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Job outlook for sales special agents in the United States
Are sales special agent jobs in demand?
Sales special agent job and salary trends over time
Sales special agent jobs over time
Sales special agent job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 855 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 882 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 877 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 833 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 781 | 0.00% |
Average sales special agent salary over time
Sales special agent salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $42,853 | $20.60 | +4.0% |
| 2024 | $41,199 | $19.81 | --2.9% |
| 2023 | $42,423 | $20.40 | +0.5% |
| 2022 | $42,198 | $20.29 | --5.2% |
| 2021 | $44,534 | $21.41 | --5.9% |
Sales special agent jobs by state
Most common states for sales special agents
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 628 | 59% |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 3,602 | 53% |
| 3 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 369 | 53% |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 6,498 | 51% |
| 5 | Vermont | 623,657 | 312 | 50% |
| 6 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 620 | 46% |
| 7 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 487 | 46% |
| 8 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 1,331 | 43% |
| 9 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 4,937 | 42% |
| 10 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 2,545 | 42% |
| 11 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 1,719 | 41% |
| 12 | Tennessee | 6,715,984 | 2,705 | 40% |
| 13 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 1,986 | 40% |
| 14 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 348 | 40% |
| 15 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 304 | 40% |
| 16 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 234 | 40% |
| 17 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 1,730 | 39% |
| 18 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 1,200 | 38% |
| 19 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 3,156 | 37% |
| 20 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 2,040 | 35% |
Most common cities for sales special agents
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rochester | 2 | 2% | $52,198 |
| 2 | Burnsville | 1 | 2% | $52,090 |
| 3 | Carson City | 1 | 2% | $43,727 |
| 4 | Arlington | 2 | 1% | $45,919 |
| 5 | Saint Paul | 2 | 1% | $52,277 |
| 6 | Arvada | 1 | 1% | $37,675 |
| 7 | Broken Arrow | 1 | 1% | $33,089 |
| 8 | Atlanta | 2 | 0% | $33,847 |
| 9 | Dallas | 2 | 0% | $45,867 |
| 10 | Fort Worth | 2 | 0% | $45,920 |
| 11 | Phoenix | 2 | 0% | $42,448 |
| 12 | Albuquerque | 1 | 0% | $42,279 |
| 13 | Anaheim | 1 | 0% | $52,166 |
| 14 | Austin | 1 | 0% | $47,306 |
| 15 | Birmingham | 1 | 0% | $32,802 |
| 16 | Boston | 1 | 0% | $45,719 |
| 17 | Chicago | 1 | 0% | $37,437 |
Sales Special Agent job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of sales special agent experts
University of Maryland - College Park
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
University of Akron
University of Mount Union
Franklin and Marshall College
California State University Channel Islands
University of North Carolina at Asheville
What Sales Special Agent skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Kathleen Kelly: Maximizing your salary potential requires research, flexibility, and being your best advocate.
E. Duff Wrobbel Ph.D.
ChairSouthern Illinois University Edwardsville
Communication And Media Studies
What Sales Special Agent skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
E. Duff Wrobbel Ph.D.: All things social media are important, and so writing skills still matter.
What will help Sales Special Agents increase their earning potential?
E. Duff Wrobbel Ph.D.: With this major, probably the best salaries are from sales jobs, which many people shy away from because they think only of hustling used cars, but sales can be very good work.
Frederik Beuk
Associate Professor of MarketingUniversity of Akron
Specialized Sales, Merchandising And Marketing Operations
What will help Sales Special Agents increase their earning potential?
Frederik Beuk: Digital Literacy and AI are obviously on everybody's mind. The benefit for early career professionals is that these are skills they can use to differentiate themselves from more established professionals. Embrace these tools. At the same time, being an authentic storyteller that helps buyers envision the potential of your solutions can be an extremely powerful skill.
Michael Grossman Ph.D.
Professor, Political Studies and International StudiesUniversity of Mount Union
Department of Political Science and International Studies
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Sales Special Agents?
Michael Grossman Ph.D.: It is less about licenses or courses and more about experiences. In this regard, internships are crucial.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Sales Special Agents?
Cynthia Krom: Professional certifications matter. If your profession has a certification, you need to have that certification to be competitive in this new world. So, a public accountant needs to have a CPA, and a corporate accountant needs to have their CMA. A fraud examiner needs their CFE. Find out what is available in your profession and take whatever courses or exams are needed to be at the top of your game, because everyone else will.
We don't really know what will be happening with professional licenses with remote work. A psychotherapist may be licensed in New York, but remotely treating a client in New Mexico. Technically, they probably need a license in New Mexico. But who will control that? Will it just be the professional responsibility of the therapist to only practice where licensed? Will their malpractice insurance only cover them if the client is where they are licensed? What about a physician operating on someone a thousand miles away using robotics?
In terms of courses not related to professional certification or licensure, technology is where it is at. First and foremost, polish your Zoom skills. Zoom is now your face-to-face workplace and you need to be a pro. YouTube has great videos about lighting for Zoom, even with reflective eyeglasses. Perhaps your IT department is able to help with connectivity issues and learning remote technologies. And, as we have all recently seen, you need to learn how to turn off filters that make you look like a kitten! For nearly every field, you have to know Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, and Excel) or similar programs. You need to know how to work collaboratively on projects through things like Google Drive. If you are not fluent in the basics, you are showing up for a horse race with a little pony.
Ekin Pehlivan Ph.D.
Associate Professor of MarketingCalifornia State University Channel Islands
Martin V. Smith School of Business and Economics
What's a good job out of college for Sales Special Agents?
Ekin Pehlivan Ph.D.: I think a description of a "good" job opportunity is dependent on so many factors, almost all subjective. What I recommend my students usually, is that they try different things before graduation and find something that makes them feel a purpose other than (and in addition to) making ends meet. For this reason we started a program on our campus where students are hired to help non-profits and small businesses in our area of service. In this program, students get to gain and practice skills that can help them succeed in a corporate or freelance capacity. The students get to experiment without fear of losing a job and find what they would like their entry level positions to look like. While doing this they also help organizations and individuals who have the need but not the resources to get the services from professionals.
What soft skills should all Sales Special Agents possess?
Sonya DiPalma Ph.D.: Be personable and a person someone wants to talk with and work with on a continuing basis. Listening and note-taking skills will be critical. Great employees listen well and ask good follow up questions. Be versatile and adaptable. If you find some downtime between projects, ask how you may help with another project.