Sales Representative
Sales representatives find and win customers for a product or service, then look after those accounts so the business keeps the revenue.
- Median salary
- $88,000
3.5%vs last year, before tax
- People employed
- 71,800
0.1%vs last year
- Projected growth
- +4.2%
to 2035
- AI exposure*
- Moderate
- automation risk
- Average hours
- 42/wk
+2h vs all jobs
- Shortage status
- Not in shortage
national
Sales representatives work across wholesale trade, retail and manufacturing, prospecting for new clients while managing an existing account base at the same time. The job sits closer to negotiation and relationship management than to customer service, because the representative usually carries a target and decides how to spend their own time to hit it. Unlike a telemarketer, who mostly works a script against a call list, a sales representative tailors the pitch, negotiates terms and often stays with the account after the sale.
How much do sales representatives earn?
The median full-time salary for a sales representative is $88,000 per annum, before tax, up $18,700 since 2018.
Sales representative pay often splits into a base salary and commission, so two people with the same title can earn quite differently depending on how much of the package is tied to results. The industry shifts the balance as well: wholesale and manufacturing roles tend to offer steadier bases, while retail and technology sales lean harder on bonuses and quotas. The size of the account base you inherit, and whether an enterprise agreement sets your rates, also change what the total looks like.
What does a sales representative do day to day?
The list below is what fills most weeks; the exact mix shifts with seniority and whatever stage the current work is at.
- Opening conversations with prospects who weren't expecting the call, by phone, email or at their site
- Running a demo or site visit and adjusting the pitch once a client's needs and budget become clear
- Working through a run of objections and knock-backs before moving on to the next call or meeting
- Logging calls, quotes and next steps in the CRM so the pipeline stays visible and the forecast holds up
- Negotiating price, terms and delivery dates, then chasing the signature or purchase order
What skills do sales representatives need?
Employers look for selling and negotiation, account and relationship management, backed by Salesforce CRM fluency and strong customer service.
Specialist skills
- Selling and negotiation
- Account and relationship management
Software and tools
- Salesforce CRM
- Microsoft Excel
- Slack
- Zoom
General skills
- Customer service
- Written communication
- Problem solving
- Stakeholder management
- Time and deadline management
Is the job growing?
About 71,800 people work as sales representatives in Australia, and employment is projected to grow 4.2% over the decade to 2035. That's modest growth: demand is steady rather than booming.
How do you become a sales representative?
Here's the path most sales representatives take, step by step.
- 1Finish Year 12 or an equivalent
Most sales representatives hold Year 12 or below, so a degree isn't the entry gate. Employers look for clear communication and enough numeracy to handle quotes and margins.
- 2Get in front of customers first
Retail, hospitality, call centre, telemarketing and sales coordinator roles build the phone confidence and objection handling that sales managers hire for. Many representatives move across from one of these, which is why the shift from telemarketing needs almost no retraining.
- 3Learn the product and the CRM
Wholesale, manufacturing and technology employers expect you to pick up product specifications and log activity in a system like Salesforce within the first few months. A short course in business or sales can speed that up, and a Certificate IV or diploma in business or marketing helps if you plan to move into management.
- 4Build a track record you can quote
Revenue figures, accounts won and retention rates travel with you between employers, and they carry more weight than the qualification on your resume. Keep your own record of the numbers from early on.
- 5Add study if you want to manage
Moving into a sales manager role usually needs further study in business or management on top of your selling record, since the job shifts from carrying a target to setting them for other people.
Ready to apply as a sales representative?
Whether you're working toward becoming a sales representative or already are one and want a hand with the next step (sharpening your resume for ATS screening, tightening your cover letter, or knowing what you'll actually be asked at interview), here are examples grounded in this specific role, not generic templates.
What jobs can a sales representative move to?
Moving into Sales Manager typically comes with the biggest pay rise, worth $51,200 a year more on average.
| Move to | Typical pay change | Overlap | Retraining |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales Manager Sales representatives bring client and product knowledge to sales management, though the step usually needs further study.Known move | +$51,200 | 32% | reskill |
| Account Manager Sales representatives bring account management and client knowledge to the role, with a short course needed for the step. | +$16,200 | 60% | short course |
| Technology Sales Representative Sales representatives bring product and closing skills to technology sales, and the move needs little retraining because the work is closely related.Known move | +$11,800 | 69% | minimal |
| Store Manager Sales representatives bring customer and stock awareness to store management, though the move usually needs further study.Known move | −$3,800 | 24% | reskill |
| Car Salesperson Sales representatives bring negotiation and customer handling to car sales, and the move needs little retraining because the work is closely related.Known move | −$19,600 | 91% | minimal |
Moves are chosen from Jobs and Skills Australia's Data on Occupation Mobility, which follows income tax records between 2011-12 and 2020-21, together with entry requirements and skill overlap. A known move is one people were seen making in that data. Pay change compares median full-time pay for the two roles.
Who works as a sales representative?
The typical sales representative is 43 years old; 63% are men, 83% work full-time, and full-timers average 42 hours a week.
- 43
- Median age
- 37%
- Female share
- 83%
- Full-time
- +2h
- vs all-jobs avg
What's it like being a sales representative?
The work runs on a cycle: find prospects, qualify them, quote, follow up, close, then start again while keeping existing accounts warm. Much of it happens alone, on the phone or on the road, and the results show up in the numbers each month, which suits people who want direct feedback and can let a run of knock-backs roll past. The rhythm changes with the industry, since wholesale and manufacturing roles often work to quarterly targets and long lead times while retail and technology sales move faster.
What people like
- You decide how the day runs. Outside set meetings, you choose which accounts to chase and when, and most representatives work with little direct supervision.
- The results are measurable. Deals closed, accounts won and revenue against target are visible in a way progress in many jobs isn't, which makes it easier to know whether your approach is working.
- Client relationships that last years. Accounts you keep renew and grow, and some representatives stay with the same customers long enough to know their business as well as their own.
- You learn a product and a market properly. The job pushes you to understand how something is made, priced and used, and who else is selling against it, which is knowledge that transfers to other industries.
What people find hard
- Knock-backs come with the job. Even a good week includes a string of noes and unanswered emails, and the work asks you to move on to the next call without carrying it.
- Targets reset every quarter. Hitting a number earns you a new one, so there is rarely a quiet stretch after a strong result.
- The admin doesn't disappear after the sale. CRM notes, quotes, forecasts and handover paperwork stack up, and in many roles it gets done after hours because the selling day is already full.
- Travel and time between meetings. Covering a territory means driving, waiting at sites and, in some roles, nights away, which is harder to manage with family commitments.
Based on our synthesis of professional-body surveys and public accounts of the role, not first-person verified reviews.
Which industries employ sales representatives?
Wholesale Trade employs the largest share of sales representatives, followed by Retail Trade.
Top employing industries
- 1Wholesale Trade
- 2Retail Trade
- 3Manufacturing
Ranked by employment share; the source doesn't publish an exact percentage per industry.
| Year 12 or below | 38.1% | |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor degree | 20.2% | |
| Certificate III/IV | 18% | |
| Diploma / Advanced Diploma | 13.3% | |
| Postgraduate | 5.8% |
Will AI replace sales representatives?
Sales representative work sits in the middle of the range. Software already handles prospect research, call logging and follow-up sequences, which removes a good share of the admin around a sale, but it doesn't sit across the table from a buyer, work out what they actually need or settle a price. Product knowledge and a credible relationship with the client remain the parts that are hardest to automate.
Share of typical working time by exposure level
- Demos and client meetingsReading a room, noticing which feature a client leans toward and changing the pitch mid-meeting is still done in person.30%low
- Negotiating price and closing the salePricing tools and historical deal data can suggest a range, but the trade-offs on terms, delivery and volume are talked through with the buyer.30%moderate
- Prospecting and building target listsTools can compile contact lists and flag accounts that look like existing customers, which cuts the research time but doesn't tell you who is ready to buy.20%high
- CRM notes, quotes and pipeline adminCall transcription and auto-fill from emails handle much of the record keeping, though someone still has to check the pipeline figures a forecast rests on.20%high
Common questions about becoming a sales representative
Straight answers to the questions people ask most.
How much do sales representatives earn?
Full-time sales representatives earn a median of $88,000 per annum, before tax. That figure combines base salary and commission, so it's a midpoint rather than a promise: an individual package depends on how much sits in the base and how the commission structure pays out.
Do you need a degree to become a sales representative?
No. Year 12 or below is the most common level of education among sales representatives, held by around 38% of the workforce, though that describes what people currently hold rather than what every employer asks for. What hiring managers test is whether you can hold a conversation, handle objections and follow up reliably.
Are sales representatives in demand?
Sales representatives are currently not in shortage, and employment is projected to grow 4.2% over the decade to 2035. That points to openings coming as much from people moving on as from new roles, so it's worth checking which industries near you are hiring and what they sell.
Will AI replace sales representatives?
Not the whole job. Software already handles prospect research, call logging and follow-up sequences, which removes a good share of the admin around a sale, but it doesn't sit across the table from a buyer, work out what they actually need or settle a price. Product knowledge and a credible relationship with the client remain the parts that are hardest to automate.
What can a sales representative move into?
Account management is a common step across, since the client knowledge carries over, and those roles typically pay $16,200 more. Technology sales uses the same closing skills and pays $11,800 more, while car sales pays $19,600 less and needs almost no retraining because the day-to-day work is closely related. Moving up to sales manager brings a bigger jump of $51,200 more, though it usually needs further study in management or business.
What hours do sales representatives work?
Full-time sales representatives average 42 hours a week, and the spread matters more than the average. Territory travel, calls timed around a client's working day and end-of-quarter pushes all add time that a standard week doesn't show.
Related roles
- Sales Manager
- Car Salesperson
- Technology Sales Representative
- Account Manager
- Store Manager
- Retail Assistant
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