Sales representative demographics and statistics in the US
Sales representative demographics research summary. Zippia estimates sales representative demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our sales representative estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about sales representatives after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 1,424,532 sales representatives currently employed in the United States.
- 41.9% of all sales representatives are women, while 58.1% are men.
- The average sales representative age is 47 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of sales representatives is White (72.5%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (14.5%), Asian (5.2%) and Black or African American (3.9%).
- Sales representatives are most in-demand in Houston, TX.
- Boston, MA pays an annual average wage of $71,996, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women sales representatives earned 92% of what men earned.
- Rhode Island is the best state for sales representatives to live.
- Sales representatives are 53% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Sales representative demographics by:
Sales representative gender statistics
41.9% of sales representatives are women and 58.1% of sales representatives are men.
- Male, 58.1%
- Female, 41.9%
Sales representative gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 58.1% |
| Female | 41.9% |
Sales representative gender pay gap
Women earn 92¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$55,909
Female income
$51,697
Sales representative gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in sales representative positions over time. Currently, 41.9% of sales representatives are female.
Sales representative gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 60.92% | 39.08% |
| 2011 | 60.98% | 39.02% |
| 2012 | 62.04% | 37.96% |
| 2013 | 60.94% | 39.06% |
| 2014 | 59.39% | 40.61% |
| 2015 | 59.29% | 40.71% |
| 2016 | 59.66% | 40.34% |
| 2017 | 59.75% | 40.25% |
| 2018 | 57.92% | 42.08% |
| 2019 | 58.85% | 41.15% |
| 2020 | 58.95% | 41.05% |
| 2021 | 58.15% | 41.85% |
Sales representative related jobs gender ratio
We compared sales representatives with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, commercial equipment and supplies sales representative and outside parts sales have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Avon Representative | 6% | 94% |
| Avon Sales Representative | 7% | 93% |
| Inside Sales Assistant | 20% | 80% |
| Sales Representative | 58% | 42% |
| Factory Representative | 90% | 10% |
| Outside Parts Sales | 92% | 8% |
| Commercial Equipment And Supplies Sales Representative | 93% | 7% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Sales representative demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among sales representatives is White, which makes up 72.5% of all sales representatives. Comparatively, 14.5% of sales representatives are Hispanic or Latino and 5.2% of sales representatives are Asian.
- White, 72.5%
- Hispanic or Latino, 14.5%
- Asian, 5.2%
- Black or African American, 3.9%
- Unknown, 3.7%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
Sales representative race
| Sales representative race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 72.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 14.5% |
| Asian | 5.2% |
| Black or African American | 3.9% |
| Unknown | 3.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.2% |
Sales representative race and ethnicity over time
See how sales representative racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Sales representative race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 78.41% | 3.95% | 4.32% | 11.73% |
| 2011 | 77.90% | 3.83% | 4.65% | 12.26% |
| 2012 | 77.97% | 3.74% | 4.63% | 12.15% |
| 2013 | 77.36% | 3.99% | 4.52% | 12.68% |
| 2014 | 76.46% | 4.17% | 4.60% | 13.15% |
| 2015 | 76.86% | 3.95% | 4.59% | 12.97% |
| 2016 | 76.37% | 3.68% | 4.66% | 13.57% |
| 2017 | 76.50% | 3.97% | 4.54% | 13.27% |
| 2018 | 76.17% | 3.86% | 4.65% | 13.54% |
| 2019 | 76.12% | 3.76% | 4.76% | 13.65% |
| 2020 | 74.49% | 3.87% | 4.67% | 13.47% |
| 2021 | 72.53% | 3.87% | 5.19% | 14.45% |
Sales representative wage gap by race
According to our data, white sales representatives have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american sales representatives have the lowest average salary at $50,565.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $57,507 |
| White | $59,182 |
| Black or African American | $50,565 |
| Asian | $56,460 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $56,222 |
Average sales representative age
See how the average age of sales representatives varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Sales representative age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 43 | 51.5 |
| Unknown | 46 | 39 |
| Asian | 44 | 48 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 44 | 44 |
| White | 50 | 47 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 41 |
Sales representative age breakdown
The average age of sales representatives is 40+ years years old, representing 71% of the sales representative population.
Sales representative age breakdown
| Sales Representative Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 71% |
| 30-40 years | 22% |
| 20-30 years | 7% |
Sales representative educational attainment
The most common degree for sales representatives is bachelor's degree, with 54% of sales representatives earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 20% and high school diploma degree at 16%.
- Bachelor's, 54%
- High School Diploma, 20%
- Associate, 16%
- Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 6%
Sales representatives by degree level
| Sales representative degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 54% |
| High School Diploma | 20% |
| Associate | 16% |
| Diploma | 4% |
| Other Degrees | 6% |
Sales representative jobs you might like
Sales representative wage gap by degree level
According to the data, sales representatives with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $75,276 annually. With a Doctorate degree, sales representatives earn a median annual income of $71,426 compared to $65,363 for sales representatives with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $75,276 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $45,680 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $65,363 |
| Doctorate Degree | $71,426 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $47,974 |
Sales representative employment statistics
Most sales representatives work for a private in the retail industry.
Company size where sales representatives work
Below, you can see the size of companies where sales representatives work.
Sales representative jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 4% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 6% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 10% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 4% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 29% |
| > 10,000 employees | 46% |
Sales representative jobs by company type
Employees with the sales representative job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most sales representatives prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Sales representative jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 1% |
| Public | 45% |
| Private | 53% |
| Government | 0% |
Sales representative jobs by industry
The most common industries for sales representatives are retail, professional and manufacturing.
Sales representative industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Retail | 22% |
| Fortune 500 | 20% |
| Professional | 8% |
| Manufacturing | 7% |
| Telecommunication | 5% |
| Media | 4% |
| Health Care | 4% |
| Finance | 4% |
| Technology | 4% |
| Pharmaceutical | 3% |
| Hospitality | 3% |
| Insurance | 3% |
| Transportation | 2% |
| Real Estate | 2% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Education | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
Sales representative turnover and employment statistics
Sales representative unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for sales representatives between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Sales representative unemployment rate by year
| Year | Sales representative unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 6.75% |
| 2011 | 6.06% |
| 2012 | 4.91% |
| 2013 | 4.06% |
| 2014 | 3.30% |
| 2015 | 2.93% |
| 2016 | 2.45% |
| 2017 | 2.47% |
| 2018 | 2.23% |
| 2019 | 2.12% |
| 2020 | 3.95% |
| 2021 | 3.72% |
Average sales representative tenure
The average sales representative stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 443,599 sales representatives resumes in Zippia's database.
Sales representative tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 32% |
| 1-2 years | 35% |
| 3-4 years | 13% |
| 5-7 years | 11% |
| 8-10 years | 4% |
| 11+ years | 5% |
Sales representative LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of sales representatives that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Sales Representative | 6.15% | - |
| Wedding Consultant | 7.00% | 5,835 |
| Electronics Sales Associate | 7.09% | 253,356 |
| Rental Manager | 7.23% | 2,246 |
| Finance Service Advisor | 7.29% | 118,612 |
| Counter Clerk | 8.34% | 75,025 |
| Travel Counselor | 12.49% | 32,840 |
Similar sales representative jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Wedding Consultant | 7.00% | 5,835 |
| Electronics Sales Associate | 7.09% | 253,356 |
| Rental Manager | 7.23% | 2,246 |
| Finance Service Advisor | 7.29% | 118,612 |
| Counter Clerk | 8.34% | 75,025 |
| Travel Counselor | 12.49% | 32,840 |
Foreign languages spoken by sales representatives
The most common foreign language among sales representatives is Spanish at 65.1%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 7.0% and Portuguese is the third-most popular at 3.0%.
- Spanish, 65.1%
- French, 7.0%
- Portuguese, 3.0%
- Chinese, 3.0%
- Mandarin, 2.8%
- Other, 19.1%
Sales representative languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 65.1% |
| French | 7.0% |
| Portuguese | 3.0% |
| Chinese | 3.0% |
| Mandarin | 2.8% |
| Other | 19.1% |
