Sales Engineers : Occupational Outlook Handbook : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Summary

Sales engineers prepare and deliver technical presentations that explain products or services to customers and prospective customers.

Quick Facts: Sales Engineers
2010 Median Pay	$87,390 per year $42.01 per hour
Entry-Level Education	Bachelor’s degree
Work Experience in a Related Occupation	None
On-the-job Training	Moderate-term on-the-job training
Number of Jobs, 2010	66,400
Job Outlook, 2010-20	14% (About as fast as average)
Employment Change, 2010-20	9,500

What Sales Engineers Do

Sales engineers sell complex scientific and technological products or services to businesses. They must have extensive knowledge of the products’ parts and functions and must understand the scientific processes that make these products work.

Work Environment

Sales engineers often work under stressful conditions because their income and job security depend on successfully completing sales. Some sales engineers may work long and irregular hours to meet sales goals and client needs.

How to Become a Sales Engineer

Sales engineers typically need a bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related field. Successful sales engineers combine technical knowledge of the products or services they are selling with strong interpersonal skills.

Pay

The median annual wage of sales engineers was $87,390 in May 2010.

Job Outlook

Similar Occupations

Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of sales engineers with similar occupations.

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What Sales Engineers Do About this section

Sales engineers specialize in technologically and scientifically advanced products.

Duties

Sales engineers typically do the following:

Prepare and deliver technical presentations that explain products or services to customers and prospective customers
Confer with customers and engineers to assess equipment needs and to determine system requirements
Collaborate with sales teams to understand customer requirements and provide sales support
Secure and renew orders and arrange delivery
Plan and modify products to meet customer needs
Help clients solve problems with installed equipment
Recommend improved materials or machinery to customers, showing how changes will lower costs or increase production
Help in researching and developing new products

Sales engineers specialize in technologically and scientifically advanced products. They use their technical skills to explain the benefits of their products or services to potential customers and to show how their products or services are better than their competitors' products. Some sales engineers work for the companies that design and build technical products. Others work for independent sales firms.

Many of the duties of sales engineers are similar to those of other salespersons. They must interest the client in buying their products or services, negotiate a price, and complete the sale. To do this, sales engineers give technical presentations during which they explain the technical aspects of the product and how it will solve a specific customer problem.

Some sales engineers, however, team with salespersons who concentrate on marketing and selling the product, which lets the sales engineer concentrate on the technical aspects of the job. By working as part of a sales team, each member is able to focus on his or her strengths and expertise. For more information on other sales occupations, see the profile on wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives.

In addition to giving technical presentations, sales engineers are increasingly doing other tasks related to sales, such as market research. They also may ask for technical requirements from customers and modify and adjust products to meet customers’ specific needs. Some sales engineers work with research and development (R&D) departments to help identify and develop new products.

Work Environment About this section

Some sales engineers have large territories and travel extensively.

Sales engineers held about 66,400 jobs in 2010. Sales engineers encounter stress because their income and job security often depend directly on their success in sales and customer service. Some sales engineers have large territories and travel extensively. Because sales regions may cover several states, sales engineers may be away from home for several days or even weeks at a time. Other sales engineers cover a smaller region and spend only a few nights away from home. International travel to secure contracts with foreign clients is becoming more common.

The following industries employed the most sales engineers in 2010:

Wholesale trade	34%
Professional, scientific, and technical services	23
Computer and electronic product manufacturing	10
Telecommunications	9

Work Schedules

Some sales engineers may work long and irregular hours to meet sales goals and client needs. However, many sales engineers can decide their own schedules.

How to Become a Sales Engineer About this section

Successful sales engineers will have a combination of technical knowledge of the products they are selling and strong interpersonal skills.

A bachelor’s degree is typically required for a sales engineer. Successful sales engineers combine technical knowledge of the products or services they are selling with strong interpersonal skills.

Education

Sales engineers typically need a bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related field. However, workers without a degree but with previous sales experience as well as technical experience or training sometimes hold the title of sales engineer. Also, workers who have a degree in a science, such as chemistry, or in business with little or no previous sales experience may be called sales engineers.

University engineering programs generally require 4 years of study. They vary in content, but all programs include courses in math and the physical sciences. In addition, most require developing strong computer skills.

Some programs offer a general engineering curriculum; students then specialize on the job or in graduate school. Most programs, however, require students to choose an area of specialization. The most common majors are electrical, mechanical, or civil engineering, but some programs offer additional majors, such as chemical, biomedical, or computer hardware engineering.

Training

New graduates with engineering degrees may need sales experience and training before they can work independently as sales engineers. Training may involve teaming with a sales mentor who is familiar with the employer's business practices, customers, procedures, and company culture. After the training period, sales engineers may continue to partner with someone who lacks technical skills yet excels in the art of sales.

It is important for sales engineers to continue their engineering and sales education throughout their careers. Much of their value to their employers depends on their knowledge of, and ability to sell, the latest technologies. Sales engineers in high-technology fields, such as information technology and advanced electronics, may find that their technical knowledge rapidly becomes obsolete, requiring frequent retraining.

Advancement

Promotion may include a higher commission rate, a larger sales territory, or elevation to the position of supervisor or marketing manager.

Important Qualities

Complex problem-solving skills. Sales engineers must be able to listen to the customer’s desires and concerns and then recommend solutions, possibly including customizing a product.

Interpersonal skills. Strong interpersonal skills are a valuable characteristic for sales engineers, both for building relationships with clients and effectively communicating with other members of the sales team.

Self-confidence. Sales engineers should be confident and persuasive when making sales presentations.

Technological skills. Sales engineers must have extensive knowledge of the technologically sophisticated products they sell in order to explain their advantages and answer questions.

Pay About this section

Sales Engineers

Median annual wages, May 2010

Sales Engineers: $87,390
Total, All Occupations: $33,840
Sales and Related Occupations: $24,370

The median annual wage of sales engineers was $87,390 in May 2010. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $51,940 and the top 10 percent earned more than $146,580.

How much a sales engineer earns varies significantly by the type of firm and the product sold. Most employers offer a combination of salary and commission payments or salary plus a bonus. Some sales engineers who work for independent sales companies earn only commissions. Commissions usually are based on the value of sales. Bonuses may depend on individual performance, on the performance of all workers in the group or district, or on the company's performance. Earnings from commissions and bonuses may vary from year to year depending on sales ability, the demand for the company's products or services, and the overall economy.

In addition to their earnings, sales engineers who work for manufacturers usually are reimbursed for expenses such as transportation, meals, hotels, and customer entertainment. Besides receiving typical benefits, sales engineers may get personal use of a company car and frequent-flyer miles. Some companies offer incentives such as free vacation trips or gifts for outstanding performance. Sales engineers who work in independent firms may have higher, but less stable earnings and, often, relatively few benefits. For example, most independent sales engineers do not get paid vacations, a common benefit for many other workers.

Some sales engineers may work long and irregular hours to meet sales goals and client needs. However, many sales engineers can decide their own schedules.

Job Outlook About this section

Sales Engineers

Percent change in employment, projected 2010-20

Total, All Occupations: 14%
Sales Engineers: 14%
Sales and Related Occupations: 13%

Employment of sales engineers is expected to grow by 14 percent from 2010 to 2020, as fast as the average for all occupations. As a wider range of technologically sophisticated products comes on the market, sales engineers will be in demand to help sell products or services related to these products. Employment is expected to be strongest in independent sales agencies, as manufacturing companies outsource their sales staff as a way to control costs. Growth is also likely to be strong for sales engineers selling computer software and hardware. Employment of sales engineers in computer systems design and related services is expected to grow by 43 percent from 2010 to 2020.

Job Prospects

Successful sales engineers must have strong technical knowledge of the products they are selling, in addition to having interpersonal skills and the ability to persuade. Job prospects should be good for candidates with these abilities.

Employment projections data for sales engineers, 2010-20
Occupational Title	SOC Code	Employment, 2010	Projected Employment, 2020	Change, 2010-20		Employment by Industry
Occupational Title	SOC Code	Employment, 2010	Projected Employment, 2020	Percent	Numeric	Employment by Industry
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program
Sales Engineers	41-9031	66,400	75,900	14	9,500	[XLS]

Similar Occupations About this section

This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of sales engineers.

Occupation	Job Duties	ENTRY-LEVEL EDUCATION	2010 MEDIAN PAY
Aerospace Engineers	Aerospace engineers design aircraft, spacecraft, satellites, and missiles. In addition, they test prototypes to make sure that they function according to design.	Bachelor’s degree	$97,480
Computer Hardware Engineers	Computer hardware engineers research, design, develop, and test computer equipment such as chips, circuit boards, or routers. By solving complex problems in computer hardware, these engineers create rapid advances in computer technology.	Bachelor’s degree	$98,810
Electrical and Electronics Engineers	Electrical engineers design, develop, test, and supervise the manufacturing of electrical equipment such as electric motors, radar and navigation systems, communications systems, and power generation equipment. Electronics engineers design and develop electronic equipment, such as broadcast and communications systems—from portable music players to global positioning systems (GPS).	Bachelor’s degree	$87,180
Industrial Engineers	Industrial engineers find ways to eliminate wastefulness in production processes. They devise efficient ways to use workers, machines, materials, information, and energy to make a product or provide a service.	Bachelor’s degree	$76,100
Insurance Sales Agents	Insurance sales agents help insurance companies generate new business by contacting potential customers and selling one or more types of insurance. An agent explains various insurance policies and helps clients choose plans that suit them.	High school diploma or equivalent	$46,770
Mechanical Engineers	Mechanical engineering is one of the broadest engineering disciplines. Mechanical engineers design, develop, build, and test mechanical devices, including tools, engines, and machines.	Bachelor’s degree	$78,160
Purchasing Managers, Buyers, and Purchasing Agents	Purchasing managers, buyers, and purchasing agents buy products for organizations to use or resell. They evaluate suppliers, negotiate contracts, and review product quality.	See How to Become One	$58,360
Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents	Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents connect buyers and sellers in financial markets. They sell securities to individuals, advise companies in search of investors, and conduct trades.	Bachelor’s degree	$70,190
Wholesale and Manufacturing Sales Representatives	Wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers to businesses, government agencies, and other organizations. They contact customers, explain product features, answer any questions that their customers may have, and negotiate prices.	See How to Become One	$56,620