Salesman | Salary & Job Information

Becoming a Salesman via Online Education?

At the very least, online education can help you lay a foundation and/or open up alternate career paths. Kaplan University, one of the highest ranking online schools, is a US school (accredited) offering sales courses to train individuals to become top-notch sales agents, saleswomen, saleswomen, sales professionals, sales consultants, sales workers, etc. Currently, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics there are 1,409,780 people employed as sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing alone in America, and their average annual salary is $61,400. Colleges and universities like Kaplan University that provide online education are successfully launching workers into this field.

Typical Work Locations for a Salesman
  • mall
  • store
  • sales department
  • shop
  • call center
  • factory
  • showroom
  • multiplex
  • front office
  • television channel
Potential Advantages and Benefits of Working as a Salesman
  • you can negotiate price on almost anything
  • learn how to sell things with a warranty
  • learn patience with customers
  • lain skills on how to speak with customers
  • learn to give customers what they need
  • meet new people
  • you get to talk for your job
  • gain great sales tips
  • commission options
  • great salary
Potential Drawbacks
  • deal with rejection and frustration on a regular basis
  • anticipate every possible question about your product
  • stay positive when dealing with rude customers
  • sometimes accept pay based entirely on sales commissions
  • struggle to make or exceed quota and risk losing your job every day
  • be effective at resolving complaints
  • multi-task between customer relations and record keeping
  • intuit customer interests and needs
  • be able to explain any product in the store in detail
  • work by yourself without help
Related Professions to Consider
  • Route Salesman
  • Car Salesman
  • Outside Parts Salesman
  • Chemical Route Salesman
  • Car Salesman
  • Showroom Salesman
  • Construction Salesman
  • Agronomy Salesman
  • Roofing Salesman
  • Route Salesman
Possible Interview Questions When Applying to be a Salesman
  • What attracts you to the industry?
  • What are your long-term professional goals?
  • What do you like and dislike about your sales process and why?
  • What do you do personally for your professional development?
  • As a sales professional what do you see as your primary and secondary roles within a company?
  • Describe a situation with a client or prospect where you made a mistake. How did you handle the error?
  • How would your present prospects and customers describe you as their sales representative?
  • How do you move forward from a string of rejections?
  • What are some of the challenges you see that are facing this industry?
  • Describe a time you led a group of people the primary challenges you faced and how you handled them?
Common Collaborating Professions
  • Sales Associate
  • Sales Manager
  • Regional Sales Manager
  • Regional Vice President
  • Assistant Sales Manager
  • Accountant
  • Account Representative
  • Sales Trainer
  • Trainee
  • Assistant
Salesman Training books Salesman (More) Popular books Potential Companies to Work For Common College Majors
  • Professional Sales
  • Insurance
  • Marketing
  • Retailing
  • Sales and Distribution
  • International Marketing
  • Auctioneering
  • Selling Skills and Sales Operations
  • Tourism Marketing
  • Marketing Research

Salesman Salary Information

Category: Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products

Total # Employed in the US 1,409,780
Average Hourly Wage: $29.52/hr
Hourly Wage Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$12.69 $17.29 $24.48 $35.72 $51.02
Average Yearly Salary $61,400
Yearly Salary Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$26,390 $35,950 $50,920 $74,310 $106,130
Employment Demographics
% OF WORKERS WITH
< High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Master Degree Doctoral Degree
3.0% 18.6% 23.2% 8.1% 39.8% 6.6% 0.7%
Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
STATEAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
Delaware $36.31/hr $75,520
Oklahoma $34.61/hr $71,990
Nebraska $34.09/hr $70,910
North Dakota $33.65/hr $69,990
Missouri $33.44/hr $69,560
Virginia $31.87/hr $66,290
Mississippi $31.68/hr $65,890
Kansas $31.53/hr $65,590
Colorado $31.39/hr $65,280
Florida $31.39/hr $65,290
District of Columbia $31.38/hr $65,260
Connecticut $30.77/hr $64,000
North Carolina $30.4/hr $63,240
Utah $30.25/hr $62,920
Tennessee $29.92/hr $62,240
Idaho $29.03/hr $60,370
Montana $28.7/hr $59,690
New York $28.53/hr $59,340
Wyoming $28.47/hr $59,220
Maine $28.46/hr $59,200
South Carolina $28.29/hr $58,850
New Hampshire $28.04/hr $58,310
Arkansas $27.89/hr $58,000
Kentucky $27.83/hr $57,880
Maryland $27.71/hr $57,640
California $27.37/hr $56,930
Washington $27.36/hr $56,900
Hawaii $27.21/hr $56,590
Wisconsin $27.04/hr $56,230
Louisiana $26.86/hr $55,870
Guam $26.64/hr $55,420
Puerto Rico $26.27/hr $54,640
New Mexico $25.91/hr $53,900
Alaska $25.47/hr $52,990
Alabama $25.37/hr $52,780
Massachusetts $25.32/hr $52,660
Ohio $25.13/hr $52,270
Nevada $25.09/hr $52,190
Oregon $24.94/hr $51,870
Michigan $24.92/hr $51,830
West Virginia $23.42/hr $48,710
Pennsylvania $22.94/hr $47,710
South Dakota $22.76/hr $47,330
Iowa $22.33/hr $46,450
Indiana $22.14/hr $46,060
New Jersey $21.63/hr $44,990


Sales Programs by State & City