Applications (Sales) Engineers
Education
| Fast Facts* | |
|---|---|
| Recommended Degree Level | Bachelor |
| Salary, Typical | $91,830 |
| Salary Range | |
| Number of Jobs, 2012 | 65,410 |
| Annual Job Growth Rate | 4.5% |
| Job Openings per Year (est.) | 3,210 |
What's Needed:
- Application engineers, also often referred to as sales engineers, usually need a Bachelor in Engineering degree or a degree in a related field.
- Some sales engineers don't have a bachelor's degree but have sales and technical experience and training.
- Bachelor of Engineering degree programs include math and physical sciences courses. Most engineering programs require students to select an area of specialization such as mechanical, electrical or civil engineering. Some of the programs provide additional majors including biomedical, chemical or computer hardware engineering.
What you study:
- Electronics
- Calculus
- Statistics
- Mechanics
- Circuits
- Physics
- Chemistry
A Day in the Life
Sales engineers act as tech encyclopedia during sales presentations.
Sales engineers play a vital role in technology companies. Sales engineers act as the sales' team technical encyclopedia during a sales presentation, explaining the technical aspects of how a company's product solves specific problems for a customer. As a sales engineer you'll likely spend a large portion of the day selling scientific and technical products or services to an array of companies.
As a sales engineer you'll spend time collaborating with engineers and customers evaluating equipment needs and determining systems requirements. You may also spend time proposing changes in process, equipment, materials or services to customers.
You'll work with customers to evaluate equipment needs.
You'll spend a lot of time visiting companies explaining and demonstrating products. You may also spend time providing technical support to customers and helping customers solve problems with installed equipment.
Due to your technical expertise you'll spend time showing customers how to use, operate and maintain equipment. You may also arrange for trial installations of equipment.
Certifications and Licensing
Sales engineers are not required to have certifications or licenses.
Job Flexibility
Full-time versus part-time: Most sales engineers work full-time. Many sales engineers decide their own schedule. Some sales engineers have irregular hours, work on the weekends and have overnight travel.
Work location: Sales engineers work for software companies, hardware companies, telecommunications companies, professional services companies and other businesses. They spend a lot of time visiting customers.
Recommended Websites
- The Manufacturers' Agents National Association (MANA) offers an array of useful seminars and events. Members gain networking opportunities and obtain knowledge from experienced sales agents. The association also provides education opportunities.
- The Manufacturers' Representatives Educational Research Foundation provides professional education via sales training and continuing education programs. The foundation also provides certification to sales professionals. The foundation also creates useful educational materials and publishes resource materials.
- The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Handbook provides an overview of the tasks performed by sales engineers. The BLS also offers educational requirements, salary information and an employment growth forecast.
Salaries by City
See typical salaries and ranges for this career below*. Shift click to sort by more than one column -- for example first shift-click on state and then shift-click on salary to find best and worst salaries in each state.
| State | City / Region | Typical Salary | Salary Range | Job Count | % of All Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AK | Anchorage | $68,340 | 70 | 0.04% | |
| AL | Birmingham - Hoover | $63,500 | 80 | 0.02% | |
| AL | Huntsville | $76,820 | 90 | 0.05% | |
| AR | Little Rock - North Little Rock - Conway | $92,930 | 150 | 0.05% | |
| AZ | Phoenix - Mesa - Glendale | $86,490 | 990 | 0.06% | |
| AZ | Tucson | $124,010 | 80 | 0.02% | |
| CA | Bakersfield - Delano | $88,990 | 80 | 0.03% | |
| CA | Fresno | $84,060 | 60 | 0.02% | |
| CA | Los Angeles - Long Beach - Glendale (Metro Area) | $91,880 | 2,110 | 0.05% | |
| CA | Oakland - Fremont - Hayward (Metro Area) | $99,540 | 1,050 | 0.11% | |
| CA | Oxnard - Thousand Oaks - Ventura | $93,440 | 180 | 0.06% | |
| CA | Riverside - San Bernardino - Ontario | $87,420 | 310 | 0.03% | |
| CA | Sacramento - Arden - Arcade - Roseville | $95,630 | 570 | 0.07% | |
| CA | San Diego - Carlsbad - San Marcos | $101,400 | 1,130 | 0.09% | |
| CA | San Francisco - San Mateo - Redwood City (Metro Area) | $115,630 | 1,720 | 0.17% | |
| CA | San Jose - Sunnyvale - Santa Clara | $125,340 | 3,480 | 0.39% | |
| CA | Santa Ana - Anaheim - Irvine (Metro Area) | $91,880 | 1,700 | 0.12% | |
| CA | Santa Barbara - Santa Maria - Goleta | $107,730 | 70 | 0.04% | |
| CA | Santa Cruz - Watsonville | $94,190 | 30 | 0.04% | |
| CA | Santa Rosa - Petaluma | $97,560 | 60 | 0.03% | |
| CA | Vallejo - Fairfield | $96,470 | 50 | 0.04% | |
| CO | Boulder | $87,060 | 190 | 0.12% | |
| CO | Colorado Springs | N/A | 70 | 0.03% | |
| CO | Denver - Aurora - Broomfield | $95,490 | 720 | 0.06% | |
| CO | Fort Collins - Loveland | $97,070 | N/A | N/A | |
| CT | Bridgeport - Stamford - Norwalk | $94,980 | 320 | 0.08% | |
| CT | Hartford - West Hartford - East Hartford | $84,660 | 500 | 0.09% | |
| CT | New Haven | $81,900 | 210 | 0.08% | |
| CT | Norwich - New London | $82,640 | 50 | 0.04% | |
| DC | Washington - Arlington - Alexandria (Metro Area) | $111,730 | 1,340 | 0.06% | |
| DE | Wilmington (Metro Area) | $101,640 | N/A | N/A | |
| FL | Fort Lauderdale - Pompano Beach - Deerfield Beach (Metro Area) | $102,370 | N/A | N/A | |
| FL | Jacksonville | $113,840 | 260 | 0.04% | |
| FL | Miami - Miami Beach - Kendall (Metro Area) | $101,640 | 350 | 0.03% | |
| FL | Orlando - Kissimmee - Sanford | N/A | 260 | 0.03% | |
| FL | Palm Bay - Melbourne - Titusville | $81,320 | 180 | 0.10% | |
| FL | Tallahassee | $87,320 | 70 | 0.04% | |
| FL | Tampa - St. Petersburg - Clearwater | $97,090 | 400 | 0.04% | |
| FL | West Palm Beach - Boca Raton - Boynton Beach (Metro Area) | $93,490 | 100 | 0.02% | |
| GA | Atlanta - Sandy Springs - Marietta | $86,960 | 1,630 | 0.07% | |
| HI | Honolulu | $57,970 | N/A | N/A | |
| IA | Cedar Rapids | $74,240 | 40 | 0.03% | |
| IA | Davenport - Moline - Rock Island | $81,270 | 140 | 0.08% | |
| IA | Des Moines - West Des Moines | $90,150 | 90 | 0.03% | |
| ID | Boise City - Nampa | $108,500 | 50 | 0.02% | |
| ID | Idaho Falls | $73,340 | 30 | 0.06% | |
| IL | Chicago - Joliet - Naperville (Metro Area) | $89,240 | 2,580 | 0.07% | |
| IL | Lake County - Kenosha County (Metro Area) | $69,080 | 240 | 0.06% | |
| IL | Peoria | $97,440 | 150 | 0.08% | |
| IL | Rockford | $64,260 | 120 | 0.08% | |
| IN | Elkhart - Goshen | $66,760 | 60 | 0.06% | |
| IN | Evansville | $59,100 | 50 | 0.03% | |
| IN | Fort Wayne | $100,700 | 120 | 0.06% | |
| IN | Gary (Metro Area) | $82,160 | 50 | 0.02% | |
| IN | Indianapolis - Carmel | $81,420 | 400 | 0.04% | |
| IN | Kokomo | $93,690 | 30 | 0.08% | |
| IN | South Bend - Mishawaka | $78,730 | 30 | 0.03% | |
| KS | Topeka | $114,880 | N/A | N/A | |
| KS | Wichita | $69,220 | N/A | N/A | |
| KY | Louisville - Jefferson County | $90,180 | 100 | 0.02% | |
| LA | Baton Rouge | $84,330 | 90 | 0.03% | |
| LA | Lafayette | $85,300 | 50 | 0.03% | |
| LA | Shreveport - Bossier City | $101,340 | N/A | N/A | |
| MA | Boston - Cambridge - Quincy (Metro Area) | $97,330 | 2,250 | 0.13% | |
| MA | Brockton - Bridgewater - Easton (Metro Area) | $76,830 | 30 | 0.04% | |
| MA | Framingham (Metro Area) | $90,570 | N/A | N/A | |
| MA | Lawrence - Methuen - Salem (Metro Area) | $78,970 | 40 | 0.07% | |
| MA | Lowell - Billerica - Chelmsford (Metro Area) | $102,080 | 430 | 0.37% | |
| MA | Peabody (Metro Area) | $73,760 | 60 | 0.06% | |
| MA | Springfield | $99,480 | 100 | 0.03% | |
| MA | Worcester | $85,710 | 170 | 0.07% | |
| MD | Baltimore - Towson | $82,020 | 480 | 0.04% | |
| MD | Bethesda - Rockville - Frederick (Metro Area) | $143,570 | 230 | 0.04% | |
| ME | Portland - South Portland - Biddeford | N/A | 170 | 0.09% | |
| MI | Ann Arbor | $77,500 | 70 | 0.04% | |
| MI | Bay City | $63,850 | 30 | 0.09% | |
| MI | Detroit - Livonia - Dearborn (Metro Area) | $79,110 | 420 | 0.06% | |
| MI | Grand Rapids - Wyoming | $73,230 | 260 | 0.07% | |
| MI | Holland - Grand Haven | $82,380 | 80 | 0.08% | |
| MI | Lansing - East Lansing | $77,810 | 70 | 0.04% | |
| MI | Niles - Benton Harbor | $67,840 | N/A | N/A | |
| MI | Warren - Troy - Farmington Hills (Metro Area) | $76,220 | 1,090 | 0.10% | |
| MN | Minneapolis - St. Paul - Bloomington | $83,420 | 1,640 | 0.09% | |
| MO | Kansas City | $74,590 | 540 | 0.06% | |
| MO | St. Louis | $89,850 | 650 | 0.05% | |
| NC | Asheville | $93,020 | 90 | 0.05% | |
| NC | Charlotte - Gastonia - Rock Hill | $83,770 | 460 | 0.05% | |
| NC | Durham - Chapel Hill | $90,900 | 530 | 0.20% | |
| NC | Greensboro - High Point | $92,980 | 130 | 0.04% | |
| NC | Raleigh - Cary | $81,460 | 460 | 0.09% | |
| ND | Fargo | $77,650 | N/A | N/A | |
| NE | Lincoln | $84,640 | 70 | 0.04% | |
| NE | Omaha - Council Bluffs | $90,730 | 70 | 0.02% | |
| NH | Manchester | $84,640 | 100 | 0.10% | |
| NH | Nashua (Metro Area) | $115,420 | 230 | 0.18% | |
| NH | Portsmouth | $90,560 | N/A | N/A | |
| NJ | Camden (Metro Area) | $94,060 | 790 | 0.16% | |
| NJ | Edison - New Brunswick (Metro Area) | $111,210 | 550 | 0.06% | |
| NJ | Newark - Union (Metro Area) | $100,160 | 550 | 0.06% | |
| NJ | Trenton - Ewing | $92,440 | N/A | N/A | |
| NM | Albuquerque | $84,700 | 50 | 0.01% | |
| NV | Las Vegas - Paradise | $72,520 | 40 | 0.01% | |
| NV | Reno - Sparks | $88,760 | 70 | 0.04% | |
| NY | Albany - Schenectady - Troy | $89,020 | 170 | 0.04% | |
| NY | Binghamton | $99,320 | 30 | 0.03% | |
