Outside sales representative vs route sales representative

The differences between outside sales representatives and route sales representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an outside sales representative has an average salary of $60,443, which is higher than the $44,918 average annual salary of a route sales representative.

The top three skills for an outside sales representative include customer service, work ethic and sales process. The most important skills for a route sales representative are CDL, DOT, and strong customer service.

Outside sales representative vs route sales representative overview

	Outside Sales Representative	Route Sales Representative
Yearly salary	$60,443	$44,918
Hourly rate	$29.06	$21.60
Growth rate	4%	11%
Number of jobs	218,034	108,194
Job satisfaction	4.5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 37%
Average age	47	48
Years of experience	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 a route sales representative do?

A route sales representative is responsible for offering goods and services to customers in a designated area. Route sales representatives work closely with the marketing team to develop effective sales strategies, create sales pitches, and release promotional offers to generate sales, increase revenues, and build the organization's profitability. They also research the latest industry trends to identify sales opportunities and communicate findings to the team for new service offerings. A route sales representative must have excellent customer service and communication skills to assist customers in their inquiries and concerns and negotiate sales contracts.

Outside sales representative vs route sales representative salary

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

	Outside Sales Representative	Route Sales Representative
Average salary	$60,443	$44,918
Salary range	Between $41,000 And $87,000	Between $37,000 And $54,000
Highest paying City	Minneapolis, MN	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	California
Best paying company	Microsoft	Johnson Controls
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Education

Differences between outside sales representative and route sales representative education

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

	Outside Sales Representative	Route Sales Representative
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 37%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred	-

Outside sales representative vs route sales representative demographics

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

	Outside Sales Representative	Route Sales Representative
Average age	47	48
Gender ratio	Male, 71.5% Female, 28.5%	Male, 91.7% Female, 8.3%
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, 11.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.8% Asian, 3.8% White, 60.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	6%	4%

Differences between outside sales representative and route 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.

Route sales representative example responsibilities.

Manage invoice collection and customer issues.
Drive CDL rate truck over assign territory.
Complete route in timely manner via CDL truck.
Utilize math skills to process payments while on route.
Maintain cleanliness of truck and inspect truck for imperfections and safe operation.
Distribute daily newspapers to customers; acquire new business via effective sales and marketing techniques.

Outside sales representative vs route 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 route sales representative skills

CDL, 17%
DOT, 16%
Strong Customer Service, 12%
Customer Accounts, 8%
Work Ethic, 7%
Upselling, 5%

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Outside Sales Representative
Outside Sales Representative vs Route Sales Representative

Updated January 8, 2025

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