Sales Specialist Education Requirements

Updated April 5, 2024

4 min read

Quoted Experts

Director Dave Payne M.S.,

Jon-Paul McCool

The educational requirements for a sales specialist typically include a high school diploma, with around 48% of professionals having this level of education. Some sales specialists also have an associate degree (18%) or a bachelor's degree (34% According to Director Dave Payne M.S., Associate Professor of Practice/Sales at the University of Akron, "Skills are king... creating a new system for sales practice, AI feedback, and repetition will be the game changer." This suggests that while education is important, practical skills and continual learning are crucial for success in the field.

What education do you need to become a sales specialist?

What degree do you need to be a sales specialist?

The most common degree for sales specialists is bachelor's degree, with 62% of sales specialists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 17% and associate degree degree at 12%.

Bachelor's, 62%

Associate, 17%

High School Diploma, 12%

Master's, 5%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a sales specialist?

Based on the given education requirements, the best college majors for a sales specialist are Business, Marketing, Communication, and Psychology. According to Jon-Paul McCool, Associate Professor of Geography and Environmental Science Program Coordinator at Valparaiso University, advancing in a sales career requires a vested interest and pursuit of additional learning opportunities.

Business, 33%

Marketing, 9%

Communication, 7%

Psychology, 6%

Other Majors, 45%

Most common colleges for sales specialists

Sales specialists often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Pennsylvania State University, and Arizona State University. Here are the most common colleges for sales specialists in the US based on their resumes.

Sales Specialist Common College	Percentages
University of Phoenix	15.86%
Pennsylvania State University	6.76%
Arizona State University	6.20%
Ohio State University	5.37%
Florida State University	4.85%

Show more common sales specialist colleges

Best majors for sales specialists

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	32.8%
2	Marketing	9.0%
3	Communication	7.4%
4	Psychology	5.9%
5	Management	4.4%

Show more common sales specialist majors

Best colleges for sales specialists

For aspiring sales specialists, attending a top-ranked college can lead to increased earning potential and career opportunities. Zippia's list of best colleges includes institutions like SUNY College of Technology at Alfred, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. These schools were selected based on admission and retention rates, mean earnings of graduates, and cost of attendance. Notably, the majority of sales specialists hold either a high school diploma or a bachelor's degree.

1. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,570

Enrollment

3,721

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-State Tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

6. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

In-State Tuition

$45,542

Enrollment

14,159

7. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-State Tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

8. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-State Tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

9. SUNY College of Technology at Delhi

Delhi, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,360

Enrollment

3,142

10. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-State Tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

20 best online courses for sales specialists

Advertising Disclosure

1. Salesforce Sales Development Representative

If you’ve always wanted a rewarding career, the tech sales industry may be the path for you. If you’re an ambitious problem-solver who likes to win, you’ll find tech sales not only fulfilling, but lucrative as well. As the tech industry continuously introduces innovative services and products, tech sales roles have become more crucial than ever. SDRs are in the front lines of the tech biz, connecting with customers and clients, and coming up with the smartest solutions for their problems. Sales...

2. HubSpot Sales Representative

Whether you're completely new to sales and looking to start a new career, or you want to grow in your current sales role, this five-course career training program from the inbound sales experts at HubSpot can help you reach your career goals.\n\nYou’ll start by learning the basics of sales enablement and how sales and marketing teams can collaborate to create and keep relationships with their targeted buyers. You’ll develop data-driven sales goals and influential content to enable you to...

3. The Complete B2B Sales Masterclass: 6 Courses in 1

(413)

1. Generate Leads, 2. Pitch, 3. Close & Handle Any Objection: Get Certified in Cutting Edge, Non-Pushy B2B Sales System...

4. Sales Skills: 9 Sales Training Courses In 1

4.4

(994)

Develop Extraordinary Sales Skills With The Ultimate Sales Training (Taught By 5 Top Sales Experts)...

5. Sales Fire: B2B Sales & Business Development for Startups

4.6

(584)

The Ultimate Sales Methodology for Business Development & B2B Sales to Learn Sales Strategy, Sales Skills & Deal Closing...

6. Sales Training: Practical Sales Techniques

4.6

(23,968)

Sales Hacking: Essential sales skills, sales strategies and sales techniques to sell just about anything!...

7. Sales Training: How To Close More Sales

4.5

(1,734)

Closing Sales: Sales Training Course: Sales Skills; Selling Techniques; Sales Strategies for B2B, B2C Direct Sales...

8. Sales Machine: The Sales Training B2B Master Course

4.6

(4,040)

Learn Sales Strategies & Sales Techniques to Sell ANYTHING for Entrepreneurs, Startup, B2B Sales, & Business Development...

