by our College Data Analytics TeamIn the latest year, 85 U.S. colleges awarded 1,916 degrees and certificates in Professional Sales. Master’s degrees are the most popular award, at 66% of graduates. College Factual ranks 38 schools in its 2027 Best Professional Sales Schools ranking and compares their cost in a Best Value ranking. Graduates earn a median $52,387 one year after completing, rising to $74,379 after four years.
Studying Professional Sales explores Selling Skills And Sales Operations. A Program That Prepares Individuals To Possess The Skills Associated With Direct Promotion Of Products And Services To Potential Customers And To Function As Independent Sales Representatives And Managers. Includes Instruction In Consumer Psychology, Image Projection, Public Speaking And Interpersonal Communications, Sales Organization And Operations, Customer Relations, Professional Standards And Ethics, And Applicable Technical Skills.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; BLS; O*NET; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
In the U.S., professional sales is a widely-pursued major, with 1,916 degrees awarded annually. 85 colleges award professional sales degrees, an average of 23 graduates per school; the largest program awarded 141.
By level, the 1,916 awards include 71 certificates, 65 associate degrees, 513 bachelor’s degrees and 1,255 master’s degrees.
Women earned 50% of professional sales degrees and certificates in the latest year (955 of 1,916). The largest groups of graduates by race and ethnicity are White (1,427) and Hispanic or Latino (153), and international students earned 80.
College Factual ranks 38 schools in its 2027 Best Professional Sales Schools ranking, including 9 for bachelor’s degrees. It also ranks professional sales schools within 6 states. In all, 85 colleges offer professional sales programs; compare them by degree level below or in the Best Value Professional Sales Colleges ranking, which weighs quality against cost.
The most common professional sales credential is the master’s degree: 1,255 of the 1,916 awarded in the latest year. Jobs related to professional sales call most for Speaking, Active Listening and Service Orientation, and for knowledge of Customer and Personal Service, Sales and Marketing and English Language, according to O*NET. The most important abilities are Oral Expression, Oral Comprehension and Speech Clarity.
Top skills, rated 0–5:
Top knowledge areas, rated 0–5:
How long a professional sales degree takes:
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate | Varies | 71 |
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 65 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 513 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 1,255 |
High school diploma or equivalent is the most common level of education among workers in jobs related to professional sales, at 32.6%.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| High school diploma or equivalent | 32.6% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 24.0% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 18.7% |
| Some college courses | 13.1% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 7.1% |
| Less than a high school diploma | 2.2% |
| Master’s degree | 1.2% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 1.0% |
Source: O*NET Online.
9 occupations are related to Professional Sales, with an average median salary of $47,874; the strongest outlook belongs to Advertising Sales Agents, at 11.9% projected job growth. Typical job titles include Sales Specialist, Sales Consultant, Sales Coordinator and Marketing Representative.
That occupation also has the most projected jobs of any related to professional sales, at 1,158,077.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Advertising Sales Agents | 1,158,077 | 11.9% |
| Parts Salespersons | 1,068,511 | 7.9% |
| Travel Agents | 926,319 | -3.5% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | 830,802 | 5.3% |
| Solar Sales Representatives and Assessors | 652,173 | 7.5% |
| Sales and Related Workers, All Other | 498,256 | 3.6% |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products | 328,504 | -3.7% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | 269,153 | 4.0% |
Professional Sales graduates earn a median $52,387 one year after completing their program, $74,379 after four years and $66,918 after five years, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $52,387 |
| 4 years | $74,379 |
| 5 years | $66,918 |
Source: College Scorecard.
The highest-paying occupation related to professional sales is Travel Agents, with a median salary of $65,314.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Travel Agents | $65,314 |
| Advertising Sales Agents | $63,488 |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | $61,441 |
| Sales and Related Workers, All Other | $60,515 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | $53,224 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products | $39,468 |
| Solar Sales Representatives and Assessors | $31,788 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | $28,072 |
Professional Sales has 4 similar majors in the Business, Management & Marketing field, which together award 4,886 degrees a year; the largest are Sales, Distribution, and Marketing Operations, General (3,613), Retailing and Retail Operations (984) and General Merchandising, Sales, and Related Marketing Operations, Other (239). Browse all Business, Management & Marketing majors or the full list of college majors.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Sales, Distribution, and Marketing Operations, General | 3,613 |
| Retailing and Retail Operations | 984 |
| General Merchandising, Sales, and Related Marketing Operations, Other | 239 |
| Merchandising and Buying Operations | 50 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
