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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 post-secondary education. Excludes "Sales Engineers" (41-9031).
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:
| Employment (1) | Employment RSE (3) |
Mean hourly wage |
Mean annual wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 328,370 | 1.7 % | $44.67 | $92,910 | 0.9 % |
Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% (Median) |
75% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly Wage | $19.20 | $26.56 | $37.97 | $56.16 | $77.38 |
| Annual Wage (2) | $39,930 | $55,250 | $78,980 | $116,800 | $160,940 |
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | 57,970 | 9.32 | $47.81 | $99,440 |
| Wholesale Electronic Markets and Agents and Brokers | 51,130 | 5.76 | $48.01 | $99,860 |
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services | 29,450 | 1.49 | $45.79 | $95,250 |
| Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers | 29,280 | 14.70 | $46.21 | $96,120 |
| Software Publishers | 16,310 | 4.78 | $45.93 | $95,520 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers | 29,280 | 14.70 | $46.21 | $96,120 |
| Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | 57,970 | 9.32 | $47.81 | $99,440 |
| Wholesale Electronic Markets and Agents and Brokers | 51,130 | 5.76 | $48.01 | $99,860 |
| Software Publishers | 16,310 | 4.78 | $45.93 | $95,520 |
| Household Appliances and Electrical and Electronic Goods Merchant Wholesalers | 15,110 | 4.65 | $41.51 | $86,340 |
Top paying industries for this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oil and Gas Extraction | 140 | 0.08 | $59.11 | $122,950 |
| Other Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing | 590 | 0.73 | $55.71 | $115,880 |
| Resin, Synthetic Rubber, and Artificial Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing | 870 | 0.94 | $51.01 | $106,090 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 8,330 | 0.36 | $50.61 | $105,270 |
| Boiler, Tank, and Shipping Container Manufacturing | 100 | 0.11 | $50.51 | $105,060 |
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 46,150 | 2.89 | 1.24 | $45.72 | $95,090 |
| Texas | 33,000 | 2.81 | 1.20 | $47.96 | $99,760 |
| Florida | 22,110 | 2.69 | 1.15 | $41.37 | $86,040 |
| Ohio | 18,710 | 3.50 | 1.50 | $40.09 | $83,380 |
| Massachusetts | 18,130 | 5.24 | 2.24 | $48.39 | $100,650 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 18,130 | 5.24 | 2.24 | $48.39 | $100,650 |
| New Hampshire | 3,260 | 5.05 | 2.16 | $49.81 | $103,600 |
| Oklahoma | 6,390 | 4.03 | 1.72 | $34.20 | $71,140 |
| South Dakota | 1,550 | 3.72 | 1.59 | $43.44 | $90,360 |
| Ohio | 18,710 | 3.50 | 1.50 | $40.09 | $83,380 |
Top paying States for this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | 330 | 1.20 | 0.51 | $70.78 | $147,220 |
| Minnesota | 6,550 | 2.33 | 1.00 | $56.38 | $117,280 |
| Maryland | 5,550 | 2.10 | 0.90 | $56.38 | $117,270 |
| New Jersey | 6,370 | 1.61 | 0.69 | $55.21 | $114,840 |
| Delaware | 1,190 | 2.70 | 1.15 | $52.46 | $109,120 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA NECTA Division | 11,160 | 6.19 | 2.65 | $49.77 | $103,530 |
| Austin-Round Rock, TX | 10,200 | 10.57 | 4.52 | $54.86 | $114,110 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division | 8,920 | 2.11 | 0.90 | $45.01 | $93,630 |
| Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division | 8,730 | 3.59 | 1.54 | $43.11 | $89,670 |
| New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division | 8,640 | 1.31 | 0.56 | $52.71 | $109,640 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 8,530 | 3.34 | 1.43 | $42.89 | $89,210 |
| Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division | 8,410 | 5.38 | 2.30 | $40.41 | $84,060 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division | 7,720 | 2.12 | 0.91 | $35.60 | $74,040 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 6,780 | 2.31 | 0.99 | $50.35 | $104,720 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 6,560 | 6.28 | 2.68 | $55.81 | $116,090 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin-Round Rock, TX | 10,200 | 10.57 | 4.52 | $54.86 | $114,110 |
| Framingham, MA NECTA Division | 1,750 | 10.05 | 4.30 | $52.96 | $110,160 |
| Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford, MA-NH NECTA Division | 1,280 | 8.44 | 3.61 | $46.74 | $97,220 |
| Nashua, NH-MA NECTA Division | 1,060 | 8.22 | 3.52 | $52.77 | $109,770 |
| Taunton-Middleborough-Norton, MA NECTA Division | 420 | 7.23 | 3.09 | $41.93 | $87,220 |
| Raleigh, NC | 4,070 | 6.84 | 2.93 | $52.76 | $109,750 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 6,560 | 6.28 | 2.68 | $55.81 | $116,090 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA NECTA Division | 11,160 | 6.19 | 2.65 | $49.77 | $103,530 |
| Provo-Orem, UT | 1,300 | 5.93 | 2.54 | $33.51 | $69,710 |
| Portsmouth, NH-ME | 530 | 5.85 | 2.50 | $49.17 | $102,270 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | 160 | 1.19 | 0.51 | $59.88 | $124,550 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 3,380 | 2.52 | 1.08 | $58.38 | $121,440 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 5,710 | 2.99 | 1.28 | $58.27 | $121,200 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | (8) | (8) | (8) | $57.91 | $120,440 |
| Warner Robins, GA | (8) | (8) | (8) | $57.39 | $119,370 |
| Silver Spring-Frederick-Rockville, MD Metropolitan Division | 1,300 | 2.24 | 0.96 | $57.19 | $118,950 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 90 | 0.49 | 0.21 | $57.06 | $118,680 |
| Rapid City, SD | 100 | 1.48 | 0.63 | $56.99 | $118,530 |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | 250 | 1.93 | 0.83 | $55.82 | $116,100 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 6,560 | 6.28 | 2.68 | $55.81 | $116,090 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Northeastern Ohio non-metropolitan area (non-contiguous) | 760 | 2.30 | 0.98 | $34.85 | $72,490 |
| East South Dakota nonmetropolitan area | 660 | 5.02 | 2.15 | $36.21 | $75,330 |
| West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area | 590 | 2.32 | 0.99 | $31.55 | $65,620 |
| Southeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area | 390 | 2.29 | 0.98 | $20.92 | $43,520 |
| Northwest Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area | 370 | 3.02 | 1.29 | $28.05 | $58,340 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East South Dakota nonmetropolitan area | 660 | 5.02 | 2.15 | $36.21 | $75,330 |
| Southwest New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area | 170 | 4.45 | 1.90 | $36.93 | $76,800 |
| Southwest Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area | 250 | 3.89 | 1.66 | $30.88 | $64,230 |
| Northwest Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area | 370 | 3.02 | 1.29 | $28.05 | $58,340 |
| West Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area | 180 | 2.75 | 1.18 | $37.66 | $78,320 |
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hill Country Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | 180 | 0.94 | 0.40 | $58.97 | $122,660 |
| Northern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | 90 | 0.53 | 0.23 | $56.06 | $116,600 |
| Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area | 200 | 2.10 | 0.90 | $54.65 | $113,670 |
| Southwest Kansas nonmetropolitan area | 70 | 0.87 | 0.37 | $53.16 | $110,570 |
| South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | 120 | 0.58 | 0.25 | $52.65 | $109,510 |
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(8) Estimate not released.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OES estimates and related information:
May 2016 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2016 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2016 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2016 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
Last Modified Date: March 31, 2017