Sales Engineers
Sales and Related
The selling here is technical: products and services that take an engineering background to explain, propose, and contract. Visits happen at commercial and industrial sites to show samples or catalogs, talk through price and availability, and figure out how equipment should be configured. Time also goes to the sales team and to the customer's engineers, so system needs get pinned down and the offering gets adjusted. Industry news, competitors, and new product lines have to be tracked. Suits people who like explaining technical trade-offs, steering a buying decision, and changing a product setup until it fits.
Typical education: Bachelor’s Degree (4-year)
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$124'900
Median Wage Market Position
$124'900
What you might do
- Write technical proposals for a customer's needs
- Visit plants to explain products and pricing
- Draft contracts for equipment and related services
- Meet engineers to define system requirements
- Change product setups to fit each buyer
- Track rival products and new industry technology
Skills that matter
- Presenting technical proposals to buyers
- Persuading buyers on pricing and advantages
- Reading RFPs and proposal requirements
- Listening to equipment and system needs
- Deciding which setup fits the customer
- Settling disputes over system requirements
AI & the future of this role
Pitching technical products still hinges on translating complex specs into client-specific solutions and earning trust in live conversations. AI may draft proposals and demos, yet consultative judgment and relationship-driven closing tend to keep prospects moderately resilient.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details