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The differences between technical sales representatives and 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 a 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 $56,591 average annual salary of a sales representative.
The top three skills for a technical sales representative include sales process, business development and sales support. The most important skills for a sales representative are sales process, product knowledge, and customer service.
| Technical Sales Representative | Sales Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $71,310 | $56,591 |
| Hourly rate | $34.28 | $27.21 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 237,456 | 205,456 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 4.33 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| 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.
Sales representatives primarily sell the company's products and services to businesses or organizations. They should be adept at closing out sales, negotiating, and providing customer service. They should be knowledgeable about the products or services of the manufacturer or producer they represent. They must also have strong analytical skills that would help them in coming up with cost-benefit analysis in assessing the current roster of clients and even prospective ones. Sales representatives should also be able to maintain good working relationships with all involved stakeholders, especially clients.
Technical sales representatives and sales representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Sales Representative | Sales Representative | |
| Average salary | $71,310 | $56,591 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $129,000 | Between $33,000 And $94,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | ||
| Best paying industry | - | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a technical sales representative and a sales representative in terms of educational background:
| Technical Sales Representative | Sales Representative | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| 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 sales representatives' demographics:
| Technical Sales Representative | Sales Representative | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.3% Female, 26.7% | Male, 58.1% Female, 41.9% |
| 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, 14.5% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |