Internal sales representative vs sales development representative

The differences between internal 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 an internal sales representative and a sales development representative. Additionally, a sales development representative has an average salary of $51,504, which is higher than the $44,872 average annual salary of an internal sales representative.

The top three skills for an internal sales representative include phone calls, internal sales and product knowledge. The most important skills for a sales development representative are SDR, lead generation, and customer service.

Internal sales representative vs sales development representative overview

	Internal Sales Representative	Sales Development Representative
Yearly salary	$44,872	$51,504
Hourly rate	$21.57	$24.76
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	234,019	199,588
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 83%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	4	4

What does an internal sales representative do?

An internal sales representative aims to promote and sell different products and services to a target client. This career significant for a successful business and the growth of revenue. Typically, they receive many queries and suggestions, which means they must communicate with clients quickly and efficiently to develop a concrete solution for each issue. They log each issue to a database for future reference.

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.

Internal sales representative vs sales development representative salary

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

	Internal Sales Representative	Sales Development Representative
Average salary	$44,872	$51,504
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $68,000	Between $34,000 And $77,000
Highest paying City	-	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	PitchBook Data
Best paying industry	-	Start-up

Differences between internal sales representative and sales development representative education

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

	Internal Sales Representative	Sales Development Representative
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 83%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Internal sales representative vs sales development representative demographics

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

	Internal Sales Representative	Sales Development Representative
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 55.0% Female, 45.0%	Male, 63.1% Female, 36.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.8% 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 internal sales representative and sales development representative duties and responsibilities

Internal sales representative example responsibilities.

Accomplish tasks in a timely manner.Skills UsedComputer, math, reading wiring schematics.
Provide merchandising assistance to customers by building displays, negotiating placement, replenishing permanent secondary displays and using POS materials effectively.
Learned how to ask proper questions and communicate MetLife's product differentiators against competition

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.

Internal sales representative vs sales development representative skills

Common internal sales representative skills

Phone Calls, 12%
Internal Sales, 10%
Product Knowledge, 9%
CRM, 8%
Sales Process, 7%
Insurance Products, 7%

Common sales development representative skills

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

Internal Sales Representative vs. similar jobs

Internal Sales Representative related careers

Internal Sales Representative related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Sales Industry
Internal Sales Representative
Internal Sales Representative vs Sales Development Representative

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse sales jobs