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The differences between technical sales representatives and outside sales representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a technical sales representative, becoming an outside sales representative takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a technical sales representative has an average salary of $71,310, which is higher than the $60,443 average annual salary of an outside sales representative.
The top three skills for a technical sales representative include sales process, business development and sales support. The most important skills for an outside sales representative are customer service, work ethic, and sales process.
| Technical Sales Representative | Outside Sales Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $71,310 | $60,443 |
| Hourly rate | $34.28 | $29.06 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 237,456 | 218,034 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 4.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
A technical sales representative is responsible for selling products and services by demonstrating the product's details and features to existing and potential clients. Technical sales representatives evaluate clients' needs and recommend solutions through the organization's technology-based products. They also assist with promotional offers and marketing campaigns to boost brand awareness and increase revenues and achieve profitability goals while ensuring the highest customer satisfaction. A technical sales representative must have excellent communication and customer service skills, handling customers' inquiries, and resolving complaints.
An Outside Sales Representative specializes in customer service and relations, focusing on reaching sales targets through selling and networking with clients. Among the duties revolve around reaching out to customers through calls, email, or even arranging appointments, monitoring and keeping an organized record of sales, communicating with managers or supervisors, adhering to the company's policies and regulations, and keeping extensive knowledge about the brand and the trends. Besides building rapport with customers, it is also essential for an Outside Sales Representative to be proactive and create strategies to help meet the sales target.
Technical sales representatives and outside sales representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Sales Representative | Outside Sales Representative | |
| Average salary | $71,310 | $60,443 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $129,000 | Between $41,000 And $87,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Minneapolis, MN |
| Highest paying state | New York | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a technical sales representative and an outside sales representative in terms of educational background:
| Technical Sales Representative | Outside Sales Representative | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | SUNY College of Technology at Alfred |
Here are the differences between technical sales representatives' and outside sales representatives' demographics:
| Technical Sales Representative | Outside Sales Representative | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.3% Female, 26.7% | Male, 71.5% Female, 28.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |