Distributor vs wholesaler

The differences between distributors and wholesalers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a distributor, becoming a wholesaler takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, a wholesaler has an average salary of $59,529, which is higher than the $40,606 average annual salary of a distributor.

The top three skills for a distributor include distributors, customer service and delivery truck. The most important skills for a wholesaler are business plan, annuities, and territory sales.

Distributor vs wholesaler overview

	Distributor	Wholesaler
Yearly salary	$40,606	$59,529
Hourly rate	$19.52	$28.62
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	89,197	6,195
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 80%
Average age	47	46
Years of experience	4	8

Distributor vs wholesaler salary

Distributors and wholesalers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Distributor	Wholesaler
Average salary	$40,606	$59,529
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $52,000	Between $41,000 And $84,000
Highest paying City	Clifton, NJ	-
Highest paying state	New Jersey	-
Best paying company	ABB	-
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between distributor and wholesaler education

There are a few differences between a distributor and a wholesaler in terms of educational background:

	Distributor	Wholesaler
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 80%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred	University of Pennsylvania

Distributor vs wholesaler demographics

Here are the differences between distributors' and wholesalers' demographics:

	Distributor	Wholesaler
Average age	47	46
Gender ratio	Male, 56.3% Female, 43.7%	Male, 75.6% Female, 24.4%
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, 8.1% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 6.3% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between distributor and wholesaler duties and responsibilities

Distributor example responsibilities.

Generate leads for outside sales representatives including organizing, monitoring and updating Microsoft CRM program.
Train in OSHA safety standards and maintain compliances.
Use an RF scanner to produce labels identifying repack case contents.
Use Facebook as a great social media outlet, as well as twitter.
Operate forklift and stand up forklift, used RF scanner guns to track items
Install new valves, water meters, taps for water meters, and fire hydrants.

Wholesaler example responsibilities.

Team with external wholesaler to develop sales and servicing strategy in order to manage assign sales region effectively.
Work closely with bank management to help market annuities through the retail branches.
Prepare and schedule meetings, seminars and conference calls with brokers to increase awareness, understanding and usage of MassMutual annuities.
Recognize by management for confidence and develop knowledge of the healthcare industry with uncanny ability to expertly penetrate large accounts.
Work in partnership with RVP, covering the top-producing R.I.A.
Develop individual account base through telemarketing, cold-calling & prospecting.

Distributor vs wholesaler skills

Common distributor skills

Distributors, 28%
Customer Service, 23%
Delivery Truck, 7%
Customer Relations, 7%
Product Line, 4%
Wellness Products, 4%

Common wholesaler skills

Business Plan, 18%
Annuities, 8%
Territory Sales, 6%
Excellent Presentation, 6%
Sales Process, 4%
Leverage, 4%

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Distributor
Distributor vs Wholesaler

Updated January 8, 2025

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