| NY | Buffalo - Niagara Falls | $72,710 | 210 | 0.04% | |
| NY | Nassau - Suffolk (Metro Area) | $101,510 | 390 | 0.03% | |
| NY | New York - White Plains - Wayne (Metro Area) | $106,210 | 2,230 | 0.04% | |
| NY | Poughkeepsie - Newburgh - Middletown | $72,200 | 70 | 0.03% | |
| NY | Rochester | $90,260 | 340 | 0.07% | |
| NY | Syracuse | $97,680 | 140 | 0.05% | |
| OH | Akron | $108,040 | 290 | 0.09% | |
| OH | Canton - Massillon | $79,880 | 40 | 0.03% | |
| OH | Cincinnati - Middletown | $78,160 | 720 | 0.07% | |
| OH | Cleveland - Elyria - Mentor | $80,870 | 870 | 0.09% | |
| OH | Columbus | $84,660 | 420 | 0.05% | |
| OH | Dayton | $82,290 | 200 | 0.06% | |
| OH | Mansfield | $73,840 | 50 | 0.09% | |
| OH | Youngstown - Warren - Boardman | $67,970 | 60 | 0.03% | |
| OK | Oklahoma City | $71,510 | 90 | 0.02% | |
| OK | Tulsa | $75,880 | 140 | 0.03% | |
| OR | Eugene - Springfield | $80,950 | 40 | 0.03% | |
| OR | Portland - Vancouver - Hillsboro | $102,480 | 970 | 0.10% | |
| PA | Allentown - Bethlehem - Easton | $67,560 | 120 | 0.04% | |
| PA | Erie | $73,350 | 50 | 0.04% | |
| PA | Harrisburg - Carlisle | $78,130 | 100 | 0.03% | |
| PA | Lancaster | $62,300 | 130 | 0.06% | |
| PA | Philadelphia (Metro Area) | $93,110 | 1,080 | 0.06% | |
| PA | Pittsburgh | $83,320 | 840 | 0.08% | |
| PA | Reading | $66,020 | 50 | 0.03% | |
| PA | Scranton - Wilkes - Barre | $86,860 | 60 | 0.02% | |
| PA | York - Hanover | $73,070 | 80 | 0.04% | |
| PR | San Juan - Caguas - Guaynabo | $67,960 | 50 | 0.01% | |
| RI | Providence - Fall River - Warwick | N/A | 160 | 0.03% | |
| SC | Charleston - North Charleston - Summerville | $66,800 | 90 | 0.03% | |
| SC | Columbia | $74,520 | 100 | 0.03% | |
| SC | Greenville - Mauldin - Easley | $85,970 | 150 | 0.05% | |
| SC | Spartanburg | $75,180 | 60 | 0.05% | |
| TN | Chattanooga | $76,810 | 60 | 0.03% | |
| TN | Kingsport - Bristol - Bristol | $115,430 | 110 | 0.10% | |
| TN | Knoxville | $132,250 | N/A | N/A | |
| TN | Memphis | $76,030 | 100 | 0.02% | |
| TN | Nashville - Davidson - Murfreesboro - Franklin | $87,990 | 260 | 0.04% | |
| TX | Austin - Round Rock - San Marcos | $97,970 | 850 | 0.10% | |
| TX | Beaumont - Port Arthur | $80,750 | 50 | 0.03% | |
| TX | Corpus Christi | $97,890 | N/A | N/A | |
| TX | Dallas - Plano - Irving (Metro Area) | $103,650 | 1,910 | 0.09% | |
| TX | El Paso | $91,670 | N/A | N/A | |
| TX | Fort Worth - Arlington (Metro Area) | $89,440 | 330 | 0.04% | |
| TX | Houston - Sugar Land - Baytown | $92,190 | 2,030 | 0.08% | |
| TX | San Antonio - New Braunfels | $72,570 | 340 | 0.04% | |
| UT | Salt Lake City | $95,760 | 160 | 0.03% | |
| VA | Blacksburg - Christiansburg - Radford | $79,890 | 30 | 0.05% | |
| VA | Richmond | $90,800 | 160 | 0.03% | |
| VA | Virginia Beach - Norfolk - Newport News | $87,620 | 100 | 0.01% | |
| VT | Burlington - South Burlington | $76,270 | 90 | 0.08% | |
| WA | Seattle - Bellevue - Everett (Metro Area) | $111,440 | 850 | 0.06% | |
| WA | Spokane | $71,750 | 110 | 0.06% | |
| WA | Tacoma (Metro Area) | $96,500 | 70 | 0.03% | |
| WI | Appleton | $75,700 | 150 | 0.13% | |
| WI | Fond du Lac | $94,870 | 40 | 0.10% | |
| WI | Green Bay | $96,060 | 50 | 0.03% | |
| WI | Madison | $73,400 | 110 | 0.03% | |
| WI | Milwaukee - Waukesha - West Allis | $79,980 | 670 | 0.08% | |
| WI | Racine | $76,540 | 30 | 0.04% |