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Field sales representative vs executive sales representative

The differences between field sales representatives 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 field sales representative, 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 $48,460 average annual salary of a field sales representative.

The top three skills for a field sales representative include excellent time management, customer service and powerpoint. The most important skills for an executive sales representative are patients, product knowledge, and oncology.

Field sales representative vs executive sales representative overview

Field Sales RepresentativeExecutive Sales Representative
Yearly salary$48,460$78,858
Hourly rate$23.30$37.91
Growth rate4%4%
Number of jobs228,254226,902
Job satisfaction5-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 73%Bachelor's Degree, 79%
Average age4747
Years of experience42

What does a field sales representative do?

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.

What does an executive sales representative do?

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.

Field sales representative vs executive sales representative salary

Field sales representatives and executive sales representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.

Field Sales RepresentativeExecutive Sales Representative
Average salary$48,460$78,858
Salary rangeBetween $26,000 And $88,000Between $48,000 And $128,000
Highest paying CitySeattle, WA-
Highest paying stateWashington-
Best paying companyVMware-
Best paying industryTechnology-

Differences between field sales representative and executive sales representative education

There are a few differences between a field sales representative and an executive sales representative in terms of educational background:

Field Sales RepresentativeExecutive Sales Representative
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 73%Bachelor's Degree, 79%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeSUNY College of Technology at AlfredUniversity of Pennsylvania

Field sales representative vs executive sales representative demographics

Here are the differences between field sales representatives' and executive sales representatives' demographics:

Field Sales RepresentativeExecutive Sales Representative
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 69.5% Female, 30.5%Male, 53.7% Female, 46.3%
Race ratioBlack 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%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 Percentage6%6%

Differences between field sales representative and executive sales representative duties and responsibilities

Field sales representative example responsibilities.

  • Train and manage new DSR's.
  • Lead seminars for the CPA community for CPE credits.
  • Develop and manage sales in major retail accounts in the Mid-Atlantic region.
  • Manage and assist a vast customer base in the market for new roofing needs after a large hail storm in Lubbock.
  • Manage merchandising and POS materials at the retail store level ensuring meticulous compliance with all current corporate initiative regulations.
  • Conduct effective group Medicare HMO/PPO presentations/seminars, as well as one-on-one field sales presentations.
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Executive sales representative example responsibilities.

  • Position products above the competition, utilizing data, manage care information and patient benefit to promote the Novartis brands.
  • Achieve sales growth objectives by incorporating product/technical knowledge, teamwork, customer and multi-product focus, innovation and creativity.
  • Call on customers in oncology, pulmonology urology, cardiology, neurology, OB/GYN, psychiatry, gastroenterology and primary care.
  • Promote diabetes medications to family practice, general practice, internal medicine physicians and diabetic educators.
  • Track and create territory reports and spreadsheets with action items and a pod business plan.
  • Target specialty sales to neurology, psychiatry, pain management and high target primary care physicians.
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Field sales representative vs executive sales representative skills

Common field sales representative skills
  • Excellent Time Management, 17%
  • Customer Service, 8%
  • PowerPoint, 6%
  • Medicare, 6%
  • Account Management, 6%
  • Sales Presentations, 5%
Common executive sales representative skills
  • Patients, 10%
  • Product Knowledge, 10%
  • Oncology, 8%
  • Account Management, 7%
  • Territory Management, 7%
  • Customer Satisfaction, 6%