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The differences between key account representatives and territory 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 a territory sales representative. Additionally, a key account representative has an average salary of $48,841, which is higher than the $34,431 average annual salary of a territory sales representative.
The top three skills for a key account representative include business development, account management and product knowledge. The most important skills for a territory sales representative are customer service, CRM, and product knowledge.
| Key Account Representative | Territory Sales Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $48,841 | $34,431 |
| Hourly rate | $23.48 | $16.55 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 236,207 | 219,928 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
A territory sales representative is responsible for selling goods and services, assisting customers with their inquiries and concerns, and monitoring the assigned area's sales reports. Territory sales representatives coordinate with the rest of the sales team to develop effective marketing strategies and promotional techniques to increase revenues and profitability. Territory sales representatives research current market trends to identify business opportunities to meet consumer demands and widen their services. A territory sales representative must have excellent knowledge of the sales disciplines and principles, managing the market approach to ensure customer satisfaction.
Key account representatives and territory sales representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Key Account Representative | Territory Sales Representative | |
| Average salary | $48,841 | $34,431 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $69,000 | Between $15,000 And $78,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | - | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | - | IBM |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a key account representative and a territory sales representative in terms of educational background:
| Key Account Representative | Territory Sales Representative | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | SUNY College of Technology at Alfred | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between key account representatives' and territory sales representatives' demographics:
| Key Account Representative | Territory Sales Representative | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.3% Female, 47.7% | Male, 69.1% Female, 30.9% |
| 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, 14.2% Asian, 5.1% White, 72.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |