Research Summary. Using a database of 30 million profiles, Zippia estimates demographics and statistics for sales representatives in the United States. Our estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:

  • 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 age of an employed sales representative 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 2021, women 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.

Sales Representative Statistics By Gender

41.9% of sales representatives are women and 58.1% of sales representatives are men.

  • Male, 58.1%
  • Female, 41.9%

Sales Representatives By Gender

GenderPercentages
Male58.1%
Female41.9%

Gender Pay Gap For Sales Representative

Women Earn 92ยข For Every $1 Earned By Men

male-income
Male Income
$55,909
female-income
Female Income
$51,697

Sales Representative Gender Over Time

This data shows how men and women predominate in the sales representative position over time.

Male
Female
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021

Sales Representative Gender By Year

YearMaleFemale
201060.92%39.08%
201160.98%39.02%
201262.04%37.96%
201360.94%39.06%
201459.39%40.61%
201559.29%40.71%
201659.66%40.34%
201759.75%40.25%
201857.92%42.08%
201958.85%41.15%
202058.95%41.05%
202158.15%41.85%

Sales Representative Male to Female Ratio

We compared this job title with other job titles to see how gender percentages varied. As you can see, commercial equipment and supplies sales representative and outside parts sales have the biggest difference in gender.

Job TitleMaleFemale
Avon Representative6%94%
Avon Sales Representative7%93%
Inside Sales Assistant20%80%
Sales Representative58%42%
Factory Representative90%10%
Outside Parts Sales92%8%
Commercial Equipment And Supplies Sales Representative93%7%

Sales Representative Statistics By Race

The most common ethnicity among sales representatives is White, which makes up 72.5% of all sales representatives. Comparatively, there are 14.5% of the Hispanic or Latino ethnicity and 5.2% of the Asian ethnicity.

  • 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 RacePercentages
White72.5%
Hispanic or Latino14.5%
Asian5.2%
Black or African American3.9%
Unknown3.7%
American Indian and Alaska Native0.2%

Sales Representative Race And Ethnicity Over Time

Using the Census Bureau data, we found out how the percentage of each ethnic category trended between 2010-2019 among sales representatives.

  • White
  • Asian
  • Hispanic or Latino
  • Black or African American

Sales Representative Race By Year

YearWhiteBlack or African AmericanAsianHispanic or Latino
201078.41%3.95%4.32%11.73%
201177.90%3.83%4.65%12.26%
201277.97%3.74%4.63%12.15%
201377.36%3.99%4.52%12.68%
201476.46%4.17%4.60%13.15%
201576.86%3.95%4.59%12.97%
201676.37%3.68%4.66%13.57%
201776.50%3.97%4.54%13.27%
201876.17%3.86%4.65%13.54%
201976.12%3.76%4.76%13.65%
202074.49%3.87%4.67%13.47%
202172.53%3.87%5.19%14.45%

Sales Representative Wage Gap By Race

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.
$61,000
$59,000
$57,000
$55,000
$53,000
$51,000
$49,000
Unknown
White
Black or African American
Asian
Hispanic or Latino
EthnicitySalary
Unknown$57,507
White$59,182
Black or African American$50,565
Asian$56,460
Hispanic or Latino$56,222

Average Age of a Sales Representative

We determined the average age of sales representatives based on ethnicity and gender.

Male
Female

Sales Representative Age By Race

RaceMale AgeFemale Age
Black or African American4351.5
Unknown4639
Asian4448
Hispanic or Latino4444
White5047
American Indian and Alaska Native41

Sales Representative Age Breakdown

This chart breaks down the ages of sales representative employees. Interestingly enough, the average age of sales representatives is 40+ years old, which represents 71% of the population.

40+ years

30-40 years

20-30 years


Sales Representative Age

Sales Representative YearsPercentages
40+ years71%
30-40 years22%
20-30 years7%

Types of Sales Representative Degree Levels

The most common degree for sales representatives is bachelor's degree 54% of sales representatives earn that degree. A close second is high school diploma with 20% and rounding it off is associate degree with 16%.

  • Bachelors, 54%
  • High School Diploma, 20%
  • Associate, 16%
  • Diploma, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 6%

Sales Representatives By Education

Sales Representative DegreePercentages
Bachelors54%
High School Diploma20%
Associate16%
Diploma4%
Other Degrees6%

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Sales Representative Wage Gap By Education

Sales representatives with a Masters 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 Bachelors degree.
$76,000
$70,000
$64,000
$58,000
$52,000
$46,000
$40,000
High School Diploma or Less
Master's Degree
Bachelor's Degree
Doctorate Degree
Some College/ Associate Degree
EducationSalary
High School Diploma or Less$45,680
Master's Degree$75,276
Bachelor's Degree$65,363
Doctorate Degree$71,426
Some College/ Associate Degree$47,974

Sales Representative Employment Statistics

This section highlights information about where sales representatives work. We found most sales representatives work for a private company. In addition, the industry that employs the most sales representatives is the retail industry.

Company Size

We created this chart to show you the average size of companies that typically hire sales representatives.

< 50 employees

50 - 100 employees

100 - 500 employees

500 - 1,000 employees

1,000 - 10,000 employees

> 10,000

Sales Representative Jobs By Employer Size

Company SizePercentages
< 50 employees4%
50 - 100 employees6%
100 - 500 employees10%
500 - 1,000 employees4%
1,000 - 10,000 employees29%
> 10,000 employees46%

The Types Of Companies Sales Representative Work In

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.

Education

Public

Private

Sales Representative Jobs By Sector

Company TypePercentages
Education1%
Public45%
Private53%
Government0%

Top Industries Hiring Sales Representatives

Just based on the number of employees within each industry, we were able to determine the most common industries that employ sales representatives. Those industries include retail, professional and manufacturing.

Retail

Fortune 500

Professional

Manufacturing

Telecommunication

Sales Representative Turnover And Employment Statistics

Sales Representative Unemployment Rate Over Time

The Bureau of Labor Statistics came in clutch when it came down to figuring out how the unemployment rate has changed over time. Between 2008 and 2018, this is how the number of sales representatives changed.

  • Unemployment rate

Sales Representative Unemployment Rate By Year

YearSales Representative Unemployment Rate
20106.75%
20116.06%
20124.91%
20134.06%
20143.30%
20152.93%
20162.45%
20172.47%
20182.23%
20192.12%
20203.95%
20213.72%

The Average Number of Years That Sales Representative Stay in a Job

By looking over 443,599 sales representatives resumes, we figured out that the average sales representative enjoys staying at their job for 1-2 years for a percentage of 35%.

Less than one year

1-2 years

3-4 years

5-7 years

8-10 years

11+ years

Sales Representative Tenure

Number or YearsPercentages
Less than 1 year32%
1-2 years35%
3-4 years13%
5-7 years11%
8-10 years4%
11+ years5%

Comparing The LGBT Ratio of Sales Representatives with Other Job Titles

After finding the gender ratio, we wondered if the percentages of LGBT persons were different as well. Using the data below, you can see how other job titles compare to sales representatives.

Job TitleLGBTJob Openings
Sales Representative6.15%-
Wedding Consultant7.00%5,835
Electronics Sales Associate7.09%253,356
Rental Manager7.23%2,246
Finance Service Advisor7.29%118,612
Counter Clerk8.34%75,025
Travel Counselor12.49%32,840

Sales Representative LGBT Demographics

ProfessionPercentages of LGBT Job Openings
Wedding Consultant7.00%5,835
Electronics Sales Associate7.09%253,356
Rental Manager7.23%2,246
Finance Service Advisor7.29%118,612
Counter Clerk8.34%75,025
Travel Counselor12.49%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 LanguagePercentages
Spanish65.1%
French7.0%
Portuguese3.0%
Chinese3.0%
Mandarin2.8%
Other19.1%

Sales Representative Jobs

Sales Representative Heatmaps

The amount you can make as a sales representative can depend on where you live. For example, the highest salary of sales representatives is $93,153. Use our chart to find out where that salary is located.

Where Do Sales Representatives Earn The Most?

Sales representatives earn the most in Massachusetts, where the average sales representative salary is $72,324. The map here shows where sales representatives earn the highest salaries in the U.S. The darker areas across the 50 states highlight the highest salaries.

Average Salary

Which State Has The Most Sales Representatives?

By looking through more than 443,599 resumes, we found that the most popular places for sales representatives are New York, NY and Houston, TX.

Number of Sales Representatives

Number Of Sales Representative Jobs By State

Where Are Sales Representatives In High Demand?

Sales representatives are in high demand in Houston, TX. There are currently 259 job openings for sales representatives here. We looked over job openings to determine where in the country sales representatives are in the most demand.

Jobs Openings

Sales Representative Demographics FAQs

What Percentage Of Sales Representatives Are Female?

43.7% of sales representatives are female in the United States. This is -0.9 percentage points lower than last year. Additionally, the percentage of female sales representatives has increased by 2.1 percentage points since 2010. That means there are a total of 676,589 female sales representatives in the U.S. and 871,670 male sales representatives in the United States. Note that Zippia's estimate accounts only for the 1,548,259 people with the specific job title of sales representative and doesn't include grouping similar job titles, or people with potentially similar credentialing.

How Many Sales Representative Are There In The Us?

There are over 1,424,532 Sales Representatives in the United States.

What Percentage Of Sales Representatives Are Black?

3.9% of Sales Representatives are Black or African American

What Race Are Most Sales Representatives?

Most a are White, with 72.5% of Sales Representatives belonging to this ethnicity. 14.5% of Sales Representatives are Hispanic or Latino, 5.2% of Sales Representatives are Asian, 3.9% of Sales Representatives are Black or African American, 3.7% of Sales Representatives are Unknown, and 0.2% of Sales Representatives are American Indian and Alaska Native

Are Sales Representative Jobs Male - Dominated?

Yes, Sales Representative jobs are male - dominated. 58% of Sales Representatives are male, and 41% are female, so there are more male Sales Representatives than female Sales Representatives in the United States.

How Old Is The Average Sales Representative?

The average Sales Representative is 47 years old. 71% of Sales Representatives are 40+ years old or older, 22% are between the ages of 30-40 years, and 7% are between 20-30 years old

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