Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products
Also called: Outside Sales Representative, Sales Consultant, Sales Representative (Sales Rep), SalesmanSell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers to businesses or groups of individuals. Work requires substantial knowledge of items sold.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 16 of its 18 tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 0.9% by 2035. In the most exposed occupations, the squeeze shows up first among early-career workers. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 2.5% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.8 hires for every 10 job openings in wholesale trade, which employs about 65% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.7.8 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $64,140 | $48,090 to $89,840 | 20,470 |
| Alaska | $56,830 | $49,570 to $77,300 | 910 |
| Arizona | $72,390 | $50,650 to $97,150 | 19,400 |
| Arkansas | $55,120 | $38,590 to $83,270 | 12,740 |
| California | $76,490 | $56,460 to $104,870 | 134,800 |
| Colorado | $79,250 | $59,630 to $110,930 | 27,530 |
| Connecticut | $75,570 | $54,900 to $102,940 | 9,870 |
| Delaware | $62,280 | $48,650 to $93,260 | 2,920 |
| District of Columbia | $80,010 | $60,390 to $105,670 | 560 |
| Florida | $62,490 | $46,810 to $91,170 | 92,920 |
| Georgia | $63,860 | $48,240 to $92,210 | 43,630 |
| Guam | $29,460 | $25,830 to $36,590 | 210 |
| Hawaii | $59,010 | $47,830 to $80,670 | 3,280 |
| Idaho | $64,840 | $48,170 to $87,530 | 7,210 |
| Illinois | $73,510 | $56,070 to $99,580 | 51,310 |
| Indiana | $71,330 | $49,870 to $98,290 | 32,350 |
| Iowa | $66,760 | $50,580 to $90,350 | 16,990 |
| Kansas | $68,960 | $49,800 to $97,490 | 12,630 |
| Kentucky | $64,280 | $47,400 to $94,590 | 15,550 |
| Louisiana | $63,290 | $45,170 to $93,840 | 19,120 |
| Maine | $63,960 | $50,540 to $80,700 | 3,320 |
| Maryland | $73,080 | $55,110 to $98,250 | 9,070 |
| Massachusetts | $79,810 | $63,550 to $108,200 | 22,700 |
| Michigan | $72,980 | $51,060 to $100,380 | 40,960 |
| Minnesota | $76,750 | $59,490 to $100,630 | 31,230 |
| Mississippi | $59,320 | $41,750 to $80,560 | 7,000 |
| Missouri | $61,940 | $47,460 to $84,980 | 21,960 |
| Montana | $61,670 | $47,110 to $78,430 | 3,510 |
| Nebraska | $64,030 | $50,500 to $84,510 | 8,550 |
| Nevada | $68,150 | $48,550 to $94,940 | 8,970 |
| New Hampshire | $72,790 | $50,690 to $102,160 | 4,940 |
| New Jersey | $79,410 | $59,950 to $123,920 | 34,360 |
| New Mexico | $61,320 | $45,450 to $82,860 | 3,660 |
| New York | $79,590 | $59,860 to $106,010 | 61,500 |
| North Carolina | $70,990 | $48,750 to $100,240 | 49,110 |
| North Dakota | $74,250 | $57,550 to $98,620 | 4,180 |
| Ohio | $73,960 | $51,720 to $101,090 | 58,740 |
| Oklahoma | $62,160 | $42,710 to $93,440 | 14,220 |
| Oregon | $74,180 | $55,300 to $95,650 | 15,020 |
| Pennsylvania | $66,130 | $49,540 to $97,930 | 51,270 |
| Puerto Rico | $34,870 | $24,340 to $50,760 | 5,150 |
| Rhode Island | $82,420 | $58,950 to $132,730 | 4,870 |
| South Carolina | $64,250 | $48,220 to $100,470 | 22,010 |
| South Dakota | $77,210 | $61,060 to $95,960 | 5,220 |
| Tennessee | $61,630 | $46,990 to $95,490 | 23,850 |
| Texas | $65,970 | $47,820 to $98,970 | 95,670 |
| Utah | $61,980 | $47,940 to $86,160 | 13,900 |
| Vermont | $76,840 | $59,010 to $101,100 | 1,890 |
| Virgin Islands | $45,980 | $30,570 to $62,890 | 80 |
| Virginia | $63,400 | $48,960 to $94,310 | 22,570 |
| Washington | $79,830 | $62,850 to $108,310 | 27,340 |
| West Virginia | $63,560 | $45,810 to $82,510 | 3,220 |
| Wisconsin | $65,930 | $51,580 to $95,150 | 37,700 |
| Wyoming | $72,530 | $51,340 to $101,380 | 1,480 |
Nationally: $72,080. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 16 of its 18 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI alone | Answer customers' questions about products, prices, availability, product uses, and credit terms. | 0.07% |
| AI + software | Recommend products to customers, based on customers' needs and interests. | 1.28% |
| AI alone | Consult with clients after sales or contract signings to resolve problems and to provide ongoing support. | 0.01% |
| AI + software | Monitor market conditions, product innovations, and competitors' products, prices, and sales. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Estimate or quote prices, credit or contract terms, warranties, and delivery dates. | 0.01% |
| AI + software | Perform administrative duties, such as preparing sales budgets and reports, keeping sales records, and filing expense account reports. | Not published |
See all 18 tasks
| AI alone | Contact regular and prospective customers to demonstrate products, explain product features, and solicit orders. | Not published |
| AI alone | Identify prospective customers by using business directories, following leads from existing clients, participating in organizations and clubs, and attending trade shows and conferences. | Not published |
