Field sales representative vs sales development representative

The differences between field sales representatives and sales development 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 field sales representative and a sales development representative. Additionally, a sales development representative has an average salary of $51,504, 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 a sales development representative are SDR, lead generation, and customer service.

Field sales representative vs sales development representative overview

	Field Sales Representative	Sales Development Representative
Yearly salary	$48,460	$51,504
Hourly rate	$23.30	$24.76
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	228,254	199,588
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 83%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	4	4

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 a sales development representative do?

A sales development representative qualifies leads at the sales funnel's initial stages. Sales development representatives need to conduct research for prospective clients and qualify the leads before handing them to the sales team. They develop sales strategies to attract buyers or solicit potential customers. They need to build relationships with their customers to determine their needs and qualify the viability of interests to drive sales. Also, they collaborate with the sales executives making certain that corporate targets and goals are met.

Field sales representative vs sales development representative salary

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

	Field Sales Representative	Sales Development Representative
Average salary	$48,460	$51,504
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $88,000	Between $34,000 And $77,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	Washington	Alaska
Best paying company	VMware	PitchBook Data
Best paying industry	Technology	Start-up

Differences between field sales representative and sales development representative education

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

	Field Sales Representative	Sales Development Representative
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 83%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred	University of Pennsylvania

Field sales representative vs sales development representative demographics

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

	Field Sales Representative	Sales Development Representative
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 69.5% Female, 30.5%	Male, 63.1% Female, 36.9%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between field sales representative and sales development 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.

Sales development representative example responsibilities.

Manage organization website and Facebook page; writing articles for websites and newsletters.
Develop social media strategies for Facebook, LinkedIn, and emerging social networks, generating leads.
Manage individual sales activities by developing highly effective, communications focuse relationship with multiple sales channels.
supply chain management and procurement software (SaaS).
Handle customer service inquiries, returns, and RMA exchanges.
Develop a strong knowledge of SaaS sales techniques and lead management/generation.

Field sales representative vs sales development 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 sales development representative skills

SDR, 11%
Lead Generation, 6%
Customer Service, 6%
Account Executives, 5%
Linkedin, 5%
Outbound Calls, 4%

Field Sales Representative vs. similar jobs

Field Sales Representative related careers

Field Sales Representative related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Sales Industry
Field Sales Representative
Field Sales Representative vs Sales Development Representative

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse sales jobs