Sales and Related Workers, All Other Salary
The median sales and related workers, all other salary in the United States is $48,280 per year ($23.21/hour). Salaries range from $29,720 at the entry level to $97,910+ for the top 10% of earners. There are 93,180 sales and related workers, all other jobs nationwide. Employment is projected to grow 3.7% through 2034.
Last updated: June 2026 Β· Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Median Salary
$48,280
per year
Hourly Rate
$23.21
per hour
Employment
93,180
jobs in the U.S.
Salary Distribution
10th percentile
$29,720
25th percentile
$36,860
Median
$48,280
75th percentile
$70,650
90th percentile
$97,910
Job Growth (2024-2034)
+3.7%
As fast as average
Annual Openings
16,000
jobs/year (growth + replacements)
Education Required
High school diploma or equivalent
Sales and Related Workers, All Other Career Guide
Interview questions, resume templates, and a career ladder written specifically for sales and related workers, all others.
This is BLS's umbrella SOC for sales roles that don't fit the specific real-estate, retail, wholesale-manufacturing, or securities buckets β SaaS BDR/SDR at Series A-C startups, timeshare closers at Wyndham and Hilton Grand Vacations, direct-sales reps at Cutco / Vector, network-marketing consultants at Rodan+Fields and Amway, real-estate wholesalers, and specialty B2B reps in niches like promotional products (4imprint) or industrial subscriptions. BLS reports 93,180 employed with median $48,280, p10 $30,120, and p90 $122,690 β the biggest p10-to-p90 spread of any sales occupation because comp is almost entirely commission and OTE-driven. Entry OTE $35-55k, established $55-95k, top-performer $95-180k+. Career survival depends on CRM discipline (Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach.io, SalesLoft) and a real book of prospecting activity β not on charisma.
Core Skills Hiring Managers Screen For
Cold-outbound prospecting cadence (email + phone + LinkedIn)
Standard SDR cadence is 8-14 touches over 15-21 days across 3+ channels. Outreach.io and SalesLoft are the industry-default sequencers. Book count = pipeline count; hiring managers screen dial and email volume before they screen personality.
CRM literacy (Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, Zoho)
Every serious sales seat above straight-commission requires CRM fluency. Log every touch, every disposition, every next-step. A rep whose CRM is empty is invisible in forecast reviews and gets performance-managed out.
Discovery + qualification (BANT, MEDDIC, MEDDPICC, GPCT)
Qualify Budget, Authority, Need, Timeline (BANT) or the more modern MEDDPICC (Metrics, Economic buyer, Decision criteria, Decision process, Paper process, Identify pain, Champion, Competition). Rep-level use is BANT; enterprise seats are MEDDPICC. Interviewers ask which you use and why.
Objection handling (LAER + LAARC frameworks)
Listen, Acknowledge, Explore, Respond (LAER) β the standard direct-sales / timeshare closer script. Top objections repeat: 'not now,' 'not the budget,' 'not the priority,' 'not you.' A rep with a written 20-objection playbook outperforms an ad-hoc rep 30-50%.
Quota, OTE, and pipeline math
Know your quota (monthly / quarterly bookings target), OTE (on-target earnings β base + variable at 100% quota), commission accelerators (kickers above 100%), and pipeline coverage (typical rule: 3-4x quota in open pipeline). Reps who can't recite these numbers cold get screened out.
Follow-up discipline + no-show recovery
60-80% of B2B deals require 5+ follow-ups after the first meeting; 44% of reps stop after one attempt. The discipline of same-day recap emails, calendared next-step tasks, and no-show recovery ('sorry we missed each other, here are 3 times this week') is where quota gets made.
Product depth + competitive positioning
Learn the product cold in the first 30 days. Then learn the top 3 competitors β where they win, where they lose, and the 2-3 objections a buyer will surface. Reps who wing product questions get outsold by reps who cite specific capabilities.
How to Become a Sales and Related Workers, All Other
- 1High school diploma minimum; bachelor's helps for SaaS / B2B tracksDirect-sales (Cutco, Vector, timeshare) hires with HS or some college. SaaS BDR / SDR pathways at Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach hire from any bachelor's β degree major matters less than energy and coachability.
