Sales Representatives

ANZSCO ID 6113

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
57,000
Future Growth
4.9%
Weekly Earnings
$1,499
Full-Time Share
82%
Female Share
36%
Average age
42

Summary

Sales Representatives represent companies to sell their goods and business services to wholesale and retail establishments.

Tasks

  • promoting and selling their company's goods and services such as building and plumbing supplies, business services, motor vehicle parts and accessories, and personal and household goods

  • acquiring and updating knowledge of employer's and competitors' goods and services, and market conditions

  • using directories and other sources to compile lists of prospective business clients

  • visiting clients and retail outlets to establish selling opportunities

  • quoting prices and credit terms, recording orders and arranging deliveries

  • following up clients and ensuring satisfaction with goods and services and resolving any problems

  • monitoring clients' changing needs and competitor activity and reporting on these developments to sales and marketing management

  • preparing sales reports

  • maintaining and submitting records of business expenses incurred


Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. The latest data are for the five years from November 2021 to November 2026. Over this period, the number of workers:

  • is expected to grow moderately
  • is likely to reach 103,100 by 2026.
  • Source: Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.

    Notes: The number employed includes people who work in this occupation as their main job. People who work in more than one job are counted against the occupation they work the most hours in.

    Employment projections figures are rounded to the nearest 100. Calculations based on these rounded figures may result in differences to the numbers that are displayed on this page. Employment projections data (including occupations) can be downloaded from the Employment Projections page.

Projected Change
4.9%
(or 4,800 jobs)
From
98,300
in 2021
To
103,100
in 2026

Number of Workers

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.
Year Employment
2011 101,000
2012 96,400
2013 98,200
2014 88,500
2015 103,900
2016 98,600
2017 83,400
2018 83,700
2019 80,200
2020 70,400
2021 98,300
2026 103,100

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 85% of people employed as Sales Representatives work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 19 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 44 hours per week in their main job. This is the same as the all jobs average.

    More than a third of workers regularly work overtime or extra hours (either paid or unpaid).

    Median full-time earnings are $1,499 per week, this is lower than the all jobs median ($1,593):

    • 3 in 4 workers earn more than $1,265
    • 1 in 4 earn more than $1,827

    Median hourly earnings are $39, this is similar to the all jobs median ($41 per hour).

    Sources: Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average. Overtime hours: ABS, Characteristics of Employment, 2021. Full-time median earnings and median hourly earnings: ABS, Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021. Compared to all jobs median.

Weekly Earnings (Before Tax)

Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.
Earnings Sales Representatives All Jobs Average
Full-Time Earnings 1,499 1,593
Total Earnings 0 0

Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.


Industries

Main industries

1
Wholesale Trade
25.0%
2
Manufacturing
21.4%
3
Retail Trade
18.8%
4
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
9.3%
5
Other industries
25.8%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

34.6% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

27.7% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

19.1% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

6.2% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

9.6% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

1.5% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.5% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

0.8% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Sales Representatives All Jobs Average
NSW 34.6 31.6
VIC 27.7 25.6
QLD 19.1 20.0
SA 6.2 7.0
WA 9.6 10.8
TAS 1.5 2.0
NT 0.5 1.0
ACT 0.8 1.9



Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
42
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
36%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Sales Representatives is 42 years. This is similar to the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 35 to 44 years.

    Females make up 36% of the workforce. This is 12 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Sales Representatives All Jobs Average
15-19 0.8 5.0
20-24 5.3 9.3
25-34 24.1 22.9
35-44 26.9 22.0
45-54 25.0 21.6
55-59 8.6 9.0
60-64 5.6 6.0
65 and Over 3.8 4.2
Median Age 42 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

Formal qualifications are not essential to work as a Sales Representative. Although some workers have a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification or a university degree in areas like business management, marketing, accounting and commerce.

Visit

  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Property Services VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Sales Representatives All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 4.7 10.1
Bachelor degree 17.9 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 13.4 11.6
Certificate III/IV 19.2 21.1
Year 12 26.4 18.1
Year 11 6.2 4.8
Year 10 and below 12.2 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Sales Representatives who have good interpersonal and communication skills, can provide good customer service and are well presented.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 57%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 57%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 55%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 55%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 55%

    Negotiation

    Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.

  • 54%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 48%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 48%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 45%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 45%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 45%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 45%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 43%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 43%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 39%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 37%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 34%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 32%

    Systems analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.

  • 30%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.

  • 30%

    Mathematics

    Using maths to solve problems.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 74%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 68%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 53%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 49%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 46%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 43%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 43%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 38%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 36%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 33%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.

  • 31%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 30%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 28%

    Transportation

    Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.

  • 26%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 24%

    Technical design

    Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • 23%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 22%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 17%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 17%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

  • 14%

    Food production

    Planting, growing, and harvesting food (both plant and animal), including storage and handling.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 59%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 59%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 57%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 57%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 55%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 52%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 50%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 46%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 46%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 45%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 43%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 43%

    Brainstorming

    Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.

  • 43%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 43%

    Originality

    Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.

  • 37%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 34%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 34%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.

  • 30%

    Mathematics

    Choose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.

  • 30%

    Multitasking

    Do two or more things at the same time.

  • 27%

    Finger dexterity

    Put together small parts with your fingers.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 73%

    Influencing people

    Convincing people to buy something or to change their minds or actions.

  • 72%

    Communicating with the public

    Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 70%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 68%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 64%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 63%

    Thinking creatively

    Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.

  • 60%

    Negotiating and resolving conflicts

    Handling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.

  • 59%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 58%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 57%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 56%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 54%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 54%

    Making sense of information and ideas

    Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.

  • 51%

    Coming up with systems and processes

    Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.

  • 50%

    Working with computers

    Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

  • 49%

    Providing office support

    Doing day-to-day office work such as filing and processing paperwork.

  • 49%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

    Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.

  • 49%

    Scheduling work and activities

    Working out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.

  • 42%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

  • 41%

    Leading and encouraging a team

    Encouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 90%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 86%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 52%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 43%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

  • 29%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 14%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 71%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 67%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 67%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 67%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 52%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

  • 52%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 99%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 97%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 96%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 90%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 89%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 88%

    Contact with the public

    Work with customers or the public.

  • 83%

    In an enclosed vehicle or equipment

    Work in a closed vehicle (e.g., car).

  • 83%

    Competition

    Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.

  • 82%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 81%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 78%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 77%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 77%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 76%

    Conflict situations

    Deal with conflict or disagreements.

  • 75%

    Letters and memos

    Write letters and memos.

  • 70%

    Spend time sitting

    Spend time sitting at work.

  • 70%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 69%

    Angry or unpleasant people

    Deal with unpleasant, angry, or rude people.

  • 69%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 69%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 41-4012.00 - Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products.


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