Sales engineer
Also known as: coach sales technician, bus and coach sales technician, bus sales technician, bus and coach sales engineer, heavy vehicle sales engineer, PCV sales technician
About this occupation
Sales engineers provide technical customisation of products based on customers requests and needs (mainly heavy duty), such as building equipment. They take care of business to business contact and assume responsibility for complex repairs and maintenance process.
Essential skills and knowledge
- manage vehicle services' financial resources
- carry out parts purchasing
- apply territory planning
- calculate costs of repair operations
- consumer protection
- build business relationships
- maintain customer records
- provide customer follow-up services
- prospect new customers
- implement sales strategies
- ensure compliance with warranty contracts
- check finished vehicles for quality control
Typical tasks and preparation
From the related US occupation profile Sales Engineers (O*NET 41-9031.00). Linked by an official crosswalk: related, not identical; details vary by country.
- Develop, present, or respond to proposals for specific customer requirements, including request for proposal responses and industry-specific solutions.
- Collaborate with sales teams to understand customer requirements, to promote the sale of company products, and to provide sales support.
- Create sales or service contracts for products or services.
- Visit prospective buyers at commercial, industrial, or other establishments to show samples or catalogs, and to inform them about product pricing, availability, and advantages.
- Keep informed on industry news and trends, products, services, competitors, relevant information about legacy, existing, and emerging technologies, and the latest product-line developments.
- Identify resale opportunities and support them to achieve sales plans.
- Typical education (US)
- Bachelor's Degree
- Preparation
- Job Zone 4 of 5
- Interests
- Enterprising, Conventional, Investigative
Top skills: Speaking, Persuasion, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Social Perceptiveness
US median pay: US$124,900 a year (2025), 51,790 employed. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Subjects this work relies on
How important each subject's knowledge is in the job itself, rated by people doing it (1 to 5).
- English or Literature in EnglishO*NET: English LanguageVery important (4.3)
- Design and TechnologyO*NET: Design + Engineering and TechnologyVery important (3.8)
- Mathematics or StatisticsO*NET: MathematicsVery important (3.8)
- Business Studies or EntrepreneurshipO*NET: Administration and ManagementVery important (3.7)
- Technical DrawingO*NET: DesignImportant (3.4)
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Preparation needed
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
- Most common education (US)
- Bachelor's Degree
- Education
- Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
- Experience
- A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
- Training
- Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Related occupations
Occupations O*NET links to this one by similar work, skills and knowledge.
- Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products
- Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel
- Architectural and Engineering Managers
- Logistics Engineers
- Industrial Engineers
- Electronics Engineers, Except Computer
- Solar Sales Representatives and Assessors
- Manufacturing Engineers
- Computer Systems Analysts
- Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.