Sales Jobs: Safe Haven in Tough Times

Conventional wisdom says that working in Sales is really tough, especially during tough economic times. However, while it's definitely harder to make your quota when customers are fewer and further between, Sales remains a good place to be when the going gets tough, according the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

For example, the current recession, which began in 2008, doesn't appear to have reduced the demand for sales professionals. There were roughly 16 million sales jobs in the United States alone in 2008, the most recent year available. That's up 11 percent from 2007, even though the recession was well under way when the most recent figures were compiled.

Sales is remaining a reasonably well-paid job, too, probably because smart firms see sales as MORE important when times are hard... and compensate accordingly.

According to the BLS, sales reps inside high tech firms and financial services firms command a median compensation of around $70,000 a year. Real estate agents did even better, with a median salary of $83,000. And sales managers - the upward career path -- commanded a hefty median of around $100,000.

And if you're really good at sales, the rewards can be dramatic. The top 10 percent of sales reps in advertising, insurance and real estate agents gross an average of $93k, $102k and $113k respectively. The top 25 percent of sales reps in the financial industry average $122k a year, while top sales reps who have engineering experience can earn well over $130k a year.

So if you're suffering from the tough times, take heart. It could be a lot worse. You could be working in marketing... and those jobs are disappearing faster than a flock of magician's assistants.

READERS: How is YOUR career going?