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Job outlook for customer sales specialists in the United States
Customer sales specialist job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected customer sales specialist job growth rate is -4% from 2018-2028.
About -105,300 new jobs for customer sales specialists are projected over the next decade.
Customer sales specialist salaries have increased 11% for customer sales specialists in the last 5 years.
There are over 618,187 customer sales specialists currently employed in the United States.
There are 417,148 active customer sales specialist job openings in the US.
The average customer sales specialist salary is $44,173.
Are customer sales specialist jobs in demand?
Customer sales specialist job and salary trends over time
Customer sales specialist jobs over time
Customer sales specialist job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 618,187 | 0.18% |
| 2020 | 628,481 | 0.19% |
| 2019 | 647,641 | 0.19% |
| 2018 | 637,120 | 0.19% |
| 2017 | 614,424 | 0.19% |
Average customer sales specialist salary over time
Customer sales specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $44,173 | $21.24 | +3.2% |
| 2024 | $42,792 | $20.57 | +2.8% |
| 2023 | $41,608 | $20.00 | +2.6% |
| 2022 | $40,548 | $19.49 | +1.8% |
| 2021 | $39,821 | $19.14 | +1.8% |
Customer sales specialist jobs by state
Most common states for customer sales specialists
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 356 | 51% |
| 2 | Delaware | 961,939 | 465 | 48% |
| 3 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 594 | 44% |
| 4 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 576 | 43% |
| 5 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 2,933 | 42% |
| 6 | Vermont | 623,657 | 259 | 42% |
| 7 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 1,128 | 36% |
| 8 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 2,046 | 35% |
| 9 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,960 | 35% |
| 10 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 1,695 | 35% |
| 11 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 2,852 | 34% |
| 12 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 2,324 | 34% |
| 13 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 2,259 | 34% |
| 14 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 1,219 | 34% |
| 15 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 1,042 | 34% |
| 16 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 3,821 | 33% |
| 17 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,815 | 33% |
| 18 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 575 | 33% |
| 19 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 4,082 | 32% |
| 20 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 340 | 32% |
Most common cities for customer sales specialists
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kentwood | 2 | 4% | $48,611 |
| 2 | Alpharetta | 1 | 2% | $44,352 |
| 3 | Attleboro | 1 | 2% | $47,811 |
| 4 | Daytona Beach | 1 | 2% | $42,458 |
| 5 | Denver | 4 | 1% | $46,304 |
| 6 | Chino | 1 | 1% | $48,056 |
| 7 | Framingham | 1 | 1% | $47,611 |
| 8 | Atlanta | 2 | 0% | $44,325 |
| 9 | Minneapolis | 2 | 0% | $51,241 |
| 10 | Phoenix | 2 | 0% | $44,081 |
| 11 | San Francisco | 2 | 0% | $50,478 |
| 12 | Charlotte | 1 | 0% | $39,803 |
| 13 | Chicago | 1 | 0% | $48,307 |
| 14 | Detroit | 1 | 0% | $49,027 |
| 15 | Greensboro | 1 | 0% | $40,295 |
Customer Sales Specialist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of customer sales specialist experts
University of Maryland - College Park
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Charleston Southern University
University of Mount Union
Franklin and Marshall College
California State University Channel Islands
What Customer Sales Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Kathleen Kelly: Maximizing your salary potential requires research, flexibility, and being your best advocate.
E. Duff Wrobbel Ph.D.
ChairSouthern Illinois University Edwardsville
Communication And Media Studies
What Customer Sales Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
E. Duff Wrobbel Ph.D.: All things social media are important, and so writing skills still matter.
What will help Customer Sales Specialists increase their earning potential?
E. Duff Wrobbel Ph.D.: With this major, probably the best salaries are from sales jobs, which many people shy away from because they think only of hustling used cars, but sales can be very good work.
Sally Hiott B.S. MBA, DBA
Assistant Professor of MarketingCharleston Southern University
Accounting And Related Services
What general advice would you give to a Customer Sales Specialist?
Sally Hiott B.S. MBA, DBA: Show employers how you would not only fill an open position regarding the work at hand, but show them how you would be an asset to their team. We are in very team driven work environments currently, and hiring managers want to know what you can bring to the table. Filling a void is great for the workload, but enhancing a team culture makes them not want to work without you!
What Customer Sales Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Sally Hiott B.S. MBA, DBA: To stay flexible! The workplace is constantly changing and to be a good employee you need to recognize this. Being agreeable to change and willing to take on more than your job description lines you up for larger opportunities when they arise.
What will help Customer Sales Specialists increase their earning potential?
Sally Hiott B.S. MBA, DBA: The most wanted skill set that is on the rise are what we call "soft skills". Research shows us that with the increase in AI abilities for the workplace that it is becoming more and more important for humans to possess and exercise soft skills. These are things like respectful and caring communication on the front lines. Being intuitive and remaining calm when faced with upset customers. There are a lot more examples, but these soft skills increase your organizations relationships with your customers, which is why they are so highly valued
Michael Grossman Ph.D.
Professor, Political Studies and International StudiesUniversity of Mount Union
Department of Political Science and International Studies
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Customer Sales Specialists?
Michael Grossman Ph.D.: It is less about licenses or courses and more about experiences. In this regard, internships are crucial.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Customer Sales Specialists?
Cynthia Krom: Professional certifications matter. If your profession has a certification, you need to have that certification to be competitive in this new world. So, a public accountant needs to have a CPA, and a corporate accountant needs to have their CMA. A fraud examiner needs their CFE. Find out what is available in your profession and take whatever courses or exams are needed to be at the top of your game, because everyone else will.
We don't really know what will be happening with professional licenses with remote work. A psychotherapist may be licensed in New York, but remotely treating a client in New Mexico. Technically, they probably need a license in New Mexico. But who will control that? Will it just be the professional responsibility of the therapist to only practice where licensed? Will their malpractice insurance only cover them if the client is where they are licensed? What about a physician operating on someone a thousand miles away using robotics?
In terms of courses not related to professional certification or licensure, technology is where it is at. First and foremost, polish your Zoom skills. Zoom is now your face-to-face workplace and you need to be a pro. YouTube has great videos about lighting for Zoom, even with reflective eyeglasses. Perhaps your IT department is able to help with connectivity issues and learning remote technologies. And, as we have all recently seen, you need to learn how to turn off filters that make you look like a kitten! For nearly every field, you have to know Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, and Excel) or similar programs. You need to know how to work collaboratively on projects through things like Google Drive. If you are not fluent in the basics, you are showing up for a horse race with a little pony.
Ekin Pehlivan Ph.D.
Associate Professor of MarketingCalifornia State University Channel Islands
Martin V. Smith School of Business and Economics
What's a good job out of college for Customer Sales Specialists?
Ekin Pehlivan Ph.D.: I think a description of a "good" job opportunity is dependent on so many factors, almost all subjective. What I recommend my students usually, is that they try different things before graduation and find something that makes them feel a purpose other than (and in addition to) making ends meet. For this reason we started a program on our campus where students are hired to help non-profits and small businesses in our area of service. In this program, students get to gain and practice skills that can help them succeed in a corporate or freelance capacity. The students get to experiment without fear of losing a job and find what they would like their entry level positions to look like. While doing this they also help organizations and individuals who have the need but not the resources to get the services from professionals.