- 2Start in an SDR / BDR seat or a direct-sales training program$40-55k base + $10-25k variable = $50-80k OTE at SaaS BDR/SDR (Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach, Gong pathways). Direct-sales (Cutco, Vector, timeshare closers) is straight commission $35-90k depending on effort and market. The first 12-18 months is where you build CRM discipline and objection reflex.
- 3Learn one CRM and one sequencer coldSalesforce Trailhead (free) for the industry-standard CRM. Outreach.io Academy or SalesLoft University for sequencing. Free certifications signal a rep who is investing beyond their base training.
- 4Move to Account Executive / Closer / Specialty B2B rep at 18-30 months$65-95k OTE for AE at SaaS; $70-140k+ OTE for a Wyndham or HGV timeshare closer at 100-140% attainment; $60-110k for specialty B2B (promotional products, industrial subscriptions). This is the seat where compensation scales with results, not activity.
- 5Specialize into vertical, enterprise, or leadership$95-180k+ OTE. Vertical AE (healthcare SaaS, fintech, industrial) commands premium. Enterprise AE at $150k+ base + $150k variable. Or promote to Sales Manager / Director on the leadership track ($120-220k+ OTE). AEs who never specialize or lead top out around $95-110k.
Career Progression
SDR / BDR / Direct-Sales Trainee
0-2 yrs$40-55k base + $10-25k variable = $50-80k OTE (SaaS); $35-70k OTE (direct-sales, mostly variable)
- β’Run outbound cadence (60-100 dials/day at some shops; 40-60 emails, 20-30 LinkedIn touches) via Outreach.io or SalesLoft
- β’Book meetings for AEs at 4-12 SQL / month (SaaS BDR) or self-close small direct-sales deals
- β’Log every touch in Salesforce or HubSpot β CRM cleanliness scored weekly
- β’Complete product certification and top-3 competitor training
Next: Promotion to AE / Closer / Specialty B2B rep at 12-24 months on hitting SQL or bookings quota.
Account Executive / Closer / Specialty B2B Rep
2-5 yrs$55-95k OTE (SaaS AE); $70-140k+ OTE (top timeshare closer); $60-110k (specialty B2B)
- β’Own a book of 30-80 accounts (SaaS) or run 4-8 pitches per day (timeshare / direct-sales)
- β’Hit monthly / quarterly quota β bookings, ACV, or units-sold depending on model
- β’Run full sales cycle: discovery, demo (or tour), proposal, negotiation, close, handoff to CS or ops
- β’Build a book of referrals and repeat business β 20-40% of quota should come from repeat / referred at maturity
Next: Sr AE, Enterprise AE, or Sales Manager at 4-7 years. Direct-sales top performers go into recruiting / management tracks.
Sr AE / Enterprise AE / Vertical Specialist / Team Lead
5-10 yrs$95-180k+ OTE (SaaS Sr / Enterprise AE); $110-220k (top-performing direct-sales manager)
- β’Carry a bigger quota ($1M-3M ARR bookings target at SaaS; 20-40 deal count at timeshare)
- β’Own strategic / named accounts and multi-stakeholder deals
- β’Mentor junior AEs and BDRs; contribute to playbook and objection library
- β’Vertical or product specialty commands 15-25% premium over generalist
Next: Sales Manager / Director at 8-12 years, or stay IC as Principal AE / Strategic Accounts Manager.
Sales Manager / Director / VP Sales
10+ yrs$150-350k+ OTE at SaaS; $180-450k+ at top direct-sales / timeshare orgs
- β’Hire, coach, and hold a team of 6-40+ reps to team quota
- β’Own forecast accuracy, pipeline coverage, and rep attainment distribution
- β’Partner with Marketing on lead flow, with RevOps on comp plan, with Product on GTM messaging
- β’Rebuild playbook, cadence, and onboarding when hiring or churn shifts the org
Next: VP Sales, CRO, or franchise / independent brokerage ownership.
Interview Questions & Answers
5 free questions below. Career Kit unlocks 17 total plus resume bullets for every level.
Q1. Walk me through your last month of activity β dials, emails, meetings booked, closed-won.technical
Numbers first: 'Last month I ran 1,850 dials, 1,200 emails, 400 LinkedIn touches through an 11-touch cadence in Outreach.io; booked 34 SQL meetings, 12 converted to demos, 5 to opportunity, 2 to closed-won at $48k combined ACV.' If you can't quote your funnel cold, hiring managers move to the next resume β activity math is the single most-screened signal in a sales interview at Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach, Wyndham, or any serious org. Then explain what you'd change: the specific channel that underperformed, the persona you'd re-target, and the cadence variant you'd A/B next month.
Q2. Tell me about your toughest objection and how you got past it.situational
Use LAER: Listen, Acknowledge, Explore, Respond. STAR structure. Situation: prospect said 'we already use HubSpot, we're not changing.' Task: keep the conversation alive without arguing. Action: acknowledged the switching cost is real, explored what specifically they liked about HubSpot and where the gaps were, then reframed on the 2-3 dimensions where my product wins (usually price, a specific integration, or a capability the incumbent doesn't have). Result: booked a follow-up demo with the champion, closed 6 weeks later at $32k ACV. Interviewers screen for: did you acknowledge before you responded, did you learn something before you pitched, and did you get a concrete next step.
Q3. What's your quota and what percent of it did you hit last year?technical
Be exact. 'My quota was $720k in new-logo bookings; I closed $824k = 114%.' Or on direct-sales / timeshare: 'My monthly VPG (volume per guest) target was $2,400; my 12-month VPG was $2,780 = 116%.' If you missed quota, own the number and explain the systematic fix: 'I hit 82% β lead flow from marketing dropped 40% in Q3 and I didn't ramp my own outbound fast enough. In Q4 I added a personal 40-dial/day rule and finished Q4 at 108%.' Reps who fudge attainment or blame the territory without a fix get screened out β every hiring manager has been lied to about attainment, and they know the tells.
Q4. Why sales, and why this segment (SaaS vs direct vs specialty B2B)?culture
The honest answer that resonates: you like the transparent scoreboard β every day you know exactly how you're doing. You want a comp plan tied to outcomes, not seat time. Then specificity on segment: SaaS BDR/SDR-to-AE ladder is a structured, credentialed path with strong learning and RSU upside; direct-sales / timeshare is faster money for someone comfortable with straight-commission variance and pitch-heavy days; specialty B2B is for reps who want depth in a vertical (industrial, promotional products, healthcare distribution). Hiring managers screen for reps who understand their own risk tolerance and career arc β not reps who'll bail after 6 months when the commission structure isn't what they hoped.
Q5. Where do you see yourself in 3-5 years?closer
Show the ladder and pick a fork. IC path: BDR -> AE -> Sr AE -> Enterprise AE or Vertical Specialist -> Principal / Strategic Accounts. Manager path: BDR -> AE -> Team Lead -> Sales Manager -> Director. Name the specialty (vertical, product, or enterprise segment) you're building depth in. Name the certifications you're pursuing (Salesforce Certified Administrator, HubSpot Sales Software, MEDDPICC Masterclass, Sandler or Force Management training). Reps who say 'I want to make more money' without a path signal short-term thinking; reps who name a target seat and the specific credentials they're building signal a promotion decision the manager can defend to their VP.
Resume Template β AE / Closer / Specialty B2B Rep (2-5 yrs)
Copy these bullets into your resume as a starting point. Career Kit includes bullets for every level of the ladder.
AE / Closer / Specialty B2B Rep (2-5 yrs)
- βΈClosed $824k in new-logo bookings against $720k quota = 114% attainment at [SaaS company]; ranked #4 of 22 AEs in the segment.
- βΈRan 30-70 account book in Salesforce with 3.4x pipeline coverage; Outreach.io cadence averaged 11 touches over 18 days with 22% reply rate.
- βΈSalesforce Certified Administrator + HubSpot Sales Software + MEDDPICC Masterclass (attended, not certified).
- βΈ$68k base + $52k variable at 100% quota; earned $118k OTE at 114% including accelerator; $6k in SPIF bonuses.
What Gets You Rejected
- βEmpty CRM β logs 20% of touches, forecast is unreliable. Managers can see this in a Salesforce report in 30 seconds.
- βAttainment number that doesn't match W-2 math β inflated resume numbers get caught in reference checks; every sales manager runs the math.
- βNo cadence discipline β 'I called a few times' instead of a documented 8-14 touch sequence.
- βWings product questions β can't answer basic capability, pricing, or top-3 competitor questions cold.
- βBlames territory / marketing / product without a personal fix β hiring managers screen for reps who own their number.
- βNo credential path β treats sales as a personality job rather than a craft with methodology (BANT/MEDDPICC), certifications (Salesforce, HubSpot, Sandler), and tooling depth.
Salary Negotiation Levers
- βOTE split β 70/30 (base-heavy) protects downside; 50/50 (variable-heavy) trades base for upside. Ask for the split that matches your risk tolerance and the team's historical attainment (if 80% of reps hit quota, take variable-heavy; if 40%, take base-heavy).
- βRamp guarantee β 3-6 months of paid ramp at 100% variable while your pipeline builds. Every serious SaaS employer offers this to Sr hires; ask if it's not offered.
- βAccelerator curve β 1.5x-3x commission above 100% quota. Negotiate the accelerator, not just the OTE; a strong accelerator turns a $95k OTE seat into a $140k earning year.
- βTerritory quality β named accounts, geo, and lead flow are the single biggest determinant of attainment. Ask for the historical attainment of the specific territory you'd inherit.
- βSign-on bonus β $5-30k standard at SaaS AE, $10-75k at Sr / Enterprise AE. Especially if you're leaving unvested commissions.
- βRSUs / equity at SaaS β public-company RSUs are the long-term wealth driver. Ask for the initial grant and the refresher cadence.
- βSPIFs and contests β most orgs run monthly / quarterly SPIFs worth $500-5,000. Ask how these stack on top of OTE.
- βDirect-sales / timeshare β commission percentage (1-6% at Wyndham, 10-25% at Cutco / Vector), tour count / lead flow, and VIP-lead access are negotiable at the Sr closer level.
Already a Sales and Related Workers, All Other? Grow From Here
Free playbooks on what actually gets you promoted and raised β not motivational advice, the real mechanics.
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Sales and Related Workers, All Other Salary by State
Best Cities (cost-adjusted) βSalary Map β Click a state for details
$26K$75Kβ No data
Top Paying States
Washington
$75K
+56%
New Jersey
$75K
+54%
Hawaii
$71K
+46%
Connecticut
$66K
+36%
Delaware
$65K
+34%
South Dakota
$62K
+27%
Colorado
$61K
+26%
Utah
$59K
+23%
New Hampshire
$58K
+21%
New York
$55K
+14%
Vertical line = national median. Click a state for full details.
| State | Median | vs. National |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $75,100 | +55.6% |
| New Jersey | $74,520 | +54.3% |
| Hawaii | $70,720 | +46.5% |
| Connecticut | $65,740 | +36.2% |
| Delaware | $64,590 | +33.8% |
| South Dakota | $61,550 | +27.5% |
| Colorado | $60,670 | +25.7% |
| Utah | $59,170 | +22.6% |
| New Hampshire | $58,290 | +20.7% |
| New York | $55,270 | +14.5% |
Showing 1β10 of 48
Sales and Related Workers, All Other Salary by Metro Area
| Metro Area | Median | vs. National |
|---|---|---|
| Bellingham, WA | $81,120 | +68.0% |
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | $79,640 | +65.0% |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $76,120 | +57.7% |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $74,530 | +54.4% |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $74,520 | +54.3% |
| Napa, CA | $74,290 | +53.9% |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $73,330 | +51.9% |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $73,250 | +51.7% |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $65,950 | +36.6% |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $64,240 | +33.1% |
Showing 1β10 of 209
Data Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Data reflects the most recent annual survey.
How does this compare to pro athletes?
A sales and related workers, all other earning $48,280/year would need 1235 years to match Stephen Curry's NBA salary, or 1326 yearsto match Patrick Mahomes' NFL contract.
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View Sales and Related Workers, All Other salary trend (2011β2024) β