Outside sales representative vs associate sales representative

The differences between outside sales representatives and associate 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 an outside sales representative and an associate sales representative. Additionally, an outside sales representative has an average salary of $60,443, which is higher than the $51,007 average annual salary of an associate sales representative.

The top three skills for an outside sales representative include customer service, work ethic and sales process. The most important skills for an associate sales representative are work ethic, patients, and product knowledge.

Outside sales representative vs associate sales representative overview

	Outside Sales Representative	Associate Sales Representative
Yearly salary	$60,443	$51,007
Hourly rate	$29.06	$24.52
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	218,034	333,049
Job satisfaction	4.5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	4	4

What does an outside sales representative do?

An Outside Sales Representative specializes in customer service and relations, focusing on reaching sales targets through selling and networking with clients. Among the duties revolve around reaching out to customers through calls, email, or even arranging appointments, monitoring and keeping an organized record of sales, communicating with managers or supervisors, adhering to the company's policies and regulations, and keeping extensive knowledge about the brand and the trends. Besides building rapport with customers, it is also essential for an Outside Sales Representative to be proactive and create strategies to help meet the sales target.

What does an associate sales representative do?

The duties of an associate sales representative depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. Their responsibilities typically revolve around reaching out to clients through calls or door-to-door visits, offering products and services, collecting payments, addressing issues and concerns, and performing corrective measures when necessary. An associate sales representative often has a quota and deadline to reach; therefore, it is essential to be sales driven and goal-oriented. Furthermore, one must adhere to the policies and regulations of the company.

Outside sales representative vs associate sales representative salary

Outside sales representatives and associate sales representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Outside Sales Representative	Associate Sales Representative
Average salary	$60,443	$51,007
Salary range	Between $41,000 And $87,000	Between $37,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	Minneapolis, MN	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Microsoft	Verint
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Health Care

Differences between outside sales representative and associate sales representative education

There are a few differences between an outside sales representative and an associate sales representative in terms of educational background:

	Outside Sales Representative	Associate Sales Representative
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Outside sales representative vs associate sales representative demographics

Here are the differences between outside sales representatives' and associate sales representatives' demographics:

	Outside Sales Representative	Associate Sales Representative
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 71.5% Female, 28.5%	Male, 50.8% Female, 49.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.6% 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%

Differences between outside sales representative and associate sales representative duties and responsibilities

Outside sales representative example responsibilities.

Manage and maintain a weekly quota for broadband, and other wireless products.
Utilize CRM database to manage and track prospect interaction to ensure accurate documentation of window requirements and ongoing communication.
Web dev, SEO, PPC etc . )
Participate in the launching and marketing of broadband internet in Orlando with great success.
Provide care, materials, and essential tools for doctors and nurses working on patients in the E.R.
Create and maintain successful business partnerships with customers by analyzing, meeting and understanding their needs and patients needs.

Associate sales representative example responsibilities.

Manage organization website and Facebook page; writing articles for websites and newsletters.
Perform inside sales, including telemarketing, prospecting, account penetration and product application, consulting and delivery of customer service.
Learned how to ask proper questions and communicate MetLife's product differentiators against competition

Outside sales representative vs associate sales representative skills

Common outside sales representative skills

Customer Service, 17%
Work Ethic, 8%
Sales Process, 4%
Business Sales, 4%
Cold Calls, 4%
Product Knowledge, 4%

Common associate sales representative skills

Work Ethic, 16%
Patients, 13%
Product Knowledge, 12%
Excellent Interpersonal, 7%
Excellent Organizational, 4%
Sales Techniques, 4%

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Outside Sales Representative
Outside Sales Representative vs Associate Sales Representative

Updated January 8, 2025

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