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The differences between technical sales engineers and territory 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 a territory 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 $34,431 average annual salary of a territory sales representative.
The top three skills for a technical sales engineer include customer service, sales process and product line. The most important skills for a territory sales representative are customer service, CRM, and product knowledge.
| Technical Sales Engineer | Territory Sales Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $88,623 | $34,431 |
| Hourly rate | $42.61 | $16.55 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 161,743 | 219,928 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| 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.
A territory sales representative is responsible for selling goods and services, assisting customers with their inquiries and concerns, and monitoring the assigned area's sales reports. Territory sales representatives coordinate with the rest of the sales team to develop effective marketing strategies and promotional techniques to increase revenues and profitability. Territory sales representatives research current market trends to identify business opportunities to meet consumer demands and widen their services. A territory sales representative must have excellent knowledge of the sales disciplines and principles, managing the market approach to ensure customer satisfaction.
Technical sales engineers and territory sales representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Sales Engineer | Territory Sales Representative | |
| Average salary | $88,623 | $34,431 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $122,000 | Between $15,000 And $78,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | IBM | |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | - |
There are a few differences between a technical sales engineer and a territory sales representative in terms of educational background:
| Technical Sales Engineer | Territory 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 territory sales representatives' demographics:
| Technical Sales Engineer | Territory Sales Representative | |
| Average age | 44 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.6% Female, 11.4% | Male, 69.1% Female, 30.9% |
| 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, 14.2% Asian, 5.1% White, 72.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 6% |