovative to be able to develop successful marketing strategies. It is also necessary for them to be highly skilled at business analysis to distinguish selling opportunities and create an immediate action plan.
Commercial sales associates and executive sales representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Commercial Sales Associate | Executive Sales Representative | |
| Average salary | $55,859 | $78,858 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $111,000 | Between $48,000 And $128,000 |
| Highest paying City | Glen Cove, NY | - |
| Highest paying state | Maine | - |
| Best paying company | AstraZeneca | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a commercial sales associate and an executive sales representative in terms of educational background:
| Commercial Sales Associate | Executive Sales Representative | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | SUNY College of Technology at Alfred | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between commercial sales associates' and executive sales representatives' demographics:
| Commercial Sales Associate | Executive Sales Representative | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 71.0% Female, 29.0% | Male, 53.7% Female, 46.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.9% 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, 3.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |