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The differences between inside sales engineers and outbound sales representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an inside sales engineer, becoming an outbound sales representative takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an inside sales engineer has an average salary of $50,487, which is higher than the $45,723 average annual salary of an outbound sales representative.
The top three skills for an inside sales engineer include customer service, product knowledge and CRM. The most important skills for an outbound sales representative are outbound sales, customer service, and excellent interpersonal.
| Inside Sales Engineer | Outbound Sales Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $50,487 | $45,723 |
| Hourly rate | $24.27 | $21.98 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 156,700 | 240,781 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | High School Diploma, 33% |
| Average age | 44 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
An inside sales engineer is an individual who uses specialized technical knowledge to negotiate between sales units and clients to increase the profits and revenue of a company. Inside sales, engineers must seek clients who will benefit from their products or services and aim to maximize client potential in the different allocated regions. Inside sales engineers must also provide technical help and carry out training, if necessary, once a sale has been made.
An outbound sales representative focuses on securing sales by reaching out to clients through calls, correspondence, or face-to-face interactions. They primarily offer products and services, assisting customers every step of the way to ensure client satisfaction. To carry out their duties, they must perform research and analysis to identify business opportunities, develop sales strategies, generate leads, discuss product specifications with customers, introduce payment plans, and negotiate contracts. Moreover, an outbound sales representative must build positive relationships with clients while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
Inside sales engineers and outbound sales representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Inside Sales Engineer | Outbound Sales Representative | |
| Average salary | $50,487 | $45,723 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $76,000 | Between $24,000 And $84,000 |
| Highest paying City | Alexandria, VA | Hoboken, NJ |
| Highest paying state | New York | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Fluid Components International | Altice USA |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between an inside sales engineer and an outbound sales representative in terms of educational background:
| Inside Sales Engineer | Outbound Sales Representative | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | High School Diploma, 33% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | SUNY College of Technology at Alfred |
Here are the differences between inside sales engineers' and outbound sales representatives' demographics:
| Inside Sales Engineer | Outbound Sales Representative | |
| Average age | 44 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 65.3% Female, 34.7% | Male, 45.9% Female, 54.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 1.7% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 5.7% White, 77.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 6% |