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The differences between pre sales engineers and area 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 a pre sales engineer, becoming an area sales representative takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a pre sales engineer has an average salary of $116,651, which is higher than the $58,355 average annual salary of an area sales representative.
The top three skills for a pre sales engineer include sales process, pre sales and cloud. The most important skills for an area sales representative are customer service, business development, and sales process.
| Pre Sales Engineer | Area Sales Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $116,651 | $58,355 |
| Hourly rate | $56.08 | $28.06 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 68,855 | 199,212 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 44 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A pre-sales engineer's role is to assist clients by offering technology recommendations and advice, aiming to secure sales and client satisfaction. Aside from selling products and services, a pre-sales engineer is also responsible for coordinating with various sales personnel, identifying the needs of clients, discussing how the equipment and devices can help attain business goals, and answering any inquiries about the subject. Furthermore, it is essential to develop positive relationships with clients, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
The primary role of an area sales representative is to sell the company's products and services within a specified region or territory. You will be responsible for attracting new clients, increase profitability, and win new accounts. Other duties typically include building and maintaining relationships with both new and existing customers, traveling across the region to visit customers, and maintaining records of customer accounts and sales leads. As an area sales representative, it is also your duty to close deals and negotiate service agreements, prices, and terms of sale.
Pre sales engineers and area sales representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Pre Sales Engineer | Area Sales Representative | |
| Average salary | $116,651 | $58,355 |
| Salary range | Between $84,000 And $160,000 | Between $42,000 And $80,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Syracuse, NY |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | Maine |
| Best paying company | Apple | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Finance |
There are a few differences between a pre sales engineer and an area sales representative in terms of educational background:
| Pre Sales Engineer | Area Sales Representative | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | SUNY College of Technology at Alfred |
Here are the differences between pre sales engineers' and area sales representatives' demographics:
| Pre Sales Engineer | Area Sales Representative | |
| Average age | 44 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.5% Female, 16.5% | Male, 66.0% Female, 34.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 1.7% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian, 8.4% White, 75.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 6% |