Sales jobs exist across industries and experience levels, from retail to sophisticated equipment manufacturing.
From sales associates who actively seek out potential customers to sales executives who lead teams and shape an organization's sales strategy, the broad scope of sales as a profession attracts workers with a wide range of skills and interests. It's worth noting that even positions like real estate agents are functionally sales roles. Could you have a future in sales? Xactly used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to identify the highest-paying sales jobs.
When people think of sales, they tend to think of business-to-consumer professions, where sales representatives work to sell goods to the general public—that includes everything from products like smartphones and refrigerators to services such as music streaming or cloud storage. Consumer preferences drive sales, and the sales cycle in B2C marketing is often short.
Sales professionals actually fall into three categories: B2C, business-to-business, and business-to-government. In B2B marketing, the end customer is another business. Sales professionals must be well-versed in the end-user's business needs and operational constraints to sell them goods and services. B2B marketing often has longer sales cycles.
In B2G, the end customer is the government. Sales professionals in B2G marketing must work within complex bureaucratic structures at the local, state, and federal levels, often participating in lengthy bidding processes for contracts to sell goods and services to the government. For example, defense contractors that supply weapons to the U.S. and allied armed forces often engage in B2G sales. This job requires awareness of the sector's requirements and the political landscape.
Driven by the rise of social media, some content creators have also become salespeople. Known as influencer marketing, brands offer payment and free products or services to influencers with substantial followings in exchange for a mention or review of the product or service. An influencer's well-placed product can be more effective than traditional marketing.
Transitioning from an entry-level sales position to a higher-paying one requires varied skills, including communication, time management, emotional intelligence, negotiation, and strategic thinking. An extensive network that helps with leads and referrals helps, too. Keep reading to find out which 10 sales roles have the highest salaries.
