Learn what the client measures
Find out which measurements the device must handle for the client, then hold that against the product's specifications.
Career profile
Technical and Scientific Sales Representative
Technical sales representatives advise companies or institutions choosing technical products, then close the sale.
Two pulls meet in this job: curiosity about how machines and devices work, and enjoying the work of persuading someone to buy.
A day in the life
Show the device running
Demonstrate the device working, and name one drawback that matters to this client.
Build the quote
Write out the price and shipping terms, then negotiate the changes the client asks for.
Keep the order moving
Confirm the delivery date and update the client's file so your next conversation starts from correct facts.
Quick facts
Bachelor’s degree typical
United States · 2025
$104,920 median
United States · May 2025
1.2% projected growth
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
Bachelor’s degree typicalEmployers also provide training on their products and sales process.
Pay
$104,920 medianAbout $50.44 an hour; this is not a starting-pay estimate.
Outlook
1.2% projected growthAbout 23,600 openings annually, including replacements, across technical and scientific wholesale and manufacturing sales.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You enjoy explaining science to someone with a practical problem.
- You like meeting people and asking questions before recommending something.
Things to weigh
- Sales targets create pressure, and workweeks can exceed 40 hours.
Where AI may help
Customer relationship management software keeps account details together.
What people still lead
You judge whether a product fits and negotiate the agreement.
What we can’t predict yet
How much customer conversation will shift to artificial intelligence chatbots remains uncertain.
Pay in context
Earnings
Pay commonly combines salary with commissions or bonuses.
The middle and the spread
The median was $104,920 annually, about $50.44 hourly. The bottom 10% earned below $52,600; the top 10% exceeded $200,440. These are not career stages.
Industry matters
Annual medians were $106,650 in manufacturing and $108,100 in professional, scientific, and technical services.
Getting started
Study the science behind the product
- What the route involves
- For chemical sales, earn a chemistry degree and add business or sales coursework.
- What it can lead to
- You build the scientific foundation for explaining chemical products and understanding customers’ technical questions.
Build experience in scientific technical support
- What the route involves
- With relevant college preparation, help customers use scientific products and resolve equipment questions.
- What it can lead to
- Product knowledge and customer experience can support a later move into technical sales.
- What to check
- Support jobs commonly accept an associate’s or bachelor’s degree; sophisticated instruments may require a doctorate and laboratory experience.
A bachelor’s degree is typical. Choose preparation that connects with the products you want to sell.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization.
Learn the sales conversation
Join experienced representatives on customer calls.
Connect customers with scientists
Learn to turn a customer’s unresolved technical question into a useful discussion with your company’s scientists.
Lead sales or a product line
You may advance into managing sales staff or taking responsibility for a product line.
Where you can work
Inside sales office
Calls and incoming inquiries shape your day; you also process orders.
- Office
- Indoors
Customer sites across a territory
You visit buyers; a large territory can mean nights away.
- Field work
- Travel
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Compare two manufacturers’ specification sheets for digital measuring instruments. Invent a buyer’s need, recommend one instrument, and explain one limitation. Notice whether you enjoy connecting technical details to someone else’s decision.
Stay safe: Use published information; no purchase or equipment operation is needed.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine. Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Wholesale and Manufacturing Sales Representatives. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025–35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- American Chemical Society. Technical Sales & Marketing. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- American Chemical Society. Technical Support. Accessed 2026-10-02.