← All 785 jobsFile 41-4012
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing
Also filed here: Field sales, Distributor sales, Channel sales, Territory sales, Medical representative, Mr and 1 more
Heavily edited
AI already performs a large share of the work in this job. The BLS expects 0.9% fewer of these jobs by 2035.
- Rank
- Joint #126 of 785 jobs, by how much of the work AI does
- US jobs, 2025 to 2035
- -0.9% All jobs: +3.5%
- Median US pay
- $72,080 a year, 2025
- People doing it
- 1.3 million in the US, with about 99,800 openings a year
The work, 21 activities
The job description, marked up.
Every activity in this job, the biggest first. Tap a line for the evidence.
- deleAI does this
- +AIAI helps
- stetStill yours
AI does this: Advise others on products or services10%
AI performed this in about 1 in 42 Copilot conversations and completed it 92% of the time.
AI does this: Explain technical details of products or services8%
AI performed this in about 1 in 43 Copilot conversations and completed it 91% of the time.
AI helps with this: Promote products, services, or programs8%
People asked AI for help with this in about 1 in 715 conversations, and it got them there 92% of the time. In this job the work is hands-on, so AI can only assist.
Still yours: Negotiate contracts or agreements7%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI does this: Determine values or prices of goods or services7%
AI performed this in about 1 in 510 Copilot conversations and completed it 92% of the time.
AI does this: Respond to customer problems or inquiries6%
AI performed this in about 1 in 6 Copilot conversations and completed it 84% of the time.
Still yours: Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures6%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI helps with this: Purchase goods or services5%
People asked AI for help with this in about 1 in 214 conversations, and it got them there 91% of the time.
AI does this: Monitor external affairs, trends, or events4%
AI performed this in about 1 in 394 Copilot conversations and completed it 87% of the time.
AI does this: Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise4%
AI performed this in about 1 in 40 Copilot conversations and completed it 91% of the time.
Still yours: Prepare financial documents, reports, or budgets4%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
Still yours: Maintain sales or financial records4%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI helps with this: Arrange displays or decorations4%
People asked AI for help with this in about 1 in 1,323 conversations, and it got them there 65% of the time.
Still yours: Stock supplies or products4%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI helps with this: Identify business or organizational opportunities4%
People asked AI for help with this in about 1 in 1,883 conversations, and it got them there 90% of the time.
AI helps with this: Prepare documentation for contracts, applications, or permits3%
People asked AI for help with this in about 1 in 1,066 conversations, and it got them there 94% of the time.
Still yours: Monitor resources or inventories3%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI helps with this: Create visual designs or displays2%
People asked AI for help with this in about 1 in 78 conversations, and it got them there 40% of the time.
Still yours: Prepare proposals or grant applications2%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI does this: Evaluate the quality or accuracy of data2%
AI performed this in about 1 in 683 Copilot conversations and completed it 82% of the time.
Still yours: Process shipments or mail2%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
2025 to 2035
Ten years from now.
For every 100 of these jobs in 2025, the BLS projects 99 in 2035. Across all US jobs, about 104.
Even shrinking, it should still see about 99,800 openings a year as people retire or move on.
BLS on AIThe Occupational Outlook Handbook says AI and chatbots may limit demand. Source ↗
Nearby
Where your skills travel.
Jobs that share the most work with this one, where AI does less of it.
- Shares 34% of the workFirst-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers31% AI does, against 42% here+0.5% by 2035 · $87,520 · High school diploma
- Shares 31% of the workProperty, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers17% AI does, against 42% here+3.7% by 2035 · $69,990 · High school diploma
- Shares 23% of the workMeeting, Convention, and Event Planners31% AI does, against 42% here+5.8% by 2035 · $61,160 · Bachelor’s degree
The wire
On the wire.
Nothing filed about this job yet. The latest from the Work front:
How to read this file.
deleAI does this. In US Bing Copilot conversations from January to September 2024, AI itself performed the activity, completed it and made a real difference often enough to count.
+AIAI helps. People brought the activity to AI as their own goal, and it usually got them there.
stetStill yours. It barely shows up in AI use, AI rarely finishes it, or in this job it needs hands.
Shares are weighted by how much each activity matters in the job, using O*NET. Microsoft’s own AI applicability score for this job is 0.30, higher than 88% of jobs.
Doing an activity is not doing a job. The researchers behind this data warn against reading it as job loss, and so do we. It is US data; the shape of the work travels.
Sources: Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025) · O*NET OnLine, 41-4012 · BLS Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
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