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Best Online Professional Sales Degree Programs (2026)
Updated September 7, 2026BLS dataCollege ScorecardOn this page
Key takeaway: Professional sales (CIP 52.1804, Selling Skills and Sales Operations) is the quota degree: prospecting, discovery, negotiation, and account management. Arizona State University sells a bachelor’s. Esy files the specialty under Business Development / Sales, which is why this silo cross-links business development. The CIP is the sales craft; business development is the partnership-and-pipeline sibling. In IPEDS 2024, 26 institutions reported bachelor’s-or-higher completions in the CIP codes used for this guide, and 26 of those institutions reported offering distance-education programs (IPEDS 2024). Compare accredited programs below.
Most sales jobs do not require this degree. The bachelor’s is useful when the product is technical or the buyer is a committee, and when you want a path into sales management. Retail supervision (41-1011) is a different occupation with different pay; it is not the target of this CIP.
These accredited schools offer online programs. Request information to compare programs, costs, and formats.
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Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most
recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS).
To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the
U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked
against schools at the same credential level:
BOCSCORE
Graduation rate 30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
Average net price (lower is better) 20%
Retention rate 15%
Fully online availability 10%
Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
BOC
Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.
Careers and Wages for Professional Sales Graduates
Median annual wages come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. Individual outcomes vary.
Median annual wage for the highest-paying professional sales careers. Source: BLS OEWS. Chart: Best Online College.View the data behind this chart
Highest-paying professional sales careers. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025 release)
Occupation
Median annual wage
Sales Managers
$148,270
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products
$104,920
First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers
$87,520
Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents
$78,660
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products
$72,080
Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel
$69,990
Advertising Sales Agents
$64,820
Insurance Sales Agents
$62,280
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Projected job growth (2024-2034) for professional sales careers. Source: BLS Employment Projections. Chart: Best Online College.View the data behind this chart
Fastest-growing professional sales careers. Source: BLS Employment Projections (2024-2034)
Occupation
Projected job growth (2024-2034)
Sales Managers
4.7%
Insurance Sales Agents
3.7%
Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents
3.3%
Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel
3.1%
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products
1.9%
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products
0.3%
First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers
0.0%
Advertising Sales Agents
-6.4%
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Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific ProductsSOC 41-4011
$104,920Median annual pay
Median hourly$50.44
Mean annual$119,730
Employment (US)284,800
Pay range (25-75%)$75,030 - $158,160
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific ProductsSOC 41-4012
$72,080Median annual pay
Median hourly$34.65
Mean annual$82,530
Employment (US)1,238,190
Pay range (25-75%)$50,470 - $99,640
Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and TravelSOC 41-3091
$69,990Median annual pay
Median hourly$33.65
Mean annual$82,430
Employment (US)1,256,010
Pay range (25-75%)$47,670 - $100,480
First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales WorkersSOC 41-1012
$87,520Median annual pay
Median hourly$42.08
Mean annual$99,370
Employment (US)214,390
Pay range (25-75%)$63,940 - $122,050
Sales ManagersSOC 11-2022
$148,270Median annual pay
Median hourly$71.28
Mean annual$164,350
Employment (US)637,080
Pay range (25-75%)$100,360 - $207,340
Advertising Sales AgentsSOC 41-3011
$64,820Median annual pay
Median hourly$31.16
Mean annual$80,670
Employment (US)91,700
Pay range (25-75%)$47,020 - $99,990
Insurance Sales AgentsSOC 41-3021
$62,280Median annual pay
Median hourly$29.94
Mean annual$81,480
Employment (US)479,100
Pay range (25-75%)$46,870 - $96,950
Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales AgentsSOC 41-3031
$78,660Median annual pay
Median hourly$37.82
Mean annual$109,150
Employment (US)489,570
Pay range (25-75%)$56,540 - $129,950
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
It is not marketing and it is not a license to sell securities or insurance. Those licenses are separate. It is also not a general business degree; if you want the broader credential, use business administration.
A professional sales degree covers consultative selling, negotiation, account management, sales technology, business communication, and a live-prospecting practicum. Most sales jobs do not require this degree. The bachelor’s is useful when the product is technical or the buyer is a committee, and when you want a path into sales management. Retail supervision (41-1011) is a different occupation with different pay; it is not the target of this CIP.
Can I earn a professional sales degree online?
Yes. In IPEDS 2024, 26 institutions reported bachelor’s-or-higher completions in the CIP codes used for this guide, and 26 of those institutions reported offering distance-education programs (IPEDS 2024).
Is professional sales accredited?
There is no programmatic accreditor for professional sales. Institutional accreditation is the academic check. Employer onboarding and product training do more hiring work than the CIP.
What do professional sales graduates earn?
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products The national median annual wage was $104,920, with the 10th percentile at $52,600 and the 90th at $200,440 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS). Employment was 303,200 in 2024, projected to grow 1.9 percent through 2034, with 27,200 openings per year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). Individual outcomes vary by employer, geography, and experience.
