How long does the training take?

Typically no schooling after high school, then a few months to a year of training on the job. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.

Do you need a degree for this work?

No. Most people are hired and trained on the job; a program is optional.

Where can you train for this work?

236 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

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Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products: pay, training and the programs that lead there

Sales · SOC 41-4012

$72,080US median pay, 2025

-0.9%Projected growth, 2025–35

99,800Openings per year

On the jobUsual way in

How you get in

Most people are hired and trained on the job, so school is optional. A program can still help you stand out.

High school diploma or equivalent (a program is optional for this job)
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Work in: sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products

Programs that lead to this job

These are the federal program codes (CIP) that the Department of Education maps to this occupation, and how many US colleges, community colleges or trade schools report awarding credentials in each.

Program	Code	Schools
Sales, Distribution, and Marketing Operations, General	CIP 52.1801	135
Fashion Merchandising	CIP 52.1902	83
General Merchandising, Sales, and Related Marketing Operations, Other	CIP 52.1899	13
Agricultural/Farm Supplies Retailing and Wholesaling	CIP 01.0105	11
Apparel and Accessories Marketing Operations	CIP 52.1904	9
Special Products Marketing Operations	CIP 52.1909	8

See the 236 schools that offer these programs →

Common questions

How long does the training take?: Typically no schooling after high school, then a few months to a year of training on the job. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.
How much do sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products make?: The US median is $72,080 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.
Do you need a degree for this work?: No. Most people are hired and trained on the job; a program is optional.
Where can you train for this work?: 236 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

Pay and growth are national figures. What you earn depends on where you work, your employer and your experience, and these are projections rather than promises. Education requirements describe how most people enter the job, not a rule — plenty of people take another route.

Pay, growth, openings and entry requirements: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35. Program-to-occupation mapping: NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk (2020/2018). School counts: IPEDS completions, 2022–23.

Related careers in Sales

Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel · First-line supervisors of retail sales workers · Insurance sales agents · Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents · Real estate sales agents · Parts salespersons · Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products · First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers