Business sales executives: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time business sales executives in the UK earned a median £37,924 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): £1,115 below the all-jobs median of £39,039.
What the figures show
That puts it 158th of 382, in the middle third of occupations.
The middle half of full-time jobs paid between £30,244 and £52,105.
The mean, £46,561, is 23% above the median, a sign of a few very high earners.
Median full-time pay: women £34,485 a year, men £40,596 a year.
ASHE counts roughly 197,000 employee jobs, 92% full-time.
Since 2021 it has risen 12.8%, from £33,622, slower than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 161,000 people in this line of work, 17% of them in South East.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £25,377 | £498.30 | £12.91 | £20,249 | £467.60 | £12.72 |
| 20th percentile | £28,839 | £539.40 | £14.24 | £26,528 | £517.50 | £13.89 |
| 25th percentile | £30,244 | £574.90 | £14.78 | £28,440 | £538.50 | £14.49 |
| 30th percentile | £32,008 | £599.80 | £15.56 | £30,000 | £574.90 | £15.15 |
| 40th percentile | £34,754 | £652.80 | £17.10 | £33,560 | £625.00 | £16.69 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £37,924 | £723.70 | £18.56 | £36,498 | £693.90 | £18.21 |
| 60th percentile | £43,049 | £794.00 | £20.55 | £41,063 | £772.60 | £19.94 |
| 70th percentile | £48,287 | £899.40 | £23.30 | £46,501 | £879.00 | £22.80 |
| 75th percentile | £52,105 | £969.70 | £25.26 | £49,979 | £946.70 | £24.89 |
| 80th percentile | £56,989 | £1,045.80 | £26.94 | £55,968 | £1,022.30 | £26.75 |
| 90th percentile | – | £1,290.20* | £33.69* | – | £1,277.40* | £33.48* |
| Mean | £46,561 | £836.80 | £21.62 | £44,083 | £798.20 | £21.51 |
Pay since 2021
| ASHE year | Full-time, annual median | Full-time, weekly median | Full-time, hourly median | All, annual median | All, weekly median | Jobs (thousands, indicative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 revised | £33,622 | £590.00 | £15.39 | £32,611 | £576.80 | 188 |
| 2022 revised | £34,569 | £594.70 | £15.33 | £33,664 | £574.90 | 177 |
| 2023 revised | £35,596 | £626.80 | £16.43 | £34,172 | £608.50 | 204 |
| 2024 revised | £36,734 | £689.10 | £17.91 | £34,915 | £661.20 | 168 |
| 2025 provisional | £37,924 | £723.70 | £18.56 | £36,498 | £693.90 | 197 |
Business sales executives by region
UK: 161,000 (± 15,600), April 2025 to March 2026. 3 of the 12 regions and nations have samples too small to publish.
| Region or nation | People in employment | 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 28,000* | ± 6,600 |
| London | 24,000* | ± 8,000 |
| East of England | 16,200* | ± 5,500 |
| West Midlands | 15,500* | ± 5,200 |
| North West | 14,900* | ± 4,700 |
| East Midlands | 14,700* | ± 5,100 |
| South West | 12,100* | ± 4,000 |
| Scotland | 11,900* | ± 3,900 |
| Wales | 5,600* | ± 2,100 |
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What business sales executives do
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. (ONS SOC 2020, 3552)
Also covers: corporate account executive, sales agent, sales consultant, sales executive, technical representative, agent (manufacturer's), agricultural agent, agricultural representative, architectural representative, area controller, area supervisor, business agent, cattle salesman, commercial engineer, commercial salesman, commission agent, commission salesman and company representative (91 titles in the ONS coding index).
- 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
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.
Related
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals (median £45,000) · Buyers and procurement officers · Merchandisers · salary percentile · UK real pay growth · Mean
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026