In 2012, the median annual salary for a sales representative was $54,230, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The highest-paid 10% in the same year made about $112,650, and the lowest-paid earned about $27,340.
This wage gap is influenced by several factors. One is that different sales fields compensate their employees differently. Highly compensated professionals typically work for companies that specialize in computer system design, computer equipment manufacturing, and footwear manufacturing.
Another factor that causes the wage gap is the simple fact that there are several different ways to compensate a sales person. We’ll explore the main methods below:
Different structures will work better or worse, depending on the company and the individual sales rep. The right payment structure will compensate employees fairly for their quality of work and allow the company to profit.
Rhys is a tenacious, top performing Senior Sales Recruiter with 15+ years of focused experience in the Digital Media, Mobile, Software, Technology and B2B verticals. He has a successful track record of headhunting top performing sales candidates for some of the most exciting brands in North America. He is a Certified Recruitment Specialist (CRS) and has expert experience in prospecting new business, client retention/renewals and managing top performing sales and recruitment teams. Rhys enjoys spending quality time with his wife, son, and daughters, BBQing on a hot summer day and tropical vacations.