Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products pay in the United States

Goes furthest in South Dakota
·Sales·
1.2M jobs
Figures from US Bureau of Labor StatisticsOccupational Employment and Wage Statistics
$34.65/hr median
1,238,190 employed
-1% to 2035
54% AI exposure
High school diploma or equivalent
54 states reported
and more...

What this work is

Sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers to businesses or groups of individuals. Work requires substantial knowledge of items sold.

Where the money actually goes furthest

Rhode Island pays the highest headline figure at $82,420. Adjusted for what things cost there it is worth $80,582 — less than South Dakota, where $77,210 is worth $87,154.

Pay by state

54 states and territories publish a median for this occupation. Switch the ranking to see how much the order changes.

Adjusted for what things cost in that state.

Median pay for Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products by state, ranked by what it is worth locally
StateHourlyAnnualWorth locallyAfter state taxJobs
South Dakota$37.12/hr$77,210$87,154$77,2105,220
North Dakota$35.70/hr$74,250$83,464$74,0324,180
Rhode Island$39.63/hr$82,420$80,582$79,7244,870
Ohio$35.56/hr$73,960$79,724$72,64258,740
Vermont$36.94/hr$76,840$78,440$73,7061,890
Wyoming$34.87/hr$72,530$78,250$72,5301,480
Minnesota$36.90/hr$76,750$77,823$72,99431,230
Colorado$38.10/hr$79,250$76,904$76,50227,530
Kansas$33.15/hr$68,960$76,562$65,40012,630
Indiana$34.29/hr$71,330$76,427$69,22032,350
Iowa$32.09/hr$66,760$76,071$64,77716,990
Michigan$35.09/hr$72,980$75,847$70,11640,960
Massachusetts$38.37/hr$79,810$75,463$75,81922,700
North Carolina$34.13/hr$70,990$75,257$68,51449,110
Washington$38.38/hr$79,830$74,600$79,83027,340
New York$38.27/hr$79,590$73,749$75,81761,500
Illinois$35.34/hr$73,510$73,539$70,00851,310
New Jersey$38.18/hr$79,410$72,980$76,47734,360
Connecticut$36.33/hr$75,570$72,936$72,1639,870
District of Columbia$38.47/hr$80,010$72,802$76,050560
Alabama$30.84/hr$64,140$72,213$61,12320,470
Arizona$34.80/hr$72,390$71,901$70,94519,400
Oregon$35.66/hr$74,180$71,768$68,23015,020
Louisiana$30.43/hr$63,290$71,749$61,76619,120
Kentucky$30.90/hr$64,280$71,295$61,83515,550
Nebraska$30.78/hr$64,030$71,065$61,6108,550
West Virginia$30.56/hr$63,560$71,016$61,3343,220
Oklahoma$29.89/hr$62,160$70,765$59,69714,220
Wisconsin$31.70/hr$65,930$70,063$63,53337,700
New Hampshire$35.00/hr$72,790$69,876$72,7904,940
Maryland$35.14/hr$73,080$69,626$69,7899,070
California$36.78/hr$76,490$69,084$73,349134,800
South Carolina$30.89/hr$64,250$68,533$61,84922,010
Mississippi$28.52/hr$59,320$68,223$56,8117,000
Missouri$29.78/hr$61,940$68,200$59,88521,960
Nevada$32.76/hr$68,150$68,163$68,1508,970
Texas$31.72/hr$65,970$67,968$65,97095,670
Idaho$31.18/hr$64,840$67,902$62,1777,210
Pennsylvania$31.79/hr$66,130$67,776$64,09951,270
Tennessee$29.63/hr$61,630$67,083$61,63023,850
New Mexico$29.48/hr$61,320$66,500$59,4273,660
Georgia$30.70/hr$63,860$66,320$61,16843,630
Maine$30.75/hr$63,960$65,904$60,8823,320
Montana$29.65/hr$61,670$65,155$59,1463,510
Arkansas$26.50/hr$55,120$63,400$53,14712,740
Virginia$30.48/hr$63,400$62,710$60,50022,570
Utah$29.80/hr$61,980$62,694$59,15913,900
Delaware$29.94/hr$62,280$62,398$59,3902,920
Florida$30.04/hr$62,490$60,429$62,49092,920
Alaska$27.32/hr$56,830$55,519$56,830910
Hawaii$28.37/hr$59,010$53,669$55,9683,280
Virgin Islands$22.11/hr$45,980Not publishedNot published80
Puerto Rico$16.76/hr$34,870Not publishedNot published5,150
Guam$14.16/hr$29,460Not publishedNot published210

National median for comparison: $72,080. “Worth locally” divides pay by the area’s price level, so a figure above the headline means money goes further there than the US average.

$72,080/year

$34.65/hr an hour, national median

Across the states

$24,340$132,730

25th to 75th percentile, lowest and highest state

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How much of this job could software do?

54%Moderate exposure
Hands, places, peopleLanguage and information

Both methods agree closely.

Method 1 — ability mix51%

Cognitive share of O*NET ability importance (element families 1.A.1–1.A.4), O*NET 31.0

Method 2 — task content58%

Importance-weighted share of O*NET tasks classed as language or information work, O*NET 31.0

What this does and does not mean

Exposure means a model could plausibly do a meaningful share of the tasks in this job. It is not a forecast that the job disappears, and it says nothing about whether any employer will actually automate it.

For what the labour market expects, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment in this occupation to change by -1% between 2025 and 2035, with about 99,800 openings a year.

Which parts are exposed

  • Negotiate with retail merchants to improve product exposure, such as shelf positioning and advertising.
  • Check stock levels and reorder merchandise as necessary.
  • Plan, assemble, and stock product displays in retail stores, or make recommendations to retailers regarding product displays, promotional programs, and advertising.
  • Answer customers' questions about products, prices, availability, product uses, and credit terms.
  • Recommend products to customers, based on customers' needs and interests.
  • Estimate or quote prices, credit or contract terms, warranties, and delivery dates.

Amber marks language and information work. Green marks tasks that need a person in a place.

Where sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products move next

Occupations that share most of this one’s skills, with the pay difference and the change in AI exposure.

Location

San Diego, CA, United States of America (SAN-San Diego Intl.)

Photograph by Kampus Production.