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How to hire a commercial sales associate

Commercial sales associate hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring commercial sales associates in the United States:

  • There are a total of 7,642 commercial sales associates in the US, and there are currently 261,436 job openings in this field.
  • The median cost to hire a commercial sales associate is $1,633.
  • Small businesses spend $1,105 per commercial sales associate on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • It takes approximately 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • HR departments typically allocate 15% of their budget towards recruitment efforts.
  • New York, NY, has the highest demand for commercial sales associates, with 11 job openings.

How to hire a commercial sales associate, step by step

To hire a commercial sales associate, you need to identify the specific skills and experience you want in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and advertise the job opening to attract potential candidates. To hire a commercial sales associate, you should follow these steps:

Here's a step-by-step commercial sales associate hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write a commercial sales associate job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new commercial sales associate
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a commercial sales associate do?

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.

Learn more about the specifics of what a commercial sales associate does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    First, determine the employments status of the commercial sales associate you need to hire. Certain commercial sales associate roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    A commercial sales associate's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, commercial sales associates from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

    This list presents commercial sales associate salaries for various positions.

    Type of Commercial Sales AssociateDescriptionHourly rate
    Commercial Sales AssociateWholesale and manufacturing sales representatives sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers to businesses, government agencies, and other organizations. They contact customers, explain product features, answer any questions that their customers may have, and negotiate prices.$13-53
    Outside SalesAn outside sales representative is responsible for generating the company's sales and revenues by offering goods and services to existing and potential clients, responding to the customers' inquiries and concerns about the products, and researching on possible leads. Outside sales representatives monitor the current industry trends to identify new business opportunities that would help the business adjust to market changes to achieve profitability goals... Show more$26-50
    Sales Support RepresentativeA sales support representative is responsible for assisting the complex operations of sales departments, performing administrative duties under the supervision of a direct manager. Sales support representatives' tasks include acknowledging and encoding customers' orders in the system, processing payments, responding to the customers' inquiries and concerns about the products, writing sales reports, and updating the customer of the shipment details... Show more$14-23
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Cash Handling
    • Financial Statements
    • Treasury
    • Client Relationships
    • Data Entry
    • Business Development
    • PowerPoint
    • Customer Service
    • Real Estate
    • Client Facing
    • Commercial Banking
    • Encoders
    • Sales Floor
    • Customer Complaints
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Accomplish tasks in a timely manner.Skills UsedComputer, math, reading wiring schematics.
    • Assist patients with Critical/Triage calls; document necessary symptoms for medical assistants to determine what medical intervention is necessary.
    • Survey and record HVAC equipment to provide repair and maintenance estimates for facility owners and managers.
    • Prospect for new customers for a new technology in Michigan that involves HVAC and commercial refrigeration systems.
    • Communicate ongoing contact activity utilizing Salesforce.com.
    More commercial sales associate duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your commercial sales associate job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A commercial sales associate salary can vary based on several factors:
    • Location. For example, commercial sales associates' average salary in mississippi is 60% less than in maine.
    • Seniority. Entry-level commercial sales associates earn 75% less than senior-level commercial sales associates.
    • Certifications. A commercial sales associate with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
    • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a commercial sales associate's salary.

    Average commercial sales associate salary

    $55,859yearly

    $26.86 hourly rate

    Entry-level commercial sales associate salary
    $28,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 16, 2025

    Average commercial sales associate salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1New York$86,955$42
    2Washington$86,665$42
    3Massachusetts$85,233$41
    4California$82,670$40
    5Pennsylvania$71,244$34
    6Michigan$68,739$33
    7Maryland$67,859$33
    8Minnesota$66,711$32
    9District of Columbia$63,174$30
    10Ohio$61,221$29
    11Illinois$60,608$29
    12Indiana$59,332$29
    13Virginia$58,989$28
    14North Carolina$57,586$28
    15Delaware$57,493$28
    16Arizona$53,593$26
    17Colorado$53,468$26
    18Kansas$52,425$25
    19Idaho$52,382$25
    20Texas$51,626$25

    Average commercial sales associate salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1AstraZeneca$150,776$72.493
    2Palantir$136,850$65.79
    3Zag$135,589$65.19
    4Veeva Systems$131,368$63.164
    5W. R. Berkley$119,028$57.231
    6JPMorgan Chase & Co.$116,936$56.22144
    7QuintilesIMS$110,576$53.16154
    8Argonne National Laboratory$103,164$49.602
    9Altice USA$101,702$48.9034
    10Salesforce$98,210$47.2226
    11Amazon$96,839$46.5618
    12BERKLEY TECHNOLOGY SERVICES$88,628$42.619
    13Kroll$85,666$41.19
    14Amicorp Group$79,922$38.42
    15Andersen$78,613$37.7913
    16Weichert$72,534$34.87
    17Fidelity Bank & Trust$71,785$34.51
    18Bank of America$69,487$33.414
    19Pearl Insurance$68,487$32.93
    20Markel$67,947$32.672
  4. Writing a commercial sales associate job description

    A good commercial sales associate job description should include a few things:

    • Summary of the role
    • List of responsibilities
    • Required skills and experience

    Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a commercial sales associate job description:

    Commercial sales associate job description example

    This is not a job you get into for 2 -3 years before moving on. This position just begins to bear fruit at that time. If you feel you have the skills and are in for the long haul we'd like to hear from you!

    The position offers great pay and benefits, job security, an environment based on growth and personal development, great peer and supporting staff, and management who "gets it". Your ability to master the skills required for this position can potentially open many new career options across various business units.

    Primary Job Function : To present the company to potential commercial customers and to qualify opportunities thereby obtaining commercial service agreement sales that are competitive and profitable. Accountable for all sales activities and customer relationships between the company and commercial clients. The primary requirement for this position is possessing first call experience. This position conducts phone cold calls and walk in cold calls to commercial customers with the objective of setting a formal meeting with the decision maker of the facility.

    Work Hours : 40 + hours per week

    Pay Scale : Base plus commission. Estimated 1st year earnings $60,000 - $100,000

    Benefits : Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Paid Vacation & Holidays, Supplemental Insurance including Disability, Retirement Benefit, Company Laptop, Cell Phone & Tablet, Vehicle Allowance

    Required Qualifications :

    • Prior sales experience, preferably B2B
    • Valid driver's license and insurable driving record
    • Must pass drug and background screens
    • Knowledge of HVAC & Plumbing industry is recommended but not required
    • Basic computer proficiency, Word, Outlook, Excel
    • Time and activity management skills
    • Knowledge and experience of making cost estimating for commercial and residential construction projects is a huge plus
  5. Post your job

    To find commercial sales associates for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

    • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
    • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any commercial sales associates they would recommend.
    • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level commercial sales associates with the right educational background.
    • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your commercial sales associate job on Zippia to find and recruit commercial sales associate candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites such as salesjobs, salesheads, allretailjobs.com, sales trax.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Your first interview with commercial sales associate candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

    You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new commercial sales associate

    Once you have selected a candidate for the commercial sales associate position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

    You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

    To prepare for the new commercial sales associate first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire a commercial sales associate?

Recruiting commercial sales associates involves both the one-time costs of hiring and the ongoing costs of adding a new employee to your team. Your spending during the hiring process will mostly be on things like promoting the job on job boards, reviewing and interviewing candidates, and onboarding the new hire. Ongoing costs will obviously involve the employee's salary, but also may include things like benefits.

Commercial sales associates earn a median yearly salary is $55,859 a year in the US. However, if you're looking to find commercial sales associates for hire on a contract or per-project basis, hourly rates typically range between $13 and $53.

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