9 Examples of Entry-Level Sales Jobs

Everyone has to start somewhere in the world of sales. But for those extroverts who love overcoming rejections, setting appointments and learning about products and services, an entry-level job in sales can lead to lucrative opportunities down the road.

When it comes to sales, everyone starts somewhere. Climbing the corporate ladder to a VP of sales position means honing the skills necessary to close deals and manage a team of successful salespeople. Gaining that experience often means starting at the bottom and working to the top.

Entry-level sales positions make it easy to know if sales is the right career path because they often involve lots of work. For a motivated individual with grit and determination, an entry-level sales position can be more lucrative than jobs in other fields. The trick is knowing which kind of sales role to pursue.

In this story, we will look at nine entry-level sales jobs that offer the right combination of growth potential and high earnings. Some of these roles require other specialized knowledge, but they all involve the root behaviors of successful salespeople.

What Entry-Level Sales Positions Do

Entry-level sales roles take different forms. In corporate settings, a person might be a business development representative (BDR) or a sales development representative (SDR). BDRs and SDRs usually fulfill a similar function: They focus on prospecting and moving qualified leads to individuals who close sales. Entry-level sales positions often involve:

• Researching and identifying prospects
• Reaching out to prospects, usually through email, phone calls or social media outreach
• Following up on prior communication with leads
• Setting meetings for account executives and other seasoned sales professionals

Day-to-day responsibilities for entry-level sales jobs vary based on the organization. Often, the focus is on generating qualified, top-of-the-sales-funnel leads.

Best Entry-Level Sales Jobs

The best entry-level sales jobs provide an opportunity to grow and learn from mentors in other positions. They also offer decent earning potential. A person pursuing sales for the first time should look for a role that pays salary plus commission, such as many tech sales roles. This offers financial stability while they acclimate to the job.

Though we do not go into detail here, retail sales is a great starting point for a profession in sales. These roles are ideal for perfecting practices such as starting conversations, listening actively, and overcoming objections. Retail sales may not be as lucrative as some of the jobs on this list but offer an opportunity to develop foundational sales skills.

1. Real Estate Agent

Becoming a real estate agent involves a lot of studying and classwork (between 30 and 90 hours) and passing an exam, but it can be lucrative. A real estate agent’s primary role is to help customers buy, sell or rent residential and commercial property. Many real estate professionals start working with more experienced agents until comfortable.

Real estate careers are not limited to showing houses. They also require heavy administrative labor and attention to detail. Real estate agents must organize appointments and showings, set meetings and submit required paperwork for sales and leases. And that is on top of lead generation and marketing duties.

The average salary for starting real estate agents is just over $83,000. That is not a bad starting number for someone’s first year in a new career. The numbers vary based on many factors, including location.?

2. Sales Engineer

Sales engineers may be new to sales but likely have years of education and experience with a highly technical and complex product or service. Sales engineers must have a bachelor’s degree in engineering or related fields. They also rely on strong interpersonal skills to make connections and demonstrate benefits to a diverse audience of stakeholders.

Becoming a sales engineer usually includes obtaining sales experience and training by shadowing a seasoned sales leader or mentor. After training, sales engineers sometimes partner with someone who does not have the technical knowledge to demonstrate a product but possesses exceptional interpersonal skills.

The entry-level compensation for sales engineers averages $79,573, but this varies based on location, experience and commissions.

3. Advertising Sales

Entry-level advertising sales involves many of the same job duties as other sales positions: qualifying leads and contacting prospects via phone, email or social media. Entry-level sales coordinators may also prepare client presentations or proposals, including slide decks.

A role in advertising sales starts with a lower average salary than other positions on this list. The average base salary is $39,404, though commissions can substantially boost pay.

4. Insurance Sales

Entry-level insurance agents schedule appointments with clients and prospects to help find insurance policies that meet their needs. They do this by cold calling, offering insurance seminars/webinars and networking.?

Insurance agents often start by working with more experienced agents who own an agency or join an insurance broker as captive agents. Captive agents sell insurance products from one specific carrier.

Insurance agents can choose from various insurance types to sell, including life, property and Medicare coverage. Total compensation depends on commissions, but the median salary is $37,431.

5. Medical and Pharmaceutical Sales

Medical and pharmaceutical sales is a great career option if a person wants to travel and is passionate about sharing innovative medications and products. It is possible to enter the field with industry training from the National Association of Pharmaceutical Sales Representatives.

Sales representatives in the pharmaceutical industry visit doctor’s offices but do not sell medications directly to physicians, pharmacies and care providers. Instead, they tout the benefits of innovative therapies to help drive prescriptions of these drugs.

Pharmaceutical sales pays well. The average base salary for this role is $54,099.?

6. Software Sales

Software sales involves prospecting leads who might benefit from enterprise software or software as a service (SaaS) products. Software sales SDRs do much of the work of other sales roles: setting appointments and booking qualified leads to meet with account executives.

Entry-level sales representatives in software can expect an average salary of $49,942.

7. Consumer Packaged Good Sales Representative

Consumer packaged goods (CPG) representatives sell products to retailers and small businesses. Many of the roles in this industry serve grocery stores. The day-to-day of a CPG sales representative looks different depending on an organization’s size and the products they offer.?

For entry-level roles in this position, the average salary is $52,000.

8. Financial Services Sales Representative

Financial services representatives consult with their clients on services and products related to banking, securities, insurance and investments. They generate leads through various means, usually cold calls and emails. Their job can also involve going door to door in nearby neighborhoods.

An entry-level financial services sales position generally requires a bachelor’s degree. Most firms hire summer interns who specialize in business, finance or accounting courses.

Financial services sales reps must register as representatives of their firm and obtain a license to sell their products. The average salary for these roles is $96,540, but this depends on the representative’s number of clients.

9. Consulting Sales

For those who have already achieved success in sales, it makes sense to teach others those methods and advanced practices. This is where consulting comes in. Entry-level consultants offer advice to companies and organizations about their practices. Sales consultants train the sales reps of other companies to improve their conversions and lead generation practices.

On average, an entry-level sales consultant can expect to make $72,673. Salaries vary based on experience and location. In addition, if the consultant works for a larger company and sells consulting services, they may make a commission on those deals.

Finding a Job in Sales

For many, finding a job in sales boils down to using their confidence and interpersonal skills to sell themselves first. The various types of sales jobs available make it relatively easy to find a niche. But sales is always going to be hard work. For those not afraid to take no for an answer until they hear a yes, entry-level sales roles are a great way to put their foot in the door in any industry.

Key Takeaways

• Entry-level sales jobs often share responsibilities, including cold calling, emailing and networking with prospects on social media.
• Some of the most lucrative sales jobs depend on a person’s position within the company.
• Many entry-level roles combine salaried compensation with commissions and other bonuses.
• Networking and developing skills with tools like LinkedIn and LinkedIn Learning can jump-start a sales career.

(Reporting by NPD)