Tech, business and creative · Ohio
Sales representative: what the job actually is
Selling a company's products to other businesses, keeping those customers happy, and living with a number you are expected to hit every month.
By Nick Gonzalez, founder, U.S. Air Force veteranChecked against official Ohio sources Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025
The work
What this job actually is
- Finding businesses that might need what you sell, and getting them to talk to you. Most say no.
- Learning your products well enough to answer hard questions without guessing.
- Visiting or calling customers, writing quotes and following up again and again.
- Keeping current customers happy so they keep ordering. Much of the job is service.
- A target. Your results are measured every month, and part of your pay often depends on them.
A Tuesday
What a normal day looks like
Not a good day or a bad one. The ordinary version, which is what you would actually be living.
- 8:00: Update the customer list and plan the day's calls.
- 8:30: Drive to a customer's plant to see how they use your product.
- 10:30: Call five new prospects. Four do not answer. One agrees to a meeting.
- 12:00: Lunch in the car between visits.
- 1:00: A customer's order arrived late. You call the warehouse, then the customer, and fix it.
- 3:00: Write a quote for a large order and get your manager to approve the price.
- 4:30: Log every call and visit, because if it is not in the system it did not happen.
Honestly
Who loves this, and who should not do it
- Talking to strangers does not scare you, or you are willing to get used to it.
- Rejection rolls off you.
- You like being judged on clear results.
- You want to be out and about, not at a desk all day.
- Hearing "no" many times a day would get to you.
- You want the same pay no matter how the month goes.
- You do not like driving or traveling.
- You are uncomfortable pushing someone to make a decision.
The route in
How you actually get there in Ohio
Know there is no license
Ohio does not license general business-to-business sales reps. For products that are not scientific or technical, a high school diploma is generally enough to start.Get a first sales or customer job
Retail, food service and customer service jobs build the same skills. Many reps start in inside sales on the phone before getting their own territory.Complete the company's training
Many companies run formal training for new sales reps that can last up to a year, with new reps shadowing experienced ones on calls.Consider a degree for technical products
Selling scientific or technical products, like medical equipment or industrial machinery, usually requires at least a bachelor's degree.
While you are still in high school
- Join Ohio DECA, which runs marketing and management competitions including sales-style role plays.
- Look for a Marketing career-tech program at your school or career center.
- Join Ohio FBLA or Business Professionals of America for business competitions.
- Get a part-time job that puts you in front of customers. It is the best practice there is.
Where this comes from: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives, how to become one · Ohio Department of Education and Workforce: Marketing career field · Ohio DECA · Ohio FBLA · Business Professionals of America, Ohio Association · Ohio.gov: start, run and grow a business in Ohio. Rules change, so check the official page before you rely on a detail.
The money
What it pays in Ohio
Last on purpose. Pay matters, but it is a bad reason to pick a job you would dislike for thirty years.
- $73,960
- Median pay in Ohio, a year
- $35.56
- Median pay in Ohio, an hour
- 58,740
- People doing this job in Ohio
- $74,990
- Median pay in the Akron area, a year
Most people in Ohio earn between $39,850 (the lowest-paid tenth, usually new starters) and $149,870 (the highest-paid tenth) a year.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: Ohio and Akron, OH metro area. Median means half earn more and half earn less.
Try it this week
Sell something small this week
Pick something real: tickets for a school event, baked goods, or a service like yard work.
Write down five people you will ask and what you will say in two sentences.
Ask all five. Write down every "no" and the reason, if they gave one.
Decide how it felt to hear no, and whether the yes felt worth it.
Questions to ask somebody who does it
- How does your pay work, and what happens in a bad month?
- How many calls does it take to get one new customer?
- How much time do you spend driving?
- What did your company's training teach you that you could not have learned alone?
- What makes customers stay with you?
Can you own one?
Yes. Some experienced reps become independent sales representatives who sell several companies' products in a territory, and others start a business selling a product they know well. Registering the business goes through the state's normal process.
Thinking about it? How to start a business in Ohio and the free Business 101 course are the place to begin.
Questions
Quick answers
- How much does a sales representative make in Ohio?
- The median pay for a sales representative in Ohio is $73,960 a year ($35.56 an hour), according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for May 2025. Most people earn between $39,850 and $149,870.
- How do you become a sales representative in Ohio?
- Know there is no license. Get a first sales or customer job. Complete the company's training. Consider a degree for technical products.
- Can you own your own business as a sales representative in Ohio?
- Yes. Some experienced reps become independent sales representatives who sell several companies' products in a territory, and others start a business selling a product they know well. Registering the business goes through the state's normal process.
Close cousins
Jobs like this one
- Marketing specialistFiguring out who might buy something, what would make them notice it, and then checking the numbers to see whether it actually worked.$72,790 a year
- Real estate agentHelping people buy, sell or rent homes and buildings, and doing a great deal of unpaid work before any deal closes.$46,240 a year
- AccountantMaking sure a business's numbers are true, explaining what they mean, and being the person who notices the thing that does not add up.$79,320 a year
Still deciding?
Start with you, then look at the work
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