A Career in Sales

If you’re a people person and enjoy the challenge of making a sale, there are plenty of opportunities for you in Kentucky. Whether you want to sell goods or services, you can find your niche. Sales and related occupations will account for 9.3 percent of Kentucky’s workforce by 2026.

Over 56,000 Kentuckians work as retail salespersons. That number is expected to increase by 1.95 percent from 2018 to 2028, from 56, 018 to 57,112.

Double-digit percentage growth is expected in the number of jobs for product promoters and demonstrators. Jobs are expected to increase by 10.62 percent from 2018-2028, from 1,149 to 1,271 jobs. Median wage is $34,593.

After you get some retail sales experience, you might set your sights on supervisory work. First-line supervisors of retail sales workers make a median wage of $36,832. Supervisor jobs are expected to increase by 1.10 percent  from 2018 to 2028, from 22,000 to 22,243.

If you prefer seeking out customers and negotiating sales, you might consider a career as a sales representative. Sales reps are typically paid with a combination of salary and commissions or bonuses. Here you’ll find opportunities in services, wholesale, and manufacturing.

Sales Representatives, Services

Services make up 60 percent of Kentucky’s economy, according to the 2019 Kentucky Annual Economic Report, and sales reps for services are in demand. The number of jobs for sales reps in services (excluding advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel) is expected to increase 5.04 percent from 2018-2028, from 8,754 to 9,195 positions.

Demand is greatest for insurance sales agents. The number of jobs is expected to increase by 23.99 percent from 2018 to 2028, from 5,149 to 6,384.

Those who sell financial products typically have a bachelor’s degree in their field. Demand is expected to increase by 5.47 percent from 2018 to 2028, from 3,144 to 3,316.

  • Sales reps in services (except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel): median wage $47,859.
  • Insurance sales agents: median wage $45,339.
  • Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents: median wage $58,887.

Sales in Manufacturing

Sales reps in wholesale and manufacturing make the highest salaries. Those who sell technical and scientific products, such as pharmaceuticals and industrial equipment, typically have a bachelor’s degree in their field.

  • Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products: median wage $81,848.
  • Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products: median wage $56,169.

Sales engineers typically have a bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related field.They make the highest pay in the sales and related occupations sector, with a median wage close to six figures. Jobs as sales engineers are expected to increase by 8.68 percent from 2018 to 2028, from 380 to 413.

  • Sales engineers: median wage $99,738.

Marketing and Sales Managers

With a bachelor’s degree in a field like business, statistics, or communications, you can work as a marketing specialist or sales manager. Marketing specialists often have a sales background and specialize in generating interest in a product or service. Sales managers (who usually have experience as sales reps) lead sales teams, preparing budgets and analyzing data to focus the team’s efforts.

  • Market research analysts and marketing specialists: 22.56 percent increase from 2018 to 2028, from 4,946 to 6,062 jobs. Median wage $54,500.
  • Marketing managers: 9.62 percent increase from 2018 to 2028, from 1,820 to 1,995.  Median wage $94,493.
  • Sales managers: 7.17 percent increase from 2018 to 2028, from 3, 474 to 3, 723. Median wage $103,961.

Data from the Kentucky Occupational Outlook to 2028

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