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Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products vs Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents: what changes?

Consider Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products if you want to sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers where technical or scientific knowledge is required in such areas as biology, engineering, chemistry, and electronics, normally obtained from at least 2 years of…. Consider Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents if you would rather buy and sell securities or commodities in investment and trading firms, or provide financial services to businesses and individuals. Both list bachelor's degree; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products and Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences
What this means in practice

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Start with earnings, the route into the job, training, available openings, and a day-to-day reality.

Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products

National median pay (2025)
$104,920
Route into the job
Bachelor's degree; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience
No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing
More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate
Negotiate prices or terms of sales or service agreements.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
23,600
Know before you choose

Review the full career brief for day-to-day working conditions.

See the full Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products brief

Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents

National median pay (2025)
$78,660
Route into the job
Bachelor's degree; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience
No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing
More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate
Make bids or offers to buy or sell securities.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
35,100
Know before you choose

Review the full career brief for day-to-day working conditions.

See the full Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents brief
See scores, detailed data, and how the comparison works

How the national numbers differ

1

Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products has the edge on median pay

Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products is at $104,920, compared with $78,660 for Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents.

2

Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents has the edge on annual openings

Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents is at 35,100 annual openings, compared with 23,600 annual openings for Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products.

3

Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents has the edge on projected growth

Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents is at 1.4% projected growth, compared with 1.2% projected growth for Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products.

62.4/ 100

Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products

vs
59.4/ 100

Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products vs Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents

DimensionSales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific ProductsSecurities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents
Median pay (2025)$104,920$78,660
Pay percentile85.7 percentile70.4 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)1.2%1.4%
Annual openings (2025–2035)23,60035,100
2025 employment292,000531,000
How you qualifyBachelor's degree; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensingBachelor's degree; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
O*NET preparation groupJob Zone 4Job Zone 4
Related work experienceNo prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job trainingMore than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products briefRead Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents brief

Try another comparison

Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products vs Sales Engineers

Compare pay, growth, education, and the tradeoffs that affect the decision.

Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products
$104,920 · 1.2% growth
Sales Engineers
$124,900 · 2.8% growth
Compare careers →

Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents vs Sales Engineers

Compare pay, growth, education, and the tradeoffs that affect the decision.

Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents
$78,660 · 1.4% growth
Sales Engineers
$124,900 · 2.8% growth
Compare careers →
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