Inside Sales Representative: Career Outlook 2025

Key takeaways

Inside sales representatives form and maintain meaningful relationships with new and existing customers. Explore key information to know:

• Glassdoor reports the median total pay for inside sales representatives as $102,000, as of October 2025 [1].

• Inside sales representatives communicate with customers via phone, email, or video chat to close sales.

• You can major in a subject such as marketing, business, or communications to become an inside sales representative.

Learn about the job description, work duties, and skills that might benefit you as an inside sales representative. Afterward, consider enrolling in the Salesforce Sales Operations Professional Certificate. You’ll have the opportunity to learn how to build reports, charts, and dashboards in Salesforce to communicate relevant information about sales performance to stakeholders and executives. Upon completion, you can add this credential to your resume or LinkedIn profile.

Inside sales representative job description

Unlike an outside sales representative who travels to meet with potential customers face-to-face, an inside sales representative does all their selling within an office. As an inside sales rep, you might make your sales by phone, email, or video chat. Once you make a sale, you'll be responsible for maintaining a positive relationship with your customers. These relationships are important since your earnings may be based on commission. 

What does an inside sales rep do? 

Knowing the duties and responsibilities of this role can help you decide if you want to pursue this career. Here are some examples of potential work tasks:

• Find new customers by following up on leads or making cold calls

• Conduct research on potential customers 

• Address customer questions and concerns

• Use communication and negotiation skills to close sales

• Achieve sales quotas

• Maintain customer databases and sales records

• Communicate regularly with marketing partners

• Stay informed about updates to products or services

Skills that benefit an inside sales representative

As an inside sales representative, you'll benefit from several skills. Mastering these skills may help boost your success on the job. One example of a skill that benefits people in sales is active listening. When you're on the phone, you can show you're listening actively by not interrupting, asking questions, and repeating what the customer says. Additional examples of useful skills include:

• An ability to communicate well in writing and over the phone

• An ability to work well alone or as part of a team

• A firm grasp of any software your company uses

• An ability to work well under pressure

• Good time management skills

• Good organizational skills

• Good research skills

Where can inside sales representatives work? 

The environment you work in depends on where you're employed. At some companies, you'll have your own office or cubicle. In others, you'll have an open space with several desks, resembling a call center. Some companies may allow their sales reps to work from home. No matter which workspace you have, you'll need two key components: a phone and a computer. 

How much does an inside sales representative make?  

As of October 2025, the median total pay for an inside sales representative in the US was $102,000. This figure includes base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation [1]. 

Inside sale rep job outlook

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) expects 1.8 million job openings in sales occupations each year between 2024 and 2025 [2]. You can typically expect job openings for sales reps in the wholesale and service sectors, as these businesses rely on a robust customer base [3]. 

Tips for success as an inside sales representative

Depending on your product or service, inside sales can be competitive. You might gain an edge over other sales reps by taking advantage of a few tips:

Research potential customers before calling.

Whether you're following up on a lead or making a cold call, it's a good idea to research your customer in advance. Good sources for research include company websites, professional social media profiles, press releases, and sometimes just searching the person's name. Information you may want to collect includes:

• Demographics like age, gender, place of residence, employment, and education

• The person's needs in terms of your products or services

• Past use of products or services similar to what you're selling

Gathering this information helps you personalize your sales message. When you connect with potential customers on a personal level, you're more likely to make a sale. 

Know your product or service.

There's no better way to gain a potential customer's trust than to know your product or service inside and out. Ways to learn about what you're selling include:

• Getting your own experience using the product or service

• Reading company literature like pamphlets and brochures

• Exploring your company's website

• Checking customer feedback

• Asking other sales reps or managers questions 

Establish good communication with the marketing team. 

Sales and marketing teams share a common goal. They both want to increase sales. When sales and marketing are on the same page, attaining the goal becomes easier. To establish good communication with marketing personnel, try these strategies:

• Ask for a meeting where both departments can sit down and identify the company's ideal customer.

• Create projects that require teamwork between departments, like creating new ways to address customer needs.

• Have weekly meetings to discuss new ideas, updates, and challenges.

• Ask fellow workers in sales and marketing to provide feedback on ways to communicate better.

Leverage technology. 

When it comes to selling goods or services, technology plays a key role. For instance, almost every sales representative understands the importance of customer relationship management (CRM) software. It allows companies to keep all data about clients, including demographic details, contacts, account information, social profiles, and customer feedback, in one central location. This improves efficiency, communication, and collaboration across various company departments. Additional technology that helps boost company sales includes sales prospecting software and calling and tracking software. 

How to become an inside sales representative

Knowing what it takes to become an inside sales rep can help you decide if this is the career for you. Here are some steps you can take to help realize this goal. 

Earn your bachelor’s degree in business or a related field. 

Although some jobs in inside sales require a high school diploma or the equivalent, many employers may desire at least a bachelor's degree. According to Zippia, 66 percent of inside sales reps have a bachelor's degree, and 16 percent have an associate degree [4]. Good majors for an inside sales rep position include business administration, marketing, or communications. You can earn a bachelor's degree from a local college or university, and many have online programs if you want to study from home or learn at your own pace. 

Enhance your skills through work experience.

Work experience in other areas can help enhance your skills for an inside sales rep position. You can get work experience before entering college, during college, or after you graduate. Some examples of jobs that will boost your skill set include:

• Cashier

• Customer service representative

• Product promoter

• Retail salesperson

• Travel agent

Read more: 6 Entry-Level Sales Jobs + How to Get One

Consider classes and certifications.

Certifications can help boost your chances of getting any job. Designed for sales reps just starting out or those a few years into their careers, the Certified Professional Sales Person (CPSP) program from the National Association of Sales Professionals (NASP) packs loads of helpful information into a six-week course. You might also consider classes in sales software or public speaking clubs like Toastmasters for more training that may boost your selling ability. 

Create an effective resume. 

When searching for a job, your resume can help you stand out from the other candidates. To create an effective resume, follow a few smart strategies:

• Include education and work experience (last five to 10 years)

• List schools and jobs in chronological order

• Highlight skills relevant to a sales job (proficiency with sales software, time management, organization, etc.)

• Use action words when describing accomplishments like "achieved," "organized," or "oversaw"

• Keep your resume to one page

• Include links to professional social media profiles or web pages

• Double-check for errors in formatting, spelling, grammar, and punctuation

Apply for inside sales jobs. 

When applying for an inside sales rep position, research the company. Explain how hiring you might help boost the company's bottom line in your cover letter. If you get an interview, be prepared to share why you enjoy sales and why your approach to selling is unique. Show the interviewer your interest in the position by asking smart questions. 

Explore free career resources 

Subscribe to our Career Chat newsletter on LinkedIn for access to career tips and trends. Then, explore free, digital resources to expand your sales knowledge:

• Watch on YouTube: Is Sales the Perfect Career for YOU? Career Deep Dive

• Take a quiz: Career Test: What Career is Right for Me Quiz?

• Gain insights: Tips to Strengthen Your People Skills

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