Sales, marketing and related associate professionals

How to become a business sales executive

Official title: Business sales executives

Also called: Sales agent, Sales officer, Sales planner, Business agent, Sales engineer, Sales executive, Sales organiser, Sales consultant, Sales controller, Sales specialist, Sales supervisor, Account executive

Business sales executives provide advice to existing and potential customers, and receive orders for specialist machinery, equipment, materials and other products or services that require technical knowledge.

Main tasks

Discusses customer requirements and advises them on the capabilities and limitations of the goods or services being sold
Quotes prices, credit details, delivery dates and payment arrangements and arranges for delivery and installation of goods if appropriate
Makes follow up visits to ensure customer satisfaction and to obtain further orders
Stays abreast of advances in product/field and suggests possible improvements to product or service
Maintains records and accounts of sales made and handles customer complaints

How to become one

There are no formal academic requirements, although entrants usually possess academic qualifications and/or relevant experience in a particular profession or speciality. Training is usually on-the-job. Professional and vocational qualifications at levels 2 and 3 are available.

Ways in

Apprenticeship (England): Bid and proposal co-ordinator (level 3). England. Typically 24 months. Skills England standard ST0056.
Apprenticeship (England): IT technical salesperson (level 3). England. Typically 12 months. Skills England standard ST0115.
Apprenticeship (England): Sales executive (level 4). England. Typically 18 months. Skills England standard ST0572.
Apprenticeship (England): Trade supplier (level 2). England. Typically 12 months. Skills England standard ST0334.
University: Arts & Humanities degrees, Offered by 27 universities in the UK
University: Business & Commerce degrees, Offered by 27 universities in the UK

Pay · Outlook

Median full-time pay: £37,924 a year The middle half earn £30,244 to £52,105.
About 139,300 people work in this job now, and about 145,800 are projected by 2035. (+4.6%)

Questions people ask

How do I become a business sales executive?

How much does a business sales executive earn in the UK?

Median full-time pay is £37,924 a year (Office for National Statistics). The middle half earn £30,244 to £52,105.

Is a business sales executive a growing career in the UK?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 5% by 2035, from about 139,300 to about 145,800 people (Department for Education).

Do you need a degree to become a business sales executive?

Not always. 40% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Arts & Humanities degrees; Business & Commerce degrees; Bid and proposal co-ordinator (level 3).

Sources

Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

Graduate outcomes: Discover Uni dataset, HESA (www.hesa.ac.uk), licensed under CC BY 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0). Aggregated by subject and adapted by Peernovo.