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The differences between distribution sales representatives and field sales representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a distribution sales representative and a field sales representative. Additionally, a field sales representative has an average salary of $48,460, which is higher than the $41,865 average annual salary of a distribution sales representative.
The top three skills for a distribution sales representative include product knowledge, territory sales and customer accounts. The most important skills for a field sales representative are excellent time management, customer service, and powerpoint.
| Distribution Sales Representative | Field Sales Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $41,865 | $48,460 |
| Hourly rate | $20.13 | $23.30 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 235,775 | 228,254 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A distribution sales representative is a sales professional who usually works for wholesale and manufacturing companies, aiming to secure sales with retailers and individuals. Their duties entail conducting market research and analyses to find client and business opportunities, generating leads, communicating with clients through calls, arranging appointments, answering inquiries, discussing product or service specifications, and negotiating contracts, building positive relationships along the way. Moreover, as a distribution sales representative, keeping up with the latest trends to enhance sales pitches is essential.
A field sales representative is an employee who is employed by business-to-business (B2B) and wholesale organizations to visit leads and sell products or services to their customers in person. Field sales representatives must attract new customers and win new accounts so that they can maximize profitability within their territory. They travel around their assigned territory and visit their customers regularly to educate them on how their products can benefit them. Field sales representatives must also maintain records of all sales leads and monitor the organization's competitor, new products, and market conditions.
Distribution sales representatives and field sales representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Distribution Sales Representative | Field Sales Representative | |
| Average salary | $41,865 | $48,460 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $68,000 | Between $26,000 And $88,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | - | Washington |
| Best paying company | - | VMware |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a distribution sales representative and a field sales representative in terms of educational background:
| Distribution Sales Representative | Field Sales Representative | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | SUNY College of Technology at Alfred | SUNY College of Technology at Alfred |
Here are the differences between distribution sales representatives' and field sales representatives' demographics:
| Distribution Sales Representative | Field Sales Representative | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 65.1% Female, 34.9% | Male, 69.5% Female, 30.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 5.1% White, 72.9% 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, 72.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |