How Many Sales People are There in The US?

13 Million Salespeople - Insights & Trends

Author

Nic
January 26, 2024

The sales profession is a massive force in the US economy. And the numbers don’t lie. Over 13 million people in the US have chosen the sales profession to make a living, making up almost 4% of the total US population. In this post, we're diving deep into the stats for salespeople in the US. The opportunities are massive, the challenges are real, and the trends are on the up and up. But first, let’s go through some of the sales facts you should know.

  • There are 13,183,250 salespeople in the US.

  • The mean hourly wage for salespeople in the US is $24.22.

  • The mean annual wage for salespeople in the US is $50,370. 

  • The state with the highest number of salespeople is California with 1,450,450 salespeople.

  • The metropolitan area with the highest number of salespeople is:

    NY-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA with 787,080 salespeople.

Table of Contents

The Surprising Numbers: 13 Million Salespeople 

Analyzing the Numbers

The massive number of sales professionals in the US shows the significance and impact sales has on the US economy. It includes roles from retail sales associates, all the way up to high-level business development executives.

  • There are 13,183,250 people employed in sales and related occupations in the US.

Earning Potential for Salespeople in The US

Mean Hourly and Annual Wages for Salespeople 

The earning potential in sales varies greatly, influenced by factors such as industry, location, and the individual's level of experience and skill. This variability makes its way through the industry from entry-level roles to high-stakes corporate selling.

  • Sales roles exhibit wide-ranging earnings, averaging $24.22 per hour and $50,370 annually.

  • This earnings variability reflects the diversity in sales roles, from entry-level positions to complex B2B sales.

Factors Influencing Earnings in the Sales Industry 

The biggest influence on a sales person’s earnings (other than their skills) is the industry they choose.

Here are the top earning industries for salespeople:

The Role of Technology and Innovation in Sales 

The future of sales is massively linked to technological innovation. As we move into times of artificial intelligence being used in work more often, it begs the question: will AI replace salespeople?

The real answer is: nobody knows. But we don’t think so.

To prove it, we took a sales call with an AI sales bot to see if it could perform similarly to a real person.

The titles used to classify US workers as salespeople include: First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers; First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers; Gambling Change Persons and Booth Cashiers; Cashiers; Parts Salespersons; Counter and Rental Clerks; Retail Salespersons; Advertising Sales Agents; Insurance Sales Agents; Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents; Travel Agents; Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel; Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products; Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products; Models; Demonstrators and Product Promoters; Real Estate Brokers; Real Estate Sales Agents; Sales Engineers; Telemarketers; Sales and Related Workers, All Other; Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers