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The differences between technical sales engineers and outside sales 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 outside sales takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a technical sales engineer has an average salary of $88,623, which is higher than the $77,292 average annual salary of an outside sales.
The top three skills for a technical sales engineer include customer service, sales process and product line. The most important skills for an outside sales are customer service, product knowledge, and ongoing support.
| Technical Sales Engineer | Outside Sales | |
| Yearly salary | $88,623 | $77,292 |
| Hourly rate | $42.61 | $37.16 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 161,743 | 333,400 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| 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.
An outside sales representative is responsible for generating the company's sales and revenues by offering goods and services to existing and potential clients, responding to the customers' inquiries and concerns about the products, and researching on possible leads. Outside sales representatives monitor the current industry trends to identify new business opportunities that would help the business adjust to market changes to achieve profitability goals. An outside sales representative must have excellent communication and customer service skills, immediately resolving complaints and assisting on marketing promotions to gain sales prospects.
Technical sales engineers and outside sales have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Sales Engineer | Outside Sales | |
| Average salary | $88,623 | $77,292 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $122,000 | Between $56,000 And $104,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Arlington, VA |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | Morgan Stanley | |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a technical sales engineer and an outside sales in terms of educational background:
| Technical Sales Engineer | Outside Sales | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| 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 outside sales' demographics:
| Technical Sales Engineer | Outside Sales | |
| Average age | 44 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.6% Female, 11.4% | Male, 78.3% Female, 21.7% |
| 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, 72.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 6% |