You do not need a formal qualification to become a sales representative in Australia. Most employers hire on communication skills, sales or customer-service experience and, for field roles, a driver's licence, then train you on the job. Official data puts median full-time earnings at $1,692 a week, about $88,000 a year. Technical, medical and industrial sales are the exception: they usually want a degree or subject knowledge.
This guide covers what employers actually ask for, the training that helps, what the pay data says, and how to read a commission or contractor offer before you sign. For retail sales, telesales and state-by-state real estate registration, see our Sales Jobs in Australia guide.
Do You Actually Need a Qualification?
For most general sales representative roles, no. Jobs and Skills Australia classes the job at a lower vocational skill level, around a Certificate II or III, and notes that many people get there through on-the-job training and experience instead.
But the people doing the job are better qualified than the "Year 12 is enough" line suggests. Among Sales Representatives (ANZSCO 6113), the highest qualification held was:
| Highest qualification | Share of sales representatives |
|---|---|
| Year 12 | 23.5% |
| Bachelor degree | 20.2% |
| Certificate III or IV | 18.0% |
| Advanced diploma or diploma | 13.3% |
| Year 10 and below | 9.5% |
| Postgraduate | 5.8% |
| Year 11 | 5.1% |
Jobs and Skills Australia, Sales Representatives (ANZSCO 6113), 2021 Census.
Where a qualification does matter:
- Technical sales. Pharmaceutical, medical, chemical, industrial and ICT sales usually expect a degree or trade background, because buyers expect you to explain the product in depth.
- Competing without experience. A sales-specific certificate can move an application ahead of others with nothing to show.
The right course names. The sales-specific qualification is SIR30316 Certificate III in Business to Business Sales, which some employers offer as a traineeship alongside the job. BSB30120 Certificate III in Business and BSB40120 Certificate IV in Business are the general alternatives. The "Certificate III in Customer Engagement" many guides still recommend (BSB30215) was superseded on 18 October 2020 and replaced by BSB30120.
What Almost Every Sales Representative Ad Asks For
- A driver's licence. Field and territory roles mean visiting customers across a region, so postings routinely ask for a current licence, often a full or unrestricted one. Inside sales roles are the alternative if you do not drive.
- Working rights in Australia. Most postings ask for full working rights up front. For general sales representatives that is not a formality: the occupation is not on the Core Skills Occupation List, so employer sponsorship through that route is not available.
- Communication and negotiation. Written and spoken communication, negotiation and problem-solving are listed far more often than any credential.
- Evidence of results. Targets met, accounts grown or conversion rates — even from retail or hospitality — are what sales managers look for.
- Industry licences where they apply. Real estate is the main one, and it differs by state. In NSW the entry-level credential is the Assistant Agent certificate of registration, issued for four years and not renewable, since the March 2020 reforms — not an "Agent's Representative Certificate", which is Victoria's term.
What Sales Representatives Earn
The pay figures in most guides come from job boards and salary sites, which report advertised salaries rather than measured earnings. The official figure is measured from employer payroll data instead:
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Median full-time earnings | $1,692 a week, about $87,984 a year |
| Employed | 71,800 |
| Working full-time hours | 83% |
| Award floor, commercial travellers | $1,122.80 a week from 1 July 2026 |
Jobs and Skills Australia, Sales Representatives (ANZSCO 6113), from the ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025; Commercial Sales Award 2020.
A median describes the middle of all full-time sales representatives, not a starting salary. Entry-level and inside sales roles usually start lower, and experienced technical reps earn more. We could not find an official source for the city figures many guides quote for Sydney and Melbourne, so we have left them out. New South Wales and Victoria do account for the most sales representatives, at 32.5 and 29.4 per cent of the workforce.
Always check whether an advertised figure includes superannuation and whether it assumes you hit your commission targets.
Read the Pay Structure Before You Sign
The base number alone does not tell you what you will take home. There are three common structures, and the rules differ for each.
Base plus commission. The most common arrangement for employees. If you are a commercial traveller covered by the Commercial Sales Award 2020, the award says no one "will be remunerated solely by commission payment, salary or retainer, that is lower than the minimum rate". From 1 July 2026 that minimum is $1,122.80 a week, or $29.55 an hour. Commission can make up your pay, but the total cannot fall below it. The award also requires your written terms to state any deductions that may be made from commission.
Commission-only. Fair Work says an employee can only be paid commission-only when an award or enterprise agreement allows it. Employees who are not covered by an award or agreement still have to be paid at least the National Minimum Wage. A job advertised to employees as "commission-only" deserves a close look.
Advances and clawbacks. Many guides say a guaranteed base can be treated as an advance and "clawed back if you leave early". An employer cannot simply take that money out of your pay. Under Fair Work rules, a deduction needs your written agreement and must be mainly for your benefit, and a term that benefits the employer and is unreasonable has no effect. Get any advance or clawback arrangement explained in writing before you accept.
