Career field
Sales careers
Occupations selling goods and services across industries. CampusPin lists 22 sales occupations, with median pay ranging from $31,190 to $121,520 per year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024). Median pay is occupation-wide, not a starting wage or a guarantee.
Occupations
22
indexed BLS occupations
Median pay range
$31,190–$121,520
BLS 2024, occupation-wide
Typical pay (midpoint)
$52,385
median of these medians
Most common entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
across 22 occupations
Projected to grow fastest
BLS projected employment change, 2024–2034.
Largest by employment
BLS employment estimate, 2024.
- Retail salespersons3,936,700
- Cashiers3,157,200
- First-line supervisors of retail sales workers1,432,600
- Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products1,310,500
- Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel1,226,700
Typical entry-level education
How many of these occupations BLS classifies at each typical entry-level education. Many roles also have experience or licensure requirements beyond a degree.
- High school diploma or equivalent: 10
- No formal educational credential: 9
- Bachelor's degree: 3
Occupations in this field
Every occupation BLS places in this field, with median pay, the openings each is projected to average per year, its projected employment change, and the education most entrants hold. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first, which is the measure of how much hiring a field actually does rather than how much it pays.
| Occupation | Median pay | Openings / yr | Projected change | Most entrants hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail salespersons | $34,580 | 555,800 | -0.5% | No formal educational credential |
| Cashiers | $31,190 | 542,600 | -9.9% | No formal educational credential |
| First-line supervisors of retail sales workers | $47,320 | 125,100 | -5% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel | $66,260 | 123,000 | +3.1% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products | $66,780 | 114,800 | +0.3% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Insurance sales agents | $60,370 | 47,000 | +3.7% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Counter and rental clerks | $38,540 | 45,900 | +3.2% | No formal educational credential |
| Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents | $78,140 | 38,100 | +3.3% | Bachelor's degree |
| Real estate sales agents | $56,320 | 36,600 | +3.1% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Parts salespersons | $37,440 | 30,200 | +3.1% | No formal educational credential |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products | $100,070 | 27,200 | +1.9% | Bachelor's degree |
| First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers | $84,130 | 24,800 | 0% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Sales and related workers, all other | $46,370 | 16,000 | +3.7% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Demonstrators and product promoters | $37,960 | 14,000 | -0.1% | No formal educational credential |
| Real estate brokers | $72,280 | 9,700 | +3.3% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Advertising sales agents | $61,460 | 9,300 | -6.4% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Travel agents | $48,450 | 7,100 | +2.2% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Telemarketers | $34,410 | 6,500 | -22.1% | No formal educational credential |
| Sales engineers | $121,520 | 5,000 | +5.5% | Bachelor's degree |
| Gambling change persons and booth cashiers | $34,810 | 4,000 | -6.4% | No formal educational credential |
| Door-to-door sales workers, news and street vendors, and related workers | $34,530 | 2,700 | -10% | No formal educational credential |
| Models | $89,990 | 1,200 | -0.5% | No formal educational credential |
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024 wages and Employment Projections. “Most entrants hold” describes the education people already working in the occupation typically have. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.
Majors that lead into this field
CampusPin majors whose program maps to occupations in this field via the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk.
Frequently asked questions
What careers are in the sales field?
CampusPin lists 22 sales occupations from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, including Sales engineers, Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products, Models, First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers. Each links to a career page with median pay, projected job growth, and typical entry-level education.
How much do sales careers pay?
Across these occupations, BLS 2024 median pay ranges from $31,190 to $121,520 per year, with a midpoint (the median of the occupations' medians) near $52,385. Median pay is occupation-wide, not a starting wage, and varies by state, employer, and experience.
What education do sales careers require?
Typical entry-level education varies by occupation; the most common in this field is high school diploma or equivalent. 10 occupations list high school diploma or equivalent; 9 occupations list no formal educational credential; 3 occupations list bachelor's degree.
Which sales careers are projected to grow fastest?
Over 2024–2034, BLS projects the fastest growth for Sales engineers (+5.5%), Insurance sales agents (+3.7%), Sales and related workers, all other (+3.7%), Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents (+3.3%), Real estate brokers (+3.3%). Projections are BLS model estimates, not guarantees.
Put this field in context
The pay and growth numbers above are field-wide BLS medians and national projections across sales occupations, not a starting salary or a guarantee for any single job. These CampusPin guides explain how to read them and how a field connects to majors and college choices.
Why a median wage is not a starting salary
How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.
How one major connects to many careers
A major points toward several occupations in a field, not a single destination.
Does a pricier college pay off?
How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.
Compare cost, earnings, and debt together
Weigh price, earnings, and debt side by side without reducing a field to one number.
Occupation data is from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (Employment Projections); wages are 2024 and projections cover 2024–2034. Figures are national, not institution-specific, and projections are estimates, not guarantees.