A sales career is one of the most powerful levers of the US economy. When you think about a career in sales, you’re not just thinking about cold calls and quotas, you’re talking about a field that fuels nearly 13% of all jobs in the US.
Working in sales means being the beating heart of how business gets done, from mom-and-pop stores on Main Street to multi-billion-dollar enterprise deals on Wall Street. In pop culture, sales careers have been glamorized, dramatized, and sometimes villainized. But they’ve always captured the spotlight. Because sales is where opportunity, hustle, and ambition collide.
Today, the reality is even bigger than the Hollywood scripts. A career in sales offers one of the clearest paths to six-figure earnings, rapid advancement, and entry into some of the best jobs in the market, whether that’s breaking into SaaS software sales, climbing the ladder in B2B, or running enterprise sales for a Fortune 500. Add to that the fact that sales skills are universal and transferable, and you’ve got a career path that’s hotter than ever.
But some basics first.
When people ask, “What does a sales rep do?” or “How does it feel like having a career in sales?” the Hollywood version often comes to mind. Alec Baldwin’s fiery “Always Be Closing” monologue in Glengarry Glen Ross or Tom Cruise shouting “Show me the money!” in Jerry Maguire. Entertaining, yes. Accurate? Only partly.
In reality, a career in sales is a mix of strategy, grit, and relationship-building. A typical day for a sales rep involves:
This balance of hustle and structure defines the sales rep career path, a role that’s less about slick talk and more about solving problems at scale. No matter what Hollywood would have you believe!
An inside sales rep sells primarily through remote channels - calls, video meetings, and emails. Think of them as the digital gladiators of the sales world, closing deals without ever leaving their desks. In today’s SaaS and tech-driven environment, inside sales jobs are exploding in demand.
An outside sales rep, on the other hand, thrives in the field. These are the road warriors, traveling to client offices, trade shows, and networking events. They’re closer to the Mad Men era of handshakes and long lunches, where trust and in-person rapport drive the deal.
Success in either role requires a cocktail of skills:
So, if you thought being a sales rep was just “talking people into buying,” think again. The best reps don’t sell. They guide. They align customer pain points with solutions, making themselves indispensable partners in the process.
When exploring sales career options, it’s important to know the landscape. The industry gives you multiple types of sales job options you can pursue, each with its own skills, lifestyle, and earning potential. Here’s what 2025 looks like for aspiring and seasoned reps.
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The most common entry point into sales. Retail sales professionals work directly with consumers in stores or showrooms. It’s consumer-facing, fast-paced, and a great training ground for communication and persuasion skills.
An inside sales job means closing deals remotely, over the phone, email, or video calls. This role is often a stepping stone into SaaS or tech sales, where efficiency and volume matter as much as skill.
Outside sales jobs are the traditional, face-to-face version of selling. Reps travel frequently, meet clients in person, and thrive on building long-term relationships. Think field visits, trade shows, and industry dinners.
These are the big-ticket deals with Fortune 500 clients. Enterprise sales jobs involve long sales cycles, multi-stakeholder negotiations, and often six-figure earnings. Patience, strategy, and high-level communication skills are a must.
B2B sales jobs focus on selling to other businesses rather than individual consumers. This can range from manufacturing and logistics to SaaS and fintech. The deals are typically larger, and the relationships longer-lasting.
Arguably the hottest category right now. SaaS software sales jobs are high growth, highly lucrative, and deeply tied to the booming tech ecosystem. These roles require a mix of product knowledge, consultative selling, and adaptability to rapid innovation.
A tech sales career is a broad umbrella that covers everything from selling cybersecurity solutions to AI-powered tools. It’s one of the most future-proof sales career options, with demand surging across industries.
If you’re exploring a sales career path, you’ll quickly realize it’s one of the clearest ladders in business. Unlike some professions where promotions feel arbitrary, the sales rep career path is built on measurable results. Hit your quota, grow your skills, and doors open fast.
At a high level, most reps follow a progression that looks like this:
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But how do sales roles differ at every level? How is an SDR different from VP of sales?
This is the classic first leap in a sales rep career path. SDRs (Sales Development Representatives) are the engine of prospecting: cold calls, cold emails, and booking meetings. The promotion to Account Executive (AE) usually comes after 12–18 months of consistently hitting pipeline goals. What changes? Suddenly, you’re no longer just teeing up calls. You’re running the whole process: discovery, demos, negotiation, and closing. It’s the transition from being a “door-opener” to becoming the person responsible for revenue. The biggest challenge here is shifting from activity-based metrics (number of calls/emails) to outcome-based metrics (closed deals).
As an AE, you may start in SMB or mid-market accounts, closing deals in the $10K–$50K range. Moving into Enterprise AE is a major career milestone. It means you’re trusted with seven-figure pipelines and multi-stakeholder negotiations. The sales cycles are longer (often 6–12 months), but the commission checks are bigger. On average, this transition happens 2–3 years into your AE role. The key skills you’ll need to demonstrate: consultative selling, account mapping, and the ability to influence a buying committee instead of a single decision-maker. Think less “quick win,” more “strategic quarterback.”
Not every closer wants to manage a team. But for those who do, this is where the career path pivots. Moving from Enterprise AE to Sales Manager or VP typically takes another 2–4 years. Companies look for top performers who can coach others, forecast accurately, and handle the politics of quota-setting. The shift here is from being an individual contributor (where success = your number) to being a multiplier (where success = your team’s number). It’s also a test of patience: not every great seller makes a great manager, so this transition is as much about mindset as it is about skill.
The sales career path chart isn’t always linear. Some reps also pivot into:
On average, here’s the timeline for climbing the ladder:
But these numbers are not cast in stone. Scott Leese, Fractional CRO and founder of Surf and Sales, for example went from AE to VP in just three years. Click here to read his story.
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A fast-track sales career depends on many things - timing, mentorship, the right company stage, and, most importantly, mindset. Scott’s story proves the point:
“No one hands you a promotion. No one hands you a comeback. You take it.”
Sales is one of the few professions where performance can rewrite your trajectory. Crush quota as an SDR, and you can jump into an AE role faster. Prove you can coach as an Enterprise AE, and leadership roles open up. Yes, there are averages - 12–18 months here, 2–3 years there - but they’re guidelines, not guarantees.
If you’re hunting for best sales jobs or the best paying sales jobs, you’re choosing from a buffet of six-figure options. The sweet spot in 2025? Tech sales careers, especially SaaS software sales jobs, alongside evergreen earners like medical devices/pharma and wealth/insurance. Below is a practical breakdown with typical base + OTE ranges and how each track holds up when the economy wobbles.
If your goal is a high paying sales job, especially a six-figure sales job with elite upside, Enterprise SaaS sales sits at the top in 2025 for average earners and top-decile outliers. $250k–$300k OTE medians and $500k–$600k+ for top performers aren’t unusual at strong companies.
Close contenders:
If you want maximum upside and you’re comfortable with longer cycles and complex committees, Enterprise SaaS is the highest-paying lane on average. If you prefer durable demand with strong relationship selling, medical devices and pharma deliver excellent, steadier six-figure outcomes.
Like any profession, working in sales comes with its perks and pitfalls. For every rep who swears by the thrill of closing a deal, there’s another who burns out under the weight of quotas. Here’s the real talk on the pros and cons of sales jobs in 2025:
.png)
Some people thrive in this environment. The scoreboard motivates them, the money excites them, the rejection fuels them. Others find the grind unsustainable. The truth is, a sales career isn’t for everyone. But if you crave challenge, reward, and growth, it can be one of the most lucrative and transformational career choices out there.
People often ask: is sales representative a good job? The honest answer is: it depends.
If you’re competitive, resilient, and genuinely people-oriented, sales can be one of the best sales career options you’ll ever find. The path is clear, the earnings are high, and in fast-growing fields like SaaS and B2B sales, demand for skilled reps is only climbing. The upside? You can reach six figures faster than in most corporate roles, and your skills remain relevant across industries.
But if you crave predictability, dislike quotas, or wilt under constant rejection, you’ll probably find working in sales more draining than rewarding. Unlike jobs where your performance is measured annually, in sales you’re judged monthly, even daily.
So, is sales representative a good job? Yes, with caveats. It’s a fantastic career if you thrive on challenge, growth, and reward. But it’s not a “good job” for everyone. The reps who succeed are the ones who see every “no” as just one step closer to “yes.”
The hot debate: will AI replace sales jobs? The short answer: no. The longer answer: it’s already changing sales careers. Think of it like this. AI may not take away your job, but a sales rep who knows AI will.
AI is great at the grunt work: CRM updates, call transcription, and even prospecting. In fact, many tech sales careers are now built on a hybrid model where AI handles the admin while humans do the heavy lifting in empathy and influence.
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Algorithms can sort leads, score opportunities, and even draft follow-up emails. But they can’t sit across from a CFO and build trust. They can’t read the micro-hesitation in a buyer’s voice. They can’t turn rejection into rapport. They can’t negotiate like a pro.
That’s why the best reps treat AI as a sidekick, not a threat. Tools like Sybill eliminate busywork so you can focus on the human side of selling. Instead of retyping notes into Salesforce, you’re free to deepen connections, spot buyer hesitations, and guide deals forward.
Future-proofing your sales career in the age of AI is about doubling down on what machines can’t do: emotional intelligence, creative problem-solving, and authentic relationship-building. Let AI take the paperwork. Bring your humanness to the yard for everything else.
Wondering how to get into sales without a perfect résumé or fancy degree? The good news: you don’t need either. While many reps come from psychology, business, or communications backgrounds, plenty of top performers had zero formal training in sales. What matters more is grit, curiosity, and the ability to learn fast.
Here’s what the sales career path often looks like when you’re breaking in:
Breaking into sales is about proving you can bring in revenue. Nail that, and the ladder - from SDR to AE to leadership - becomes wide open.
A sales career isn’t about quotas and commissions. But more than that, it’s about mastering skills that last a lifetime. Persuasion, empathy, negotiation, and business acumen make you sharper in any career you pursue. That’s why many top executives, entrepreneurs, and founders started with a career in sales.
And in 2025, the timing has never been better. The US sales landscape is expanding fast, especially in SaaS, tech, and enterprise segments where the demand for talent continues to outpace supply. If you’re considering your next move, few roles offer the same mix of earning potential, career progression, and universal skill-building as working in sales.
The top sales reps blend soft skills like empathy, active listening, resilience with hard skills like negotiation, product expertise, and CRM fluency. Whether you’re an inside sales rep running high-volume calls or an outside sales rep building face-to-face relationships, success comes down to connecting authentically with buyers while guiding them to a decision.
Yes, but only in certain lanes. The best sales jobs for that kind of income are Enterprise SaaS, medical devices, and wealth management. Top-performing Enterprise AEs regularly earn $250k–$300k OTE, with accelerators pushing them past $500k. These are truly six-figure sales jobs with elite upside.
No. A sales rep career path is one of the few in business where performance matters more than credentials. While psychology, business, or communications degrees can help, many high earners started in retail, customer service, or SDR roles without a diploma.
Absolutely. Many sales career paths reach six figures within 2–3 years, especially in tech, SaaS, and B2B roles. Even mid-market AEs commonly earn $130k–$160k OTE, and outside sales reps in industries like pharma or financial services often cross the six-figure mark as well.
SDR stands for Sales Development Representative. It’s the typical entry point on the sales rep career path, focused on prospecting, qualifying leads, and booking meetings for AEs. It’s a crucial role - think of SDRs as the engines that keep the pipeline moving. From there, the path often leads to AE, Enterprise AE, and eventually leadership.
A sales career is one of the most powerful levers of the US economy. When you think about a career in sales, you’re not just thinking about cold calls and quotas, you’re talking about a field that fuels nearly 13% of all jobs in the US.
Working in sales means being the beating heart of how business gets done, from mom-and-pop stores on Main Street to multi-billion-dollar enterprise deals on Wall Street. In pop culture, sales careers have been glamorized, dramatized, and sometimes villainized. But they’ve always captured the spotlight. Because sales is where opportunity, hustle, and ambition collide.
Today, the reality is even bigger than the Hollywood scripts. A career in sales offers one of the clearest paths to six-figure earnings, rapid advancement, and entry into some of the best jobs in the market, whether that’s breaking into SaaS software sales, climbing the ladder in B2B, or running enterprise sales for a Fortune 500. Add to that the fact that sales skills are universal and transferable, and you’ve got a career path that’s hotter than ever.
But some basics first.
When people ask, “What does a sales rep do?” or “How does it feel like having a career in sales?” the Hollywood version often comes to mind. Alec Baldwin’s fiery “Always Be Closing” monologue in Glengarry Glen Ross or Tom Cruise shouting “Show me the money!” in Jerry Maguire. Entertaining, yes. Accurate? Only partly.
In reality, a career in sales is a mix of strategy, grit, and relationship-building. A typical day for a sales rep involves:
This balance of hustle and structure defines the sales rep career path, a role that’s less about slick talk and more about solving problems at scale. No matter what Hollywood would have you believe!
An inside sales rep sells primarily through remote channels - calls, video meetings, and emails. Think of them as the digital gladiators of the sales world, closing deals without ever leaving their desks. In today’s SaaS and tech-driven environment, inside sales jobs are exploding in demand.
An outside sales rep, on the other hand, thrives in the field. These are the road warriors, traveling to client offices, trade shows, and networking events. They’re closer to the Mad Men era of handshakes and long lunches, where trust and in-person rapport drive the deal.
Success in either role requires a cocktail of skills:
So, if you thought being a sales rep was just “talking people into buying,” think again. The best reps don’t sell. They guide. They align customer pain points with solutions, making themselves indispensable partners in the process.
When exploring sales career options, it’s important to know the landscape. The industry gives you multiple types of sales job options you can pursue, each with its own skills, lifestyle, and earning potential. Here’s what 2025 looks like for aspiring and seasoned reps.
The most common entry point into sales. Retail sales professionals work directly with consumers in stores or showrooms. It’s consumer-facing, fast-paced, and a great training ground for communication and persuasion skills.
An inside sales job means closing deals remotely, over the phone, email, or video calls. This role is often a stepping stone into SaaS or tech sales, where efficiency and volume matter as much as skill.
Outside sales jobs are the traditional, face-to-face version of selling. Reps travel frequently, meet clients in person, and thrive on building long-term relationships. Think field visits, trade shows, and industry dinners.
These are the big-ticket deals with Fortune 500 clients. Enterprise sales jobs involve long sales cycles, multi-stakeholder negotiations, and often six-figure earnings. Patience, strategy, and high-level communication skills are a must.
B2B sales jobs focus on selling to other businesses rather than individual consumers. This can range from manufacturing and logistics to SaaS and fintech. The deals are typically larger, and the relationships longer-lasting.
Arguably the hottest category right now. SaaS software sales jobs are high growth, highly lucrative, and deeply tied to the booming tech ecosystem. These roles require a mix of product knowledge, consultative selling, and adaptability to rapid innovation.
A tech sales career is a broad umbrella that covers everything from selling cybersecurity solutions to AI-powered tools. It’s one of the most future-proof sales career options, with demand surging across industries.
If you’re exploring a sales career path, you’ll quickly realize it’s one of the clearest ladders in business. Unlike some professions where promotions feel arbitrary, the sales rep career path is built on measurable results. Hit your quota, grow your skills, and doors open fast.
At a high level, most reps follow a progression that looks like this:
But how do sales roles differ at every level? How is an SDR different from VP of sales?
This is the classic first leap in a sales rep career path. SDRs (Sales Development Representatives) are the engine of prospecting: cold calls, cold emails, and booking meetings. The promotion to Account Executive (AE) usually comes after 12–18 months of consistently hitting pipeline goals. What changes? Suddenly, you’re no longer just teeing up calls. You’re running the whole process: discovery, demos, negotiation, and closing. It’s the transition from being a “door-opener” to becoming the person responsible for revenue. The biggest challenge here is shifting from activity-based metrics (number of calls/emails) to outcome-based metrics (closed deals).
As an AE, you may start in SMB or mid-market accounts, closing deals in the $10K–$50K range. Moving into Enterprise AE is a major career milestone. It means you’re trusted with seven-figure pipelines and multi-stakeholder negotiations. The sales cycles are longer (often 6–12 months), but the commission checks are bigger. On average, this transition happens 2–3 years into your AE role. The key skills you’ll need to demonstrate: consultative selling, account mapping, and the ability to influence a buying committee instead of a single decision-maker. Think less “quick win,” more “strategic quarterback.”
Not every closer wants to manage a team. But for those who do, this is where the career path pivots. Moving from Enterprise AE to Sales Manager or VP typically takes another 2–4 years. Companies look for top performers who can coach others, forecast accurately, and handle the politics of quota-setting. The shift here is from being an individual contributor (where success = your number) to being a multiplier (where success = your team’s number). It’s also a test of patience: not every great seller makes a great manager, so this transition is as much about mindset as it is about skill.
The sales career path chart isn’t always linear. Some reps also pivot into:
On average, here’s the timeline for climbing the ladder:
But these numbers are not cast in stone. Scott Leese, Fractional CRO and founder of Surf and Sales, for example went from AE to VP in just three years. Click here to read his story.
A fast-track sales career depends on many things - timing, mentorship, the right company stage, and, most importantly, mindset. Scott’s story proves the point:
“No one hands you a promotion. No one hands you a comeback. You take it.”
Sales is one of the few professions where performance can rewrite your trajectory. Crush quota as an SDR, and you can jump into an AE role faster. Prove you can coach as an Enterprise AE, and leadership roles open up. Yes, there are averages - 12–18 months here, 2–3 years there - but they’re guidelines, not guarantees.
If you’re hunting for best sales jobs or the best paying sales jobs, you’re choosing from a buffet of six-figure options. The sweet spot in 2025? Tech sales careers, especially SaaS software sales jobs, alongside evergreen earners like medical devices/pharma and wealth/insurance. Below is a practical breakdown with typical base + OTE ranges and how each track holds up when the economy wobbles.
If your goal is a high paying sales job, especially a six-figure sales job with elite upside, Enterprise SaaS sales sits at the top in 2025 for average earners and top-decile outliers. $250k–$300k OTE medians and $500k–$600k+ for top performers aren’t unusual at strong companies.
Close contenders:
If you want maximum upside and you’re comfortable with longer cycles and complex committees, Enterprise SaaS is the highest-paying lane on average. If you prefer durable demand with strong relationship selling, medical devices and pharma deliver excellent, steadier six-figure outcomes.
Like any profession, working in sales comes with its perks and pitfalls. For every rep who swears by the thrill of closing a deal, there’s another who burns out under the weight of quotas. Here’s the real talk on the pros and cons of sales jobs in 2025:
Some people thrive in this environment. The scoreboard motivates them, the money excites them, the rejection fuels them. Others find the grind unsustainable. The truth is, a sales career isn’t for everyone. But if you crave challenge, reward, and growth, it can be one of the most lucrative and transformational career choices out there.
People often ask: is sales representative a good job? The honest answer is: it depends.
If you’re competitive, resilient, and genuinely people-oriented, sales can be one of the best sales career options you’ll ever find. The path is clear, the earnings are high, and in fast-growing fields like SaaS and B2B sales, demand for skilled reps is only climbing. The upside? You can reach six figures faster than in most corporate roles, and your skills remain relevant across industries.
But if you crave predictability, dislike quotas, or wilt under constant rejection, you’ll probably find working in sales more draining than rewarding. Unlike jobs where your performance is measured annually, in sales you’re judged monthly, even daily.
So, is sales representative a good job? Yes, with caveats. It’s a fantastic career if you thrive on challenge, growth, and reward. But it’s not a “good job” for everyone. The reps who succeed are the ones who see every “no” as just one step closer to “yes.”
The hot debate: will AI replace sales jobs? The short answer: no. The longer answer: it’s already changing sales careers. Think of it like this. AI may not take away your job, but a sales rep who knows AI will.
AI is great at the grunt work: CRM updates, call transcription, and even prospecting. In fact, many tech sales careers are now built on a hybrid model where AI handles the admin while humans do the heavy lifting in empathy and influence.
Algorithms can sort leads, score opportunities, and even draft follow-up emails. But they can’t sit across from a CFO and build trust. They can’t read the micro-hesitation in a buyer’s voice. They can’t turn rejection into rapport. They can’t negotiate like a pro.
That’s why the best reps treat AI as a sidekick, not a threat. Tools like Sybill eliminate busywork so you can focus on the human side of selling. Instead of retyping notes into Salesforce, you’re free to deepen connections, spot buyer hesitations, and guide deals forward.
Future-proofing your sales career in the age of AI is about doubling down on what machines can’t do: emotional intelligence, creative problem-solving, and authentic relationship-building. Let AI take the paperwork. Bring your humanness to the yard for everything else.
Wondering how to get into sales without a perfect résumé or fancy degree? The good news: you don’t need either. While many reps come from psychology, business, or communications backgrounds, plenty of top performers had zero formal training in sales. What matters more is grit, curiosity, and the ability to learn fast.
Here’s what the sales career path often looks like when you’re breaking in:
Breaking into sales is about proving you can bring in revenue. Nail that, and the ladder - from SDR to AE to leadership - becomes wide open.
A sales career isn’t about quotas and commissions. But more than that, it’s about mastering skills that last a lifetime. Persuasion, empathy, negotiation, and business acumen make you sharper in any career you pursue. That’s why many top executives, entrepreneurs, and founders started with a career in sales.
And in 2025, the timing has never been better. The US sales landscape is expanding fast, especially in SaaS, tech, and enterprise segments where the demand for talent continues to outpace supply. If you’re considering your next move, few roles offer the same mix of earning potential, career progression, and universal skill-building as working in sales.
The top sales reps blend soft skills like empathy, active listening, resilience with hard skills like negotiation, product expertise, and CRM fluency. Whether you’re an inside sales rep running high-volume calls or an outside sales rep building face-to-face relationships, success comes down to connecting authentically with buyers while guiding them to a decision.
Yes, but only in certain lanes. The best sales jobs for that kind of income are Enterprise SaaS, medical devices, and wealth management. Top-performing Enterprise AEs regularly earn $250k–$300k OTE, with accelerators pushing them past $500k. These are truly six-figure sales jobs with elite upside.
No. A sales rep career path is one of the few in business where performance matters more than credentials. While psychology, business, or communications degrees can help, many high earners started in retail, customer service, or SDR roles without a diploma.
Absolutely. Many sales career paths reach six figures within 2–3 years, especially in tech, SaaS, and B2B roles. Even mid-market AEs commonly earn $130k–$160k OTE, and outside sales reps in industries like pharma or financial services often cross the six-figure mark as well.
SDR stands for Sales Development Representative. It’s the typical entry point on the sales rep career path, focused on prospecting, qualifying leads, and booking meetings for AEs. It’s a crucial role - think of SDRs as the engines that keep the pipeline moving. From there, the path often leads to AE, Enterprise AE, and eventually leadership.
