How are outside sales reps paid?

Outside sales representatives are paid in a variety of ways, some of which involve salary, commission, or both. Sales representatives that work on commission only can earn large amounts of money based on their sales. A typical commission is 20 to 40% of a salesman's gross sales. There are no limits on how much the representative can make, but there is pressure to sell as one's entire income is sales-dependent.

How much do outside sales reps make?

Outside sales reps make approximately $77,600 per year. This salary fluctuates with the experience of the sales representative as well as the pay structure of their company. Experienced sales representatives are able to command a higher salary or better commission percentages, and their salaries can exceed $350,000 per year. The average tenure of a sales representative is one to three years.

What are the best outside sales jobs?

The best outside sales jobs are associated with larger, high-profile companies. These jobs span industries from pharmaceutical companies to technology. Outside sales positions with larger companies afford the sales representative the opportunity to service larger accounts. Over 72% of the sales force of companies doing over 500 million dollars in business are outside salespeople.

How To Become An Outside Sales: What It Is and Career Path

What is an outside sales and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted experts

Frederik Beuk,

John Cicala Ph.D.

An outside salesperson sells products or services to clients outside of the office or store. They typically travel to meet potential customers, build relationships, and close deals. Outside salespeople may work for pharmaceuticals, technology, and real estate companies. Their job duties include researching clients, presenting products, negotiating contracts, and providing post-sale support. Successful outside salespeople use communication and interpersonal skills, and require knowledge of the products or services they sell. They often work independently to meet sales goals.

What general advice would you give to an outside sales?

Frederik Beuk

Associate Professor of Marketing, University of Akron

The key consideration is whether you really want to maximize your initial salary. For instance, envision two job opportunities: one offering a salary of $50,000 per year, where you'd be the most junior team member, and the other providing $75,000 per year, with the caveat that you would be the sole sales representative for the firm. The optimal choice is to prioritize learning opportunities. In this context, being the lone salesperson for a company that compensates its highest-earning sales professional $75,000 might not be your superior option. Instead, seek a position that offers the greatest potential for learning. Subsequently, demonstrate your negotiating prowess, a critical sales skill, by securing a slightly higher salary. However, it's essential not to fixate on maximizing your starting salary. Your career requires a long-term strategy, and you have several decades ahead of you to maximize income.

ScoreOutside SalesUS Average

Salary

6.0

Avg. Salary $77,292

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.1

Growth rate 4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.23%

Asian 5.16%

Black or African American 3.85%

Hispanic or Latino 14.29%

Unknown 3.71%

White 72.76%

Gender

female 21.73%

male 78.27%

Age - 48

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 48

Stress level

7.1

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.4

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.9

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an outside sales

Explore outside sales education requirements

Most common outside sales degrees

Bachelor's

60.5 %

Associate

19.2 %

High School Diploma

11.9 %

Start to develop specific outside sales skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	30.49%
Product Knowledge	8.77%
Ongoing Support	4.42%
Work Ethic	4.20%
CRM	3.93%

Complete relevant outside sales training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New outside sales learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an outside sales based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real outside sales resumes.

Research outside sales duties and responsibilities

Plan logistical outside sales route, planned/schedule sales calls with web-base CRM program, manage various sales cycles.
Manage and create all content distribute via various social media outlets: Facebook, twitter, feedback blogs, etc.
Perfect the craft of upselling customers.
Prepare material estimates/bids for houses, windows, doors, trusses, etc.

Prepare your outside sales resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your outside sales resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an outside sales resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable outside sales resume templates

Build a professional outside sales resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your outside sales resume.

Apply for outside sales jobs

Now it's time to start searching for an outside sales job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do outside sales rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Outside sales reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020

Pros

Communicating and helping my clients.

Cons

The travel was extensive. Sometimes. It took more than month to close a deaĺ.

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020

Pros

I love to engage the public and meet new faces. I enjoy explaining all of the benefits of the product I am selling, and making the customer feel important and well informed.

Cons

I don't like feeling like I haven't did a great at job at making customers feel comfortable and confident about where and who they are purchasing from.

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020

Pros

i enjoy the interaction with people, listen the customer in order to convert him/her into your friend, detect and help customer with his/her needs.

Cons

People without vision, dreams and selfishness.

What is an outside sales and how to become one

What general advice would you give to an outside sales?

Outside sales career paths

Key steps to become an outside sales

Explore outside sales education requirements

Most common outside sales degrees

Start to develop specific outside sales skills

Complete relevant outside sales training and internships

Research outside sales duties and responsibilities

Prepare your outside sales resume

Choose from 10+ customizable outside sales resume templates

Apply for outside sales jobs

How did you land your first outside sales job

Average outside sales salary

How do outside sales rate their job?

Outside sales reviews

Outside sales FAQs

How are outside sales reps paid?

How much do outside sales reps make?

What are the best outside sales jobs?

Search for outside sales jobs