What’s in It For Me?

Like many professions, your experience depends largely on the industry and organization you’re in. Many professional salespeople enjoy the constant interactions with people. Others enjoy the relative freedom and flexibility that a sales career offers. Many salespeople are out and about, meeting clients, pitching potential customers, or finding new prospects. This would appeal to people disinterested in a "normal" office job where they sit at a desk all day (again, some sales jobs involve that, too). For many, they are drawn to the sales profession for the income potential. Though wildly variable depending on the profession, there are sales jobs where your income is not officially capped. Therefore, you aren’t limited by your negotiated salary every year, but only by what you are capable of earning. Of course, that might also mean that you cannot predict your earnings in any given year, a difficult proposition if you have a family or are trying to qualify for a home loan. However, every year, millions of people throughout the world earn their living in personal selling. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2020 (the last report available at the time of writing), the median annual salary was $31,500. However, this includes all entry-level positions, such as a retail cashier. Sales positions that are more technical and require a license or college degree tend to pay much better. For example, the median salary for insurance agents and realtors were both over $50,000 annually. Engineering-based salespeople were into the six figures. Review the BLS report for more information on sales occupations.