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The differences between outside sales engineers and technical sales representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an outside sales engineer, becoming a technical sales representative takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an outside sales engineer has an average salary of $79,145, which is higher than the $71,310 average annual salary of a technical sales representative.
The top three skills for an outside sales engineer include customer relationships, HVAC and product line. The most important skills for a technical sales representative are sales process, business development, and sales support.
| Outside Sales Engineer | Technical Sales Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $79,145 | $71,310 |
| Hourly rate | $38.05 | $34.28 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 113,925 | 237,456 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 44 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
An outside sales engineer is both a specialist and a salesperson of scientific and technological products or services to businesses. You have an in-depth knowledge of the products and the engineering processes that make these products work so that you can demonstrate their benefits to customers. Outside sales engineers are technical customer service representatives working for businesses that sell engineering products or the makers - they are out in the field interacting, educating, and selling to potential customers.
A technical sales representative is responsible for selling products and services by demonstrating the product's details and features to existing and potential clients. Technical sales representatives evaluate clients' needs and recommend solutions through the organization's technology-based products. They also assist with promotional offers and marketing campaigns to boost brand awareness and increase revenues and achieve profitability goals while ensuring the highest customer satisfaction. A technical sales representative must have excellent communication and customer service skills, handling customers' inquiries, and resolving complaints.
Outside sales engineers and technical sales representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Outside Sales Engineer | Technical Sales Representative | |
| Average salary | $79,145 | $71,310 |
| Salary range | Between $55,000 And $113,000 | Between $39,000 And $129,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | New York |
| Best paying company | - | |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between an outside sales engineer and a technical sales representative in terms of educational background:
| Outside Sales Engineer | Technical Sales Representative | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between outside sales engineers' and technical sales representatives' demographics:
| Outside Sales Engineer | Technical Sales Representative | |
| Average age | 44 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.2% Female, 8.8% | Male, 73.3% Female, 26.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 1.6% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 5.8% White, 78.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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 | 7% | 6% |