Entering into sales is an excellent career; many sales jobs do not require a degree, and there is a high-earning potential even for entry-level positions.
Once hired, a sales representative has a direct path to climbing the ladder and earning a higher salary.
You will learn how to network and build lasting relationships, growing your professional and interpersonal skills.
Careers within sales are highly in-demand, and growth will continuously rise.
Find out which sales jobs pay the most, including jobs that do not require a degree or experience.
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What Is a Sales Job?
A sales job involves uniquely presenting a product or service by highlighting how an individual or company can benefit from purchasing it.
A career in sales requires you to generate leads and meet sales goals; other priorities include delivering presentations and product demonstrations.
Required Skills for Sales Jobs
Sales jobs require a high level of confidence.
You have to learn how to handle rejection well while keeping a positive attitude.
Communication is an essential part of sales, and you must be able to effectively communicate whether you are cold-calling or giving a presentation to high-level execs.
Building a rapport with people is an excellent skill because it shows that you are genuine.
The job description requires you to build a strategic approach and research potential buyers.
A good understanding of business is essential in sales because it allows you to identify company pain points and what they need to remedy any problems.
What Education do You Need to Get a Sales Job?
Most sales jobs require you to have at least a high school diploma.
Receiving an undergraduate degree (Associate’s or Bachelor’s) in business or communications would be wise in standing out from the competition.
You could also look into technical certificates in business, marketing, communications, and finance.
Finding a mentor skilled in those niches to coach you in real-world scenarios may be helpful.
The best-paying sales jobs require business acumen, a sense of business, industry pitfalls, and a return on investment.
Average Salary of a Sales Job
Many factors determine the salary of a sales job, including location, industry, education, and experience; the total compensation will vary.
The average salary of a sales job is $62,070, with the top earners making $89,030 and the bottom earners averaging $43,580.
Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut, Washington, and Colorado are the best-paying states for sales jobs.
The best-paying sales jobs include sales managers, representatives, insurance sales, and real estate agents.
What Kind of Sales Job Is Right For You?
Like most things in life, we have to find what best suits our needs, wants, and personalities.
When choosing a sales job, ask yourself what you are passionate about and what most aligns with your needs.
Also, consider what the long-term job outlook is for your industry.
Is there steady growth over the coming years, or will your role likely diminish over the next decade?
Choosing a sales job that compensates you enough for your lifestyle is essential.
Non-commission sales jobs, like sales manager, offer security but often come with a smaller set paycheck.
In comparison, commission-based sales jobs are more lucrative but can be unreliable from month to month.
The Different Categories of Sales Jobs
There are many products and services to sell such as cyber security or pharmaceuticals, condos, or HVACs. Determine what you like, what you are good at, and what industry is growing.
Tech or Software
The tech industry has skyrocketed over the last decade, and surprisingly, most of the roles within this industry are non-technical.
Not to mention, the largest companies in the world are in the tech industry.
Tech sales jobs involve hardware, software, or services.
It is all centered around helping the individual or company reach professional goals and the fastest-growing niche within the tech industry is SaaS (Software as a Service).
The most in-demand sales job in SaaS is B2B (Business to Business), essentially selling subscription-based software to businesses.
Healthcare and Medical
Medical sales come with a high salary; the catch is you need to know a lot about the medical industry, including terminology.
You will be building lasting relationships with your customers, so you must possess high interpersonal skills.
You are the liaison between medical companies and healthcare professionals.
You need to know your stuff if you want to impress and close the sale.
Medical sales include health insurance, pharmaceuticals, and other healthcare equipment.
Beauty and Retail
The health and beauty industry was valued at over 500 billion dollars in 2021 and is projected to be worth over 700 billion dollars by 2025.
Personal care and cosmetics have skyrocketed even in the middle of a pandemic.
A big reason for this is an endorsement of brands or products on social media.
Although retail may not be as high paying as commission-based sales, it offers stability and an opportunity to work your way through the ranks and potentially earn more.
The highest-paying retail sales jobs include franchise owners and regional managers.
Real Estate
Do you have excellent problem-solving and negotiation skills?
Real estate sales might be for you.
Real estate agents help their clients purchase, sell, or rent a property; they understand marketing and know-how to close the deal.
The housing market value rose 2.5 trillion dollars within one year, from 2019 to 2020, defying the odds of a global pandemic.
Automotive
Automotive sales can be a stressful job but also very rewarding.
It is still possible to make a decent living, and due to technology, selling cars is easier than ever.
Customers often walk into a car dealership knowing which vehicles they are interested in and with the technology available, they have already seen videos and specs.
The car salesmen will also use tablets to display the car’s info, financing, and closing documents.
Technology has made buying and selling a car more straightforward and streamlined.
What Are the Highest Paying Sales Jobs?
Now that you know about the different available sales jobs, find the highest-paying job.
- Pharmaceutical Sales Representative: The national average salary is $91,977, ranging between $30,000 base salary and $134,000.
- Medical Device Sales Rep: The national average salary is $87,062, with a range between $30,000 and $190,000.
- Real Estate Agent: The national average salary is $82,898, with a range between $12,000 and $150,000.
- Sales Engineer: The national average salary is $80,786, with a range between $30,000 and $140,000.
- Major Gifts Officer: The national average salary is $73,790, with a range between $34,000 and $106,000.
- Software Sales Representative: The national average salary is $61,805, with a range between $24,000 and $118,000.
Highest Paying Sales Jobs Without a College Degree
Here are the national average salaries of the best sales jobs you can get without a degree.
- Real Estate Agent – $82,898
- Advertising Sales Agent – $50,690
- Insurance Sales Agent – $48,147
- Leasing Agent – $38,154
- Travel Agent – $33, 236
- Retail Sales Associate/Sales Person – $27,325
High-Paying Entry-Level Sales Jobs
- Sales Development Representatives
- Consumer Packaged Goods Sales Rep
- Real Estate Agent
- Insurance Sales Agents
- Retail Sales/customer service
- Inside Sales
How to Land a High-Paying Sales Job
Here are some tips that might help you land a high-paying sales job.
Develop Skills for High-Paying Sales Jobs
Effectively communicating is the most critical skill for sales.
If you cannot get your point across, you will not be able to close.
Practice your communication with a mentor or take a communications class.
Develop business knowledge in your industry to be strategic in your tactics.
You must be able to solve problems for a business or individual; after all, that is the goal of selling.
You should find ways to solve problems not just for today but also for the future.
Advance Your Education
You do not need to have a degree to land a sales job, but you can make more money if you do.
There are many directions you can choose to gain relevant education.
You can decide on either an Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, marketing, psychology, economics, or communications.
Build Your Resume with Sales Experience
If you have no sales experience, start small by working as a B2C retail sales rep.
Find ways to network with as many people as possible by utilizing LinkedIn and industry-related events.
Try to find businesses that offer training programs that can help you gain real-life experience and even move up.
Brush up on your resume skills here.
Pick an Industry You Are Passionate About
It should be no surprise that people who choose an industry they are passionate about will enjoy their careers more and potentially make more money.
There is nothing worse than working hard just to be stuck at a job you hate.
Find out what you like and are good at, and go from there.
Wrapping Up
Starting a sales career is an exciting decision and the start of a rewarding career path.
Sales jobs are great because many of them are high-paying without the requirement of a college degree.
However, the more education and experience you have, the more you can potentially earn.
Getting a sales job is an excellent way to improve your communication and interpersonal skills while building lasting connections.
