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The differences between software sales representatives and executive sales representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a software sales representative, becoming an executive sales representative takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a software sales representative has an average salary of $82,188, which is higher than the $78,858 average annual salary of an executive sales representative.
The top three skills for a software sales representative include cloud, software sales and healthcare. The most important skills for an executive sales representative are patients, product knowledge, and oncology.
| Software Sales Representative | Executive Sales Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $82,188 | $78,858 |
| Hourly rate | $39.51 | $37.91 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 146,618 | 226,902 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
A software sales representative is responsible for selling technology products and software applications, as well as responding to the customers' inquiries and concerns, and resolving complaints. Software sales representatives take customer orders, process their payments, and set the delivery schedule according to the customers' preference. They also discuss the products' terms of service, including its maintenance instructions, and other related conditions. A software sales representative must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially when updating customers' information in the database accurately and verifying the adequacy of stock inventories.
An executive sales representative researches and recommends business opportunities. They analyze sales alternatives and help build business relations with clients and prospects. They must keep updated on business trends and potential competitors to best recommend new product ideas. They must be open-minded, risk-takers, adaptive, and innovative to be able to develop successful marketing strategies. It is also necessary for them to be highly skilled at business analysis to distinguish selling opportunities and create an immediate action plan.
Software sales representatives and executive sales representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Software Sales Representative | Executive Sales Representative | |
| Average salary | $82,188 | $78,858 |
| Salary range | Between $58,000 And $115,000 | Between $48,000 And $128,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sacramento, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | - |
| Best paying company | Varian Medical Systems | - |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between a software sales representative and an executive sales representative in terms of educational background:
| Software Sales Representative | Executive Sales Representative | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | SUNY College of Technology at Alfred | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between software sales representatives' and executive sales representatives' demographics:
| Software Sales Representative | Executive Sales Representative | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 71.2% Female, 28.8% | Male, 53.7% Female, 46.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |