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The differences between lead sales representatives and sales development representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a lead sales representative, becoming a sales development representative takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a lead sales representative has an average salary of $54,079, which is higher than the $51,504 average annual salary of a sales development representative.
The top three skills for a lead sales representative include cleanliness, customer service and POS. The most important skills for a sales development representative are SDR, lead generation, and customer service.
| Lead Sales Representative | Sales Development Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $54,079 | $51,504 |
| Hourly rate | $26.00 | $24.76 |
| Growth rate | - | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 404,430 | 199,588 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 83% |
| Average age | 43 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A lead sales representative is responsible for selling goods and services to existing and potential customers through electronic communications and area visits. Lead sales representatives should be highly-knowledgeable of the products that the company offers to discuss and demonstrate the features to the client accurately. They take orders, process orders, and ensure the correct distribution details according to the customers' specifications. A lead sales representative also monitors the team's sales performance and strategize opportunities to maximize selling techniques and increase profitability.
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.
Lead sales representatives and sales development representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Sales Representative | Sales Development Representative | |
| Average salary | $54,079 | $51,504 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $89,000 | 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 |
There are a few differences between a lead sales representative and a sales development representative in terms of educational background:
| Lead Sales Representative | Sales Development Representative | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 83% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | SUNY College of Technology at Delhi | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between lead sales representatives' and sales development representatives' demographics:
| Lead Sales Representative | Sales Development Representative | |
| Average age | 43 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 55.1% Female, 44.9% | Male, 63.1% Female, 36.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 6.9% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | 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 | 9% | 6% |