Manufacturer's representative vs distributor

The differences between manufacturer's representatives and distributors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a manufacturer's representative and a distributor. Additionally, a manufacturer's representative has an average salary of $57,622, which is higher than the $40,606 average annual salary of a distributor.

The top three skills for a manufacturer's representative include product line, trade shows and distribution channels. The most important skills for a distributor are distributors, customer service, and delivery truck.

Manufacturer's representative vs distributor overview

	Manufacturer's Representative	Distributor
Yearly salary	$57,622	$40,606
Hourly rate	$27.70	$19.52
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	175,503	89,197
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 74%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	4	4

Manufacturer's representative vs distributor salary

Manufacturer's representatives and distributors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Manufacturer's Representative	Distributor
Average salary	$57,622	$40,606
Salary range	Between $36,000 And $91,000	Between $31,000 And $52,000
Highest paying City	-	Clifton, NJ
Highest paying state	-	New Jersey
Best paying company	-	ABB
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between manufacturer's representative and distributor education

There are a few differences between a manufacturer's representative and a distributor in terms of educational background:

	Manufacturer's Representative	Distributor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 74%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Manufacturer's representative vs distributor demographics

Here are the differences between manufacturer's representatives' and distributors' demographics:

	Manufacturer's Representative	Distributor
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 81.0% Female, 19.0%	Male, 56.3% Female, 43.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 13.8% Asian, 5.1% White, 73.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	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%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between manufacturer's representative and distributor duties and responsibilities

Manufacturer's representative example responsibilities.

Lead consultative sales engagements identifying value and ROI create for the customer through process mapping.
Manage Mid-Atlantic geographic trading area.
Champion certify in windows, entry doors, roofing and siding.
Create packages of equipment to address all aspects of a facility's HVAC needs.
Recognize as an expert in the utilization of SFDC (Salesforce.com) to capture sales process.
Sell products such as metal roofing, energy saving windows, insulate siding and complete kitchen and bathroom remodels.

Distributor example responsibilities.

Generate leads for outside sales representatives including organizing, monitoring and updating Microsoft CRM program.
Train in OSHA safety standards and maintain compliances.
Use an RF scanner to produce labels identifying repack case contents.
Use Facebook as a great social media outlet, as well as twitter.
Operate forklift and stand up forklift, used RF scanner guns to track items
Install new valves, water meters, taps for water meters, and fire hydrants.

Manufacturer's representative vs distributor skills

Common manufacturer's representative skills

Product Line, 22%
Trade Shows, 8%
Distribution Channels, 8%
General Contractors, 6%
OEM, 5%
State Territory, 5%

Common distributor skills

Distributors, 28%
Customer Service, 23%
Delivery Truck, 7%
Customer Relations, 7%
Product Line, 4%
Wellness Products, 4%

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Manufacturer's Representative
Manufacturer's Representative vs Distributor

Updated January 8, 2025

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