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The differences between technical sales engineers and executive 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 executive sales representative takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a technical sales engineer has an average salary of $88,623, which is higher than the $78,858 average annual salary of an executive 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 executive sales representative are patients, product knowledge, and oncology.
| Technical Sales Engineer | Executive Sales Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $88,623 | $78,858 |
| Hourly rate | $42.61 | $37.91 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 161,743 | 226,902 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 44 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
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.
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.
Technical sales engineers and executive sales representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Sales Engineer | Executive Sales Representative | |
| Average salary | $88,623 | $78,858 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $122,000 | Between $48,000 And $128,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | - |
| Best paying company | - | |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | - |
There are a few differences between a technical sales engineer and an executive sales representative in terms of educational background:
| Technical Sales Engineer | Executive Sales Representative | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between technical sales engineers' and executive sales representatives' demographics:
| Technical Sales Engineer | Executive Sales Representative | |
| Average age | 44 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.6% Female, 11.4% | Male, 53.7% Female, 46.3% |
| 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% |