The median annual wage for sales engineers was $97,650 in May 2015.
The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $55,280, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $165,250.
In May 2015, the median annual wages for sales engineers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
Telecommunications
$109,880
Computer systems design and related services
109,220
Wholesale electronic markets and agents and brokers
94,370
Merchant wholesalers, durable goods
92,710
Manufacturing
88,360
How much a sales engineer earns varies significantly by the type of firm and the product sold. Most employers offer a combination of salary and commission payments or salary plus a bonus. Some sales engineers who work for independent sales companies earn only commissions. Commissions are usually based on the value of sales. Bonuses may depend on individual performance, on the performance of all workers in the group or district, or on the company's performance. Earnings from commissions and bonuses may vary from year to year depending on sales ability, the demand for the company's products or services, and the overall economy. In addition to their earnings, sales engineers who work for manufacturers are usually reimbursed for expenses such as transportation, meals, hotels, and customer entertainment.
Most sales engineers work full time, and about 1 in 3 worked more than 40 hours per week in 2014. Some may work additional and irregular hours to meet sales goals and client needs. However, many sales engineers can decide their own schedules.
Sales Engineers
Median annual wages, May 2015
Sales engineers
$97,650
Total, all occupations
$36,200
Sales and related occupations
$25,660
Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics