Sales Engineers
Sell business goods or services, the selling of which requires a technical background equivalent to a baccalaureate degree in engineering.
Also called: Aeronautical Products Sales Engineer, Aerospace Products Sales Engineer, Agricultural Equipment Sales Engineer, Business Development Engineer, Ceramic Products Sales Engineer, Channel Sales Engineer (CSE)
Median pay
$124,900
per year, U.S.
Pay range (10th–90th)
$73,870 – $195,270
People employed
51,790
Holland code
ECI
Enterprising · Conventional · Investigative
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Is this career right for you?
These are the things that stand out in this job compared with other U.S. jobs (O*NET 31.0 work context). Answer honestly.
- 1.Do you enjoy serving customers or the public?
- 2.Do you want the same hours every week?
- 3.Do you want to lead or coordinate other people’s work?
- 4.Do you want a lot of freedom to make your own decisions?
The hard parts
- Tight deadlines are common
Sales Engineers pay by state
Highest-paying states
Annual median pay by state (44 states with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
What sales engineers do
- 01Sell products requiring extensive technical expertise and support for installation and use, such as material handling equipment, numerical-control machinery, or computer systems.
- 02Develop, present, or respond to proposals for specific customer requirements, including request for proposal responses and industry-specific solutions.
- 03Collaborate with sales teams to understand customer requirements, to promote the sale of company products, and to provide sales support.
- 04Create sales or service contracts for products or services.
- 05Visit prospective buyers at commercial, industrial, or other establishments to show samples or catalogs, and to inform them about product pricing, availability, and advantages.
- 06Keep informed on industry news and trends, products, services, competitors, relevant information about legacy, existing, and emerging technologies, and the latest product-line developments.
Skills that matter most
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Active Learning
Knowledge
- Customer and Personal Service
- Sales and Marketing
- Engineering and Technology
- English Language
- Mathematics
Work styles that stand out
- Dependability
- Intellectual Curiosity
- Achievement Orientation
- Social Orientation
- Adaptability
Education and first steps
Share of workers by required education, as reported to O*NET.
How people get started
- Usually needs a bachelor's degree (O*NET Job Zone 4).
- Related work experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years.
- On-the-job training: over 6 months, up to and including 1 year.
Most common answers from O*NET 31.0 Education, Training and Experience.
Interest fit (Holland code)
O*NET occupational interest scores, scale 1–7. Take the Free Career Test to compare with your own.
Career changes
Change from sales engineers
- Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products85% · −16%
- Solar Sales Representatives and Assessors83% · group pay
- Architectural and Engineering Managers80% · +37%
- Marketing Managers75% · +34%
- Wind Energy Development Managers75% · group pay
Change into sales engineers
Jobs whose skills carry over best (skill match, their median pay).
- Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products88% · $104,920
- Solar Sales Representatives and Assessors85% · $104,920
- Cost Estimators79% · $78,740
- Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products79% · $72,080
- Online Merchants76% · $83,050