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Other sales workers

How to become a Food Sales Representative

Also called: Food and drink sales representative, Food and drink route sales representative, Food and drink wholesale sales representative

Promotes products made in a food manufacturer's factories, persuading business customers to stock them in their shops.

Main tasks

Workers in this job say university or high school is common. From job tag's survey of people in each job, who could give several answers. It shows what workers see as common, not how many workers hold each level.

How to become one

No particular education or qualifications are needed. Sales work is often done by car, so a driving licence is often needed. It is usual to join a food manufacturer or similar after leaving school or college. Large companies mostly hire for career-track general roles, but some hire for specific jobs or specific regions. If hired for a general role, you may go straight into sales depending on your wishes and aptitude, or be placed in another department first and move into sales later. After joining, you take training such as business etiquette and factory training, then for the first 3 months to a year you visit customers with senior colleagues or managers to learn how to sell. After that you are given your own customers. Some companies provide training in accounting, finance and management when you are promoted to a management role. The most important thing in food sales is communication skills to keep business talks with customers running smoothly. You need to keep gathering information on food market trends, so a strong interest in food is also important. These days you may present data to customers when promoting your products, so data analysis and presentation skills are needed too. Depending on the products, specialist food knowledge, such as that of a registered dietitian or dietitian, may be required.

Ways in

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Food Sales Representative?

No particular education or qualifications are needed. Sales work is often done by car, so a driving licence is often needed. It is usual to join a food manufacturer or similar after leaving school or college. Large companies mostly hire for career-track general roles, but some hire for specific jobs or specific regions. If hired for a general role, you may go straight into sales depending on your wishes and aptitude, or be placed in another department first and move into sales later. After joining, you take training such as business etiquette and factory training, then for the first 3 months to a year you visit customers with senior colleagues or managers to learn how to sell. After that you are given your own customers. Some companies provide training in accounting, finance and management when you are promoted to a management role. The most important thing in food sales is communication skills to keep business talks with customers running smoothly. You need to keep gathering information on food market trends, so a strong interest in food is also important. These days you may present data to customers when promoting your products, so data analysis and presentation skills are needed too. Depending on the products, specialist food knowledge, such as that of a registered dietitian or dietitian, may be required.

How much does a Food Sales Representative earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥6,607,000 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Other sales workers, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become a Food Sales Representative?

Not always. In this job's census occupation group, 58% of workers are university graduates.

Will AI change the work of a Food Sales Representative?

Generative AI could change some tasks in this job, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 解説系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_description_7_01.xlsx）ver.7.01 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 簡易版数値系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_numeric_7_00.xlsx）ver.7.00 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

Sources: JILPT Occupational Information Database download data via job tag (解説系 ver.7.01 and 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00, downloaded 4 October 2026), processed by Peernovo; MHLW, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025; Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2020 Population Census; MEXT, School Basic Survey 2025; MHLW, Employment Referrals for General Workers (Hello Work statistics). Figures processed by Peernovo. English job names, translations and the matching of jobs to statistical groups, schools and degree fields by Peernovo.

Updated 4 October 2026