Sales Engineer
Sales engineers sell business products or services, such as software or support, that require technical expertise.
What the job is
- The work
- Sales engineers sell business products or services, such as software or support, that require technical expertise.
BLS
Sales Engineers — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
- Work environment
- Sales engineers typically work in an office setting and often travel to meet with customers. Most sales engineers work full time.
BLS
Sales Engineers — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
- Good fit for
- Engineers and tech people who like explaining complex products and meeting customers.
- Career cluster
- Marketing & Sales
Key numbers
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, pay for May 2025 (sales engineers).
- Median pay
- $124,900 a year ($60.05 an hour)
BLS
Sales Engineers — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
- Jobs in 2025
- 51,600
- Typical entry
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience
- None
- Training after hire
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Job outlook, 2025–35
- Projected growth
- +3%, which BLS calls "as fast as average"
BLS
Sales Engineers — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
- Jobs added
- +1,400 over 2025–35
- All U.S. jobs
- 3.5% over the same period, for comparison
How to become one
- The usual route
- To enter the occupation, sales engineers typically need a bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related field. Sales engineers combine technical knowledge of the products or services they are selling with strong interpersonal skills.
BLS
Sales Engineers — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
- In short
- Sales engineers typically need a bachelor's degree in engineering or a related field such as business; candidates without a degree sometimes qualify with sales and technical experience. New hires get on-the-job training in sales techniques and the product.
- License
- None
- Paying for it
- File the FAFSA (opens by October 1) for grants, work-study and federal loans; a Pell Grant pays up to $7,395 a year (2026–27). Average public four-year tuition and fees: $11,950 in-state vs $31,880 out-of-state (2025–26). Residency rules and regional discounts · Save with 2+2 transfer
- Your state
-
StateChoose a state
- AlabamaState guide
- AlaskaState guide
- ArizonaState guide
- ArkansasState guide
- CaliforniaState guide
- ColoradoState guide
- ConnecticutState guide
- DelawareState guide
- District of ColumbiaState guide
- FloridaState guide
- GeorgiaState guide
- HawaiiState guide
- IdahoState guide
- IllinoisState guide
- IndianaState guide
- IowaState guide
- KansasState guide
- KentuckyState guide
- LouisianaState guide
- MaineState guide
- MarylandState guide
- MassachusettsState guide
- MichiganState guide
- MinnesotaState guide
- MississippiState guide
- MissouriState guide
- MontanaState guide
- NebraskaState guide
- NevadaState guide
- New HampshireState guide
- New JerseyState guide
- New MexicoState guide
- New YorkState guide
- North CarolinaState guide
- North DakotaState guide
- OhioState guide
- OklahomaState guide
- OregonState guide
- PennsylvaniaState guide
- Rhode IslandState guide
- South CarolinaState guide
- South DakotaState guide
- TennesseeState guide
- TexasState guide
- UtahState guide
- VermontState guide
- VirginiaState guide
- WashingtonState guide
- West VirginiaState guide
- WisconsinState guide
- WyomingState guide
Step-by-step roadmap
The routes step by step, the exam gates and the state license step are on one page.
Sales engineer: engineering degree (or technical experience), then on-the-job sales training
See the roadmap
Route 1: Engineering degree → co-op or internship → sales training · Route 2: Technical job first → sales engineer
More careers in Marketing & Sales
Open the cluster hubEvery career page in this cluster, with entry, license, pay and outlook side by side.
Every number links to the BLS page it came from, checked 20 Oct 2026. Education Margdarshan does not recommend paid courses.