9. Sales Training Pro: The Complete Sales Presentation Course

4.6

(346)

Practical, Hands-on Sales Techniques and Tools to Effortlessly Engage your Customers In Your Sales Presentations...

10. Sales Funnels Masterclass: Increase Sales With Sales Funnels

4.5

(599)

Learn to create highly converting sales, conduct professional email marketing & 10X your sales with sales funnel fast!...

11. Sales Training: Become A Sales Superstar

4.7

(262)

Develop Advanced Sales Skills To Sell Anything Like A Champ (Taught By A World-class Salesman)...

12. B2B Sales Skills: LinkedIn Lead Generation, Cold Email Sales

4.5

(327)

High-ticket B2B sales and marketing. Generate leads, sell to big companies, and win large deals. Learn sales skills!...

13. The Complete Sales Skills Master Class - Sales Marketing B2B

4.5

(741)

Master Sales Skills, Marketing Strategy, B2B Sales, Business Development, Lead Generation Using Top Social Skills...

14. Sales Skills Mastery 1: Sales Training For Beginners

4.4

(817)

Selling Techniques and Sales Strategy that Every Salesperson Ought to Know - Sales Training For the Modern World...

15. Business Development & B2B Sales for Startups- Sales Valley

4.5

(6,788)

The Complete Startup Playbook for Business Development & B2B Sales to learn Lead Generation, Pitching, & Closing Deals...

16. Sales Prospecting Fundamentals: A Complete Guide to Success

4.3

(298)

Master effective prospecting by leveraging your sales superpower to increase your income!...

17. Sales Methodologies: Best Practices for Enterprise Selling

4.4

(884)

Apply sales methodology and sales process best practices to the modern enterprise selling organization...

18. Sales Fundamentals

(791)

Learn how to sell with core, proven techniques that have generated millions in sales revenue...

19. Sales and Marketing For Online Businesses

(1,581)

A Beginners Guide To Sales & Marketing For Your Online Business And Ventures...

20. Sales Training - Everyone sells!

4.5

(2,472)

This course will give you extensive knowledge about the whole sales process...

Top 10 most affordable universities for sales specialists

The most affordable schools for sales specialists are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for sales specialists are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for sales specialists.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,262

Cost of Attendance

14,046

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,306

Cost of Attendance

16,091

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,309

Cost of Attendance

16,714

4. Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$5,740

Cost of Attendance

17,864

5. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,381

Cost of Attendance

21,034

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-State Tuition

$5,620

Cost of Attendance

18,136

7. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,587

Cost of Attendance

16,915

8. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-State Tuition

$4,094

Cost of Attendance

14,302

9. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-State Tuition

$9,992

Cost of Attendance

22,430

10. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,942

Cost of Attendance

14,469

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for sales specialists

The hardest universities for sales specialists to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for sales specialists are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for sales specialists based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions Rate

SAT Average

1,492

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions Rate

SAT Average

1,497

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions Rate

SAT Average

1,508

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

20%

SAT Average

1,419

5. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions Rate

43%

SAT Average

1,338

6. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions Rate

15%

SAT Average

1,506

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions Rate

22%

SAT Average

1,420

8. Fordham University

Bronx, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

46%

SAT Average

1,354

9. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

Admissions Rate

47%

SAT Average

1,390

10. Clemson University

Clemson, SC • Private

Admissions Rate

47%

SAT Average

1,337

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for sales specialists

The easiest schools for sales specialists to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and lim college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a sales specialist without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for sales specialists.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions Rate

91%

SAT Average

1,006

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions Rate

68%

SAT Average

964

3. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

83%

SAT Average

1,061

4. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions Rate

88%

SAT Average

1,044

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions Rate

90%

SAT Average

994

6. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions Rate

82%

SAT Average

983

7. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions Rate

70%

SAT Average

849

8. Ursuline College

Pepper Pike, OH • Private

Admissions Rate

90%

SAT Average

1,102

9. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions Rate

93%

SAT Average

994

10. Cleary University

Howell, MI • Private

Admissions Rate

58%

SAT Average

1,039

Average sales specialist salary by education level

Sales specialists with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $71,702 annually. With a Doctorate degree, sales specialists earn a median annual income of $67,824 compared to $61,743 for sales specialists with an Bachelor's degree.

Sales Specialist education level	Sales Specialist salary
Master's Degree	$71,702
High School Diploma or Less	$42,247
Bachelor's Degree	$61,743
Doctorate Degree	$67,824
Some College/ Associate Degree	$44,497

Sales Specialist Education FAQs

What is the best college for Sales Specialists?

Have more questions? See all answers to common sales questions.

Search for sales specialist jobs

Updated April 5, 2024

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated April 5, 2024

Browse sales jobs