Subcontractor arrangements. Some businesses engage sales reps as contractors, with no sick pay, annual leave or superannuation from the business. That is lawful for genuine contractors. But it is illegal to represent a worker as a contractor when the business does not reasonably believe that — sham contracting. A role with set hours, a manager and targets set by someone else looks like employment, whatever the contract is called.
Sponsorship: Which Sales Roles Qualify
The draft most guides copy says sponsorship is "uncommon" for sales representatives. For general sales representatives (ANZSCO 6113) it is not available through the Core Skills Occupation List at all. Only technical sales roles are listed:
- Sales Representative (Industrial Products) — 225411
- Sales Representative (Medical and Pharmaceutical Products) — 225412
- ICT Sales Representative — 225213
- Technical Sales Representatives nec — 225499
If you are not an Australian citizen or permanent resident, plan around working rights you already hold. Our Visa Sponsorship Jobs in Australia guide covers how employer sponsorship works.
How to Get Hired, Step by Step
- Finish Year 12 or equivalent. It is the most common baseline, and the entry point for most traineeships.
- Get a driver's licence if you want field or territory roles.
- Build customer-facing experience in retail, hospitality or customer service, and keep the numbers: targets, sales and repeat customers.
- Consider SIR30316 Certificate III in Business to Business Sales, ideally as a traineeship with an employer, if you are changing careers or have no sales history.
- Pick an industry. A technical or medical sales role expects subject knowledge a consumer goods or wholesale role will not.
- Ask about the pay structure in the interview: the base, the commission plan, whether super is included, any clawbacks, and whether you would be an employee or a contractor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a degree to become a sales representative in Australia?
No, not for most roles. Year 12 is the most common highest qualification among sales representatives, though 20.2 per cent hold a bachelor degree. Degrees matter mainly in pharmaceutical, medical, industrial and ICT sales.
How much does a sales representative earn in Australia?
Jobs and Skills Australia puts median full-time earnings at $1,692 a week, about $87,984 a year, based on ABS data from May 2025. Commercial travellers under the Commercial Sales Award cannot be paid less than $1,122.80 a week from 1 July 2026.
Is a driver's licence really necessary?
For field and territory roles, usually yes, because you travel to customers across a region, and many ads ask for a full or unrestricted licence. Inside sales roles based in an office or call centre often do not need one.
What course should I do to become a sales representative?
The sales-specific qualification is SIR30316 Certificate III in Business to Business Sales. BSB30120 Certificate III in Business is the general alternative. The Certificate III in Customer Engagement was superseded in October 2020.
Is commission-only pay legal in Australia?
For employees, only where an award or enterprise agreement allows it. Commercial travellers under the Commercial Sales Award must receive at least the award minimum, however much of their pay is commission, and award-free employees must receive at least the National Minimum Wage.
Can my employer claw back commission or an advance if I leave?
They cannot simply deduct it from your pay. A deduction needs your written agreement and must be mainly for your benefit. Get any clawback arrangement in writing and ask how it works before you sign.
Can I get visa sponsorship as a sales representative?
Not as a general sales representative through the Core Skills Occupation List. Technical sales roles such as Sales Representative (Industrial Products) 225411 and (Medical and Pharmaceutical Products) 225412 are on the list.
Do I need a licence to sell real estate?
Yes, and it depends on the state. In NSW you need an Assistant Agent certificate of registration, which lasts four years and cannot be renewed. Other states use different names and training requirements.
People Also Search For
Sales representative salary Australia
A median of $1,692 a week full-time, about $87,984 a year, by Jobs and Skills Australia.
Certificate III in Business to Business Sales
SIR30316, the current sales-specific qualification, often done as a traineeship.
Commercial Sales Award pay rates 2026
$1,122.80 a week, or $29.55 an hour, for commercial travellers from 1 July 2026.
Commission only jobs Australia
Only lawful for employees where an award or agreement allows it; otherwise the minimum wage applies.
Field sales representative jobs
Territory-based roles visiting business customers, which usually require a driver's licence.
Medical sales representative Australia
A technical sales role, often needing a science degree, and on the Core Skills Occupation List as 225412.
Sales representative no experience
Start in retail or customer service, or take a B2B sales traineeship, and record your results.
Sham contracting sales
Calling a worker a contractor when the business does not reasonably believe it is illegal under the Fair Work Act.
More Job Guides
Looking at other ways into work in Australia? These cover the neighbouring routes:
- Sales Jobs in Australia — retail award pay, when commission-only is legal and each state's real estate registration.
- No Experience Jobs in Australia — entry-level roles that build the customer-facing record sales managers look for.
- Visa Sponsorship Jobs in Australia — how employer sponsorship actually works, and which occupation list applies.
- Office Assistant Jobs in Australia — another entry route into Australian business, and its award pay.
- Retail Associate Jobs in USA — the customer-facing route in the American market.
This article is for general informational purposes and is not legal or financial advice. Pay rates, award terms and visa lists change over time. Confirm the current position with the Fair Work Ombudsman, training.gov.au and the Department of Home Affairs before relying on it.
