Sales Representative Jobs in Chicago, IL
Sales representatives in Chicago earn a median of about $75,000 a year, and posted ranges run from a $50,000 base to $150,000 with commission. Here are the current openings, followed by who is hiring and what the pay looks like from the Loop towers to the suburban territories.
Current sales representative Openings in Chicago, IL
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Sales Representative Work in Chicago
Chicago sells to the whole Midwest. ADP runs its local sales team out of 233 S. Wacker Drive, Echo Global Logistics hires freight sales reps at its River North headquarters on W. Chicago Avenue, and Grainger, the Lake Forest industrial supplier, hires district reps for the city through its Imperial Supplies unit. The rest of the work sits in territories: Cintas sends uniform and facility services reps out of Maywood, Romeoville and Schaumburg, and Sysco Chicago covers restaurant accounts from Des Plaines to Evanston and Skokie.
That mix of Loop offices and suburban branches is what makes the market different. A rep can sell payroll software from a desk in the Willis Tower one year and drive a territory along the Eisenhower or the Tri-State the next. Illinois also requires employers with 15 or more workers to post a pay scale, so most Chicago sales listings show the base and the commission target up front.
Top Chicago Employers Hiring Sales Representatives
These employers had sales representative openings in the Chicago area on their own careers sites this month:
- Cintas - the uniform and facility services company lists more than 40 Chicago-area sales roles, with outside reps in Maywood, Romeoville and Schaumburg earning an estimated $60,000 to $150,000.
- ADP - the payroll and HR company hires account executives at its Wacker Drive office for territories of small and mid-size businesses, at $50,100 to $99,800 base.
- Echo Global Logistics - the River North freight broker hires client sales reps straight out of college at $50,000 plus uncapped commission.
- Grainger - its Imperial Supplies unit hires district sales reps for the Chicago automotive market at $70,000 base plus a first-year bonus.
- Sysco - Sysco Chicago hires outside reps who drive to restaurant accounts in Des Plaines, Evanston and Skokie.
- Comcast Business - the cable company's business unit hires small-business account executives out of its North Avenue office and in Schaumburg.
Sales Representative Salaries in Chicago
- Entry level: about $46,000 to $58,000 a year, often a base with commission on top.
- Experienced: roughly $58,000 to $100,000 a year with commission.
- Senior: $100,000 to $137,000 or more, and technical reps selling equipment or software can pass $150,000.
These are estimates built from BLS May 2025 wage data for the Chicago metro and from ranges Chicago employers posted this year. Pay moves most with the commission plan, the product and whether you run a territory: Cintas outside reps add a car allowance and quarterly bonus, while ADP and Comcast Business post a base with a target on top. Technical and scientific reps earn a metro median of about $112,000.
How to Become a Sales Representative in Chicago
Illinois does not license general sales representatives, so there is no state exam to pass. The exception is insurance: selling it requires a producer license from the Illinois Department of Insurance. Many Chicago employers take a high school diploma or GED plus some sales or customer service experience, and Echo trains new grads with no sales background. For a degree route, DePaul University's Center for Sales Leadership at the Loop campus on E. Jