The median annual wage for sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products was $76,190 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 $38,570, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $153,940.
The median annual wage for sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products was $55,730 in May 2015.
The lowest 10 percent earned less than $26,830, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $118,000.
In May 2015, the median annual wages for wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
Wholesale electronic markets and agents and brokers
$66,590
Professional and commercial equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers
63,530
Manufacturing
61,700
Machinery, equipment, and supplies merchant wholesalers
57,190
Grocery and related product wholesalers
52,550
Compensation methods for representatives vary significantly by the type of firm and the product sold. Most employers use a combination of salary and commissions or salary plus bonuses. Commissions are usually based on a percentage of sales. Bonuses may depend on individual performance, on the performance of all sales workers in the group or district, or on the company's performance.
Most wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives work full time.
Wholesale and Manufacturing Sales Representatives
Median annual wages, May 2015
Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
$76,190
Wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives
$59,080
Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
$55,730
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
