Key account representative vs area sales representative

The differences between key account representatives and area sales 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 key account representative and an area sales representative. Additionally, an area sales representative has an average salary of $58,355, which is higher than the $48,841 average annual salary of a key account representative.

The top three skills for a key account representative include business development, account management and product knowledge. The most important skills for an area sales representative are customer service, business development, and sales process.

Key account representative vs area sales representative overview

	Key Account Representative	Area Sales Representative
Yearly salary	$48,841	$58,355
Hourly rate	$23.48	$28.06
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	236,207	199,212
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	4	4

What does a key account representative do?

A key account representative identifies opportunities for increasing sales and defines outreach strategies. Key account representatives find, develop, and maintain customer accounts. The account representatives serve as the main point of contact between an organization and its clients. They make regular communication with the clients, address their concerns, and track their transactions and payments. Part of their job is to present expanded and new opportunities to the clients. They have to be adaptable and have empathy in performing their job. Among the skills they need to develop include people or communication skills, relationship building, and time management.

What does an area sales representative do?

The primary role of an area sales representative is to sell the company's products and services within a specified region or territory. You will be responsible for attracting new clients, increase profitability, and win new accounts. Other duties typically include building and maintaining relationships with both new and existing customers, traveling across the region to visit customers, and maintaining records of customer accounts and sales leads. As an area sales representative, it is also your duty to close deals and negotiate service agreements, prices, and terms of sale.

Key account representative vs area sales representative salary

Key account representatives and area sales representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Key Account Representative	Area Sales Representative
Average salary	$48,841	$58,355
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $69,000	Between $42,000 And $80,000
Highest paying City	-	Syracuse, NY
Highest paying state	-	Maine
Best paying company	-	Microsoft
Best paying industry	-	Finance

Differences between key account representative and area sales representative education

There are a few differences between a key account representative and an area sales representative in terms of educational background:

	Key Account Representative	Area Sales Representative
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Key account representative vs area sales representative demographics

Here are the differences between key account representatives' and area sales representatives' demographics:

	Key Account Representative	Area Sales Representative
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 52.3% Female, 47.7%	Male, 66.0% Female, 34.0%
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, 3.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between key account representative and area sales representative duties and responsibilities

Key account representative example responsibilities.

Evaluate monthly budgets and territory saturation levels quarterly while managing lease renewals through needs analysis and ROI presentations
Prepare catalogs, PowerPoint presentations, and cost spreadsheets in accordance with client product requests and within budgetary parameters.
Develop concepts and procedures, analyze and resolve general ledger interfaces with computerize payroll, time tracking and project accounting system.
Install and maintain software, hardware and networking and troubleshoot computer systems for problems ranging from software incompatibilities to electrical problems.

Area sales representative example responsibilities.

Manage and create all content distribute via various social media outlets: Facebook, twitter, feedback blogs, etc.
Create wholesale catalog using Powerpoint and PDF.
Add and update customer information in Seibel CRM application.
Schedule monthly sales, change POS, acquire extra sales/floor space.
Increase sales and product visibility by placing POS material and encouraging promotion participation within accounts.
Execute weekly on premise promotions and off-site special events that generate brand awareness, increase distribution and additional sales.

Key account representative vs area sales representative skills

Common key account representative skills

Business Development, 15%
Account Management, 12%
Product Knowledge, 12%
Post Sales, 10%
Customer Complaints, 7%
CRM, 5%

Common area sales representative skills

Customer Service, 24%
Business Development, 17%
Sales Process, 15%
Customer Relations, 7%
Product Knowledge, 4%
Territory Sales, 3%

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Key Account Representative
Key Account Representative vs Area Sales Representative

Updated January 8, 2025

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