Route sales representative vs retail sales representative

The differences between route sales representatives and retail sales representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a route sales representative has an average salary of $44,918, which is higher than the $37,907 average annual salary of a retail sales representative.

The top three skills for a route sales representative include CDL, DOT and strong customer service. The most important skills for a retail sales representative are retail sales, retail store, and POS.

Route sales representative vs retail sales representative overview

	Route Sales Representative	Retail Sales Representative
Yearly salary	$44,918	$37,907
Hourly rate	$21.60	$18.22
Growth rate	11%	-
Number of jobs	108,194	391,763
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 37%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age	48	41
Years of experience	-	-

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.

What does a retail sales representative do?

A retail salesperson's responsibility is to sell products and provide necessary information to the consumers to convince them of availing items. Retail salesperson's duties include coordinating with promotional programs, recommending strategies to increase sales, answering customer's inquiries, and escalating any concerns to the management that might affect the company's sales performance. A retail salesperson must have excellent communication skills to build a good rapport with the customers and assist them with their needs. A retail salesperson also helps with inventories and documenting a customer's suggestion for service improvement.

Route sales representative vs retail sales representative salary

Route sales representatives and retail sales representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Route Sales Representative	Retail Sales Representative
Average salary	$44,918	$37,907
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $54,000	Between $28,000 And $50,000
Highest paying City	San Jose, CA	Portland, ME
Highest paying state	California	Maine
Best paying company	Johnson Controls	Pella
Best paying industry	Education	Manufacturing

Differences between route sales representative and retail sales representative education

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

	Route Sales Representative	Retail Sales Representative
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 37%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Route sales representative vs retail sales representative demographics

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

	Route Sales Representative	Retail Sales Representative
Average age	48	41
Gender ratio	Male, 91.7% Female, 8.3%	Male, 54.6% Female, 45.4%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 20.9% Asian, 6.9% White, 56.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	4%	7%

Differences between route sales representative and retail sales representative duties and responsibilities

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.

Retail sales representative example responsibilities.

Track leads, manage business opportunity, and initiate sales promotions using Siebel CRM.
Achieve quarterly and yearly bonus goals by controlling business expenses and effectively managing payroll costs.
Train new RSC members on sales techniques.
Complete daily office visit entries through CRM.
Conduct WebEx & PowerPoint presentations over the phone.
Used passion for technology and resourcefulness to generate sales.

Route sales representative vs retail sales representative skills

Common route sales representative skills

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

Common retail sales representative skills

Retail Sales, 30%
Retail Store, 17%
POS, 12%
Store Management, 7%
Customer Relationships, 4%
Broadband, 3%

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Route Sales Representative
Route Sales Representative vs Retail Sales Representative

Updated January 8, 2025

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