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The differences between technical sales engineers and area sales representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a technical sales engineer, becoming an area sales representative takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a technical sales engineer has an average salary of $88,623, which is higher than the $58,355 average annual salary of an area sales representative.
The top three skills for a technical sales engineer include customer service, sales process and product line. The most important skills for an area sales representative are customer service, business development, and sales process.
| Technical Sales Engineer | Area Sales Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $88,623 | $58,355 |
| Hourly rate | $42.61 | $28.06 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 161,743 | 199,212 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 44 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A technical sales engineer is a sales professional who provides technical sales support and advice about the products and services. Your duties typically include consulting and selling on scientifically and technologically advanced products, organizing sales visits, and liaising contracts and terms and conditions. Additionally, you are expected to collaborate with the design, engineering, production, and research and development departments on how to modify products and services that meet customers' needs. You are also responsible for attending meetings, conferences, and trade shows.
The primary role of an area sales representative is to sell the company's products and services within a specified region or territory. You will be responsible for attracting new clients, increase profitability, and win new accounts. Other duties typically include building and maintaining relationships with both new and existing customers, traveling across the region to visit customers, and maintaining records of customer accounts and sales leads. As an area sales representative, it is also your duty to close deals and negotiate service agreements, prices, and terms of sale.
Technical sales engineers and area sales representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Sales Engineer | Area Sales Representative | |
| Average salary | $88,623 | $58,355 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $122,000 | Between $42,000 And $80,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Syracuse, NY |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | Maine |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Finance |
There are a few differences between a technical sales engineer and an area sales representative in terms of educational background:
| Technical Sales Engineer | Area Sales Representative | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | SUNY College of Technology at Alfred |
Here are the differences between technical sales engineers' and area sales representatives' demographics:
| Technical Sales Engineer | Area Sales Representative | |
| Average age | 44 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.6% Female, 11.4% | Male, 66.0% Female, 34.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 1.6% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 8.7% White, 75.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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 | 7% | 6% |