Career
Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
Sell services to businesses and people.
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Consult with clients after sales or contract signings to resolve problems and provide ongoing support.
- Answer customers' questions about services, prices, availability, or credit terms.
- Develop sales presentations or proposals to explain service specifications.
- Create forms or agreements to complete sales.
- Contact prospective or existing customers to discuss how services can meet their needs.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
AI
BLS now cites artificial intelligence in this occupation's outlook: “share decreases as generative artificial intelligence (AI) is integrated into the sales process allowing sales representatives to focus on direct sales activity.”
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on persuasion & leadership, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Consult with clients after sales or contract signings to resolve problems and provide ongoing support.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Active Listening, Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Writing.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
No degree beyond high school, though moderate-term on-the-job training is typical, for a median of $69,990 a year and 115,700 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Retailing and Retail OperationsCIP 52.1803
- Selling Skills and Sales OperationsCIP 52.1804
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Customer Service Representatives$44,770 · -5.3%
- Telemarketers$35,450 · -21.4%
- Sales Managers$148,270 · +4.5%
- Advertising Sales Agents$64,820 · -7.2%
- Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products$104,920 · +1.2%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
Not sure this fits who you are? Start with Vocational Finder →
Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.