Sales Agent Education Requirements
Sales Agent Education Requirements And Degrees
If a sales agent career is compelling to you, you might also be interested in what kind of education you need to become a sales agent. For sales agents, the most commonly required education level is a bachelor's degree.
We decided to investigate the topic of sales agent education more precisely by analyzing 38,622 sales agent resumes and found that sales agents most commonly study business, criminal justice, or psychology. 37% of sales agents hold a bachelor's degree, 26% hold a high school diploma and 17% hold a associate degree.
The most common colleges for students to pursue their goal of becoming a sales agent are Miami Dade College and Kaplan University. We also broke down what colleges provide the best overall education for a sales agent. Students have a great path to earning their sales agent qualifications at the following schools:
- Stanford University
- University of Pennsylvania
- Northwestern University
If you're interested in getting a college degree in an affordable college for sales agents - SUNY Farmingdale is an excellent option for you. If your SAT or ACT score aren't as high as you'd like, you can look at Oklahoma Wesleyan University, as the admission requirements aren't too selective. On the other end of that spectrum are the Stanford University, Northwestern University and University of Pennsylvania.
For those who would rather stay in your pajamas during the day, we prepared some online courses that can help in sales agent education paths.
We prepared a list of a sales agent certifications that you should consider. The most common certification for sales agents is Certified Professional, Life and Health Insurance Program (CPLHI).
We assessed our data to determine the typical level of education for sales agents. The most common degree for sales agents is bachelor's degree. In fact, 37% of sales agents earn that degree. A close second is high school diploma with 26% and rounding it off is associate degree with 17%.
- Bachelors degree, 37%
- High School Diploma degree, 26%
- Associate degree, 17%
- Certificate degree, 6%
- Other Degrees, 14%
According to our resume data, most sales agents, 32% to be exact, major in business. Some other common majors for a sales agent include criminal justice and psychology majors.
- Business, 32%
- Criminal Justice, 6%
- Psychology, 6%
- Marketing, 5%
- Other Majors, 51%
Here are the most common colleges for a sales agent career in the US based on their resumes. Sales agents often get their degree in Miami Dade College, Kaplan University, and Florida International University.
Most Common Certifications For Sales Agent
There are certain things that come along with being certified. In addition to earning a credential that proves you know what you're doing, you might also receive some extra benefits or a salary raise from your company. Sometimes it pays to do the extra work. If you're interested in making more money as a sales agent, you might consider earning these certifications:
- Certified Professional, Life and Health Insurance Program (CPLHI)
- Certified Sales Professional (CSP)
- Health Insurance
Certified Professional, Life and Health Insurance Program (CPLHI)
#1 Certification For Sales Agent
The Certified Professional, Life and Health Insurance Program (CPLHI) Program is a three-course education program in Bahasa Indonesia specifically designed to meet the industry education requirements of professionals in Indonesia. Recognized by the Insurance Directorate, Ministry of Finance and the Life Assurance Association of Indonesia (AAJI), who also requested LOMA create the program, the CPLHI Program provides a comprehensive business education for life and health insurance professionals.
The Certified Professional, Life and Health Insurance Program (CPLHI) Program is a three-course education program in Bahasa Indonesia specifically designed to meet the industry education requirements of professionals in Indonesia. Recognized by the Insurance Directorate, Ministry of Finance and the Life Assurance Association of Indonesia (AAJI), who also requested LOMA create the program, the CPLHI Program provides a comprehensive business education for life and health insurance professionals.
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? No
- More than two years of work experience required? No
- Oral or Written Exam Required? Yes
- Renewal Required? No
Certified Sales Professional (CSP)
#2 Certification For Sales Agent
The Certified Sales Professional (CSP) program gives a thorough understanding of consultative selling. From business creation to improved time and territory management; goal-setting to prospecting, and everything in between, attendees return to the territory with a renewed enthusiasm for selling.
The Certified Sales Professional (CSP) program gives a thorough understanding of consultative selling. From business creation to improved time and territory management; goal-setting to prospecting, and everything in between, attendees return to the territory with a renewed enthusiasm for selling.
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
- More than two years of work experience required? Yes
- Oral or Written Exam Required? Yes
- Renewal Required? Every 3 year(s)
Health Insurance
#3 Certification For Sales Agent
The Health Insurance (U.S.) test measures your knowledge of the health care industry medical insurance concepts, procedures, and regulations under the various health plans popular in the United States. This test covers HMO, PPO and POS Concepts and Medicare/Medicaid items. Designed for experienced health insurance specialists, this test covers the following topics: Medical Insurance Concepts, Health Care Administration, Health Care Management, Communication, and Workplace Fundamentals. The Communication and Workplace Fundamentals cover common areas such as Presentation Skills, Business Writing, Interpersonal Skills, Time Management and Managing People.
The Health Insurance (U.S.) test measures your knowledge of the health care industry medical insurance concepts, procedures, and regulations under the various health plans popular in the United States. This test covers HMO, PPO and POS Concepts and Medicare/Medicaid items. Designed for experienced health insurance specialists, this test covers the following topics: Medical Insurance Concepts, Health Care Administration, Health Care Management, Communication, and Workplace Fundamentals. The Communication and Workplace Fundamentals cover common areas such as Presentation Skills, Business Writing, Interpersonal Skills, Time Management and Managing People.
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? No
- More than two years of work experience required? No
- Oral or Written Exam Required? Yes
- Renewal Required? Every 3 year(s)
Certified Management Accountant (CMA)
#4 Certification For Sales Agent
The CMA (Certified Management Accountant) is the advanced professional certification specifically designed to measure the accounting and financial management skills that drive business performance.
The CMA (Certified Management Accountant) is the advanced professional certification specifically designed to measure the accounting and financial management skills that drive business performance.
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
- More than two years of work experience required? Yes
- Oral or Written Exam Required? Yes
- Renewal Required? Every 1 year(s)
Certified Information Technology Professional (CITP)
#5 Certification For Sales Agent
A Certified Information Technology Professional (CITP) is a Certified Public Accountant recognized for his or her unique ability to provide business insight by leveraging knowledge of information relationships and supporting technologies.
A Certified Information Technology Professional (CITP) is a Certified Public Accountant recognized for his or her unique ability to provide business insight by leveraging knowledge of information relationships and supporting technologies.
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
- More than two years of work experience required? Yes
- Oral or Written Exam Required? Yes
- Renewal Required? Every 3 year(s)
Top Online Courses For Sales Agents
Sometimes things are just better when you get to stay in your pajamas all day. That includes school. We found top courses for sales agents from Udemy, Coursera, EDX, and ed2go that will help you advance in your career. Here are essential skills you need to be a sales agent:
- Customer service
- Life insurance
- Communication
Discover how to begin a successful and rewarding career in sales...
Sales Hacking: Essential sales skills, sales strategies and sales techniques to sell just about anything!...
B2B Sales Skill: How to Cold Call over the Phone with Purpose, Navigate through Gatekeepers and Set Client Meetings...
The Ultimate Sales Methodology for Business Development & B2B Sales to Learn Sales Strategy, Sales Skills & Deal Closing...
Learn Sales Strategies & Sales Techniques to Sell ANYTHING for Entrepreneurs, Startup, B2B Sales, & Business Development...
Objections handling masterclass: 100 techniques to handle any objection (sales skills & sales training masterclass)...
Closing Sales: Sales Training Course: Sales Skills; Selling Techniques; Sales Strategies for B2B, B2C Direct Sales...
Selling Techniques and Sales Strategy that Every Salesperson Ought to Know - Sales Training For the Modern World...
B2B Sales Skill: Learn How to Handle the Most Common Sales Objections, Over the Phone and in Person!...
Learn how to sell with core, proven techniques that have generated millions in sales revenue...
Discover a step by step sales process you can drop into your business to re-connect with lost prospects. Close Sales Now...
The Complete Startup Playbook for Business Development & B2B Sales to learn Lead Generation, Pitching, & Closing Deals...
B2B Sales Skill: Create Personalized Talk Tracks for Sales Reps that Win more Prospects and Close more Deals...
Sales skills: 100+ closing the sale tips to close more sales & become a master closer (sales skills closing module)...
Master Customer Service using this practical customer care course...
Learn to create highly converting sales, conduct professional email marketing & 10X your sales with sales funnel fast!...
Sky rocket your sales performance through persuasive sales messages and compelling sales conversations...
NLP Sales Skills: Powerful NLP Techniques For Sales, Persuasion & Influence Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Sales...
This course will give you extensive knowledge about the whole sales process...
Top 10 Colleges For Sales Agents
In a lot of cases, a higher education can mean a higher salary or even a better job. That's why we found out the best colleges for sales agents. We based this list on these metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of students working, ratio of working vs. non-working students 10 years after admission, average cost of attendance and median debt for graduates.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
4. Maine Maritime Academy
Castine, ME • Public
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
6. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Public
7. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Public
8. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
9. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Public
10. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
Top 10 Affordable Colleges For Sales Agents
If those top 10 were a bit out of your price range, you might want to check these schools instead. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price and mean earnings after 6 years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for sales agents.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Public
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Public
3. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Public
4. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Public
5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Public
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
7. SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Utica, NY • Public
8. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Public
9. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Public
10. Clayton State University
Morrow, GA • Public
Top 10 Hardest Colleges To Get Into For Sales Agents
Some people like a challenge. Well, we challenge you to get into one of these schools. It's not going to be easy. We know this based on these institutions' admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted and mean earnings of students 6 years after admission.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
7. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
8. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
9. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Public
10. Brandeis University
Waltham, MA • Private
Top 10 Easier To Apply Colleges For Sales Agents
Why make getting a job harder on yourself than it has to be? With these colleges, you're sure to be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores and average salary of students 6 years after graduation in order to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
3. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
5. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
6. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
7. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
8. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
9. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
10. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Public