| AI alone | Provide customers with product samples and catalogs. | Not published |
| AI alone | Plan, assemble, and stock product displays in retail stores, or make recommendations to retailers regarding product displays, promotional programs, and advertising. | Not published |
| AI alone | Prepare sales contracts and order forms. | Not published |
| AI + software | Negotiate with retail merchants to improve product exposure, such as shelf positioning and advertising. | Not published |
| AI alone | Negotiate details of contracts and payments. O*NET flags this task's ratings as uncertain | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Check stock levels and reorder merchandise as necessary. O*NET flags this task's ratings as uncertain | Not published |
| AI + software | Prepare drawings, estimates, and bids that meet specific customer needs. O*NET flags this task's ratings as uncertain | 0.01% |
| AI + software | Arrange and direct delivery and installation of products and equipment. | Not published |
| Not much | Forward orders to manufacturers. | Not published |
| AI + software | Obtain credit information about prospective customers. O*NET flags this task's ratings as uncertain | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 7 of the 18 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 18 tasks fall under 21 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #3 Respond to customer problems or inquiries
- #4 Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise
- #7 Explain technical details of products or services
- and 5 more, in the table below
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explain technical details of products or services | |||
| Advise others on products or services | |||
| Purchase goods or services | |||
| Determine values or prices of goods or services | |||
| Promote products, services, or programs | |||
| Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures | |||
| Negotiate contracts or agreements | |||
| Respond to customer problems or inquiries |
Show all 21 activities
| Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise | |||
| Create visual designs or displays | |||
| Monitor external affairs, trends, or events | |||
| Evaluate the quality or accuracy of data | |||
| Prepare documentation for contracts, applications, or permits | |||
| Arrange displays or decorations | |||
| Identify business or organizational opportunities | |||
| Prepare financial documents, reports, or budgets | |||
| Maintain sales or financial records | |||
| Prepare proposals or grant applications | |||
| Monitor resources or inventories | |||
| Process shipments or mail | |||
| Stock supplies or products |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- Advice or a recommendation66%
- An explanation or answer9%
- A plan or strategy4%
- Ideas or a brainstorm3%
- A document or report3%
How they worked with Claude
12% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 1,230,356 moves out
- 1 Sales Managers High +4.5% 13%
- 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 6%
- 3 General and Operations Managers High +5.0% 5%
- 4 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 3%
- 5 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 3%
Where people moved in from
of 1,255,844 moves in
- 1 Sales Managers High +4.5% 10%
- 2 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 5%
- 3 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 4 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 4%
- 5 General and Operations Managers High +5.0% 4%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 14% some college
- 4% associate's
- 82% not published
O*NET marks 82% of the answers as too uncertain to publish, so the parts shown don't add up to 100%.
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 22 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 3% less than high school
- 19% high school
- 20% some college
- 9% associate's
- 40% bachelor's
- 8% master's
- 1% professional degree
- 1% doctorate
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing” · 11,868 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing”
6 programs, such as Agricultural/Farm Supplies Retailing and Wholesaling, Sales, Distribution, and Marketing Operations, General and General Merchandising, Sales, and Related Marketing Operations, Other.
See all
- Agricultural/Farm Supplies Retailing and Wholesaling
- Sales, Distribution, and Marketing Operations, General
- General Merchandising, Sales, and Related Marketing Operations, Other
- Fashion Merchandising
- Apparel and Accessories Marketing Operations
- Special Products Marketing Operations
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
78.0% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | 1.6% | 19.1% |
| an educational certificate | <0.5% | 2.8% |
| a certification | not published |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS · Brynjolfsson, Chandar and Chen, Stanford (Aug 2026)
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