As one of the largest job fields available, a career in sales can provide an excellent path to success. Opportunities exist for everyone from high school students to the family breadwinner. However, for those interested in sales, it pays to understand the two sides: retail and wholesale.

• Salespeople working in retail trade are much more visible since they are selling finished goods or services directly to consumers. In other words, they sell services or products like cellphones, clothes, or cars – things that people see every day while they are out shopping. They are also easier to recognize because the retail sector has nearly 6.5 times more jobs than wholesale trade.
• Sales professionals who work in wholesale trade are typically selling goods and materials to other companies for use in a manufacturing process or for further retail distribution. For example, a wholesale trade salesperson might sell corn to an ethanol plant for further processing, or fasteners to a trailer manufacturer. Really, the main difference is who the salespeople are selling to, since the products and services are sometimes the same.

Navigating to a well-paying sales career often starts with entry-level work in jobs that help individuals gain experience and learn the right mix of skills. Sales is a prime example of the pyramid of opportunity. A huge number of opportunities exist in the lower paying, less-skilled sales jobs, while those who gain additional skills, experience, and work hard can climb their way to the top. Others who aren’t a good fit typically either stay in the more numerous, lower-paying sales occupations, or move on to something else.

The chart illustrates the median hourly wage rates for different sales occupations, color-coded to where the jobs are most commonly found, either in retail or wholesale establishments. According to occupational data from DEED, there are 23,550 retail sales jobs in Central Minnesota, with two-thirds being retail salespersons or cashiers. Although less numerous, there were 3,660 sales jobs primarily found in wholesale trade in the region. Of those, 84 percent are non-technical products sales representatives.

For More Information

For more information, contact Luke Greiner at 320-308-5378 or email Luke.Greiner@state.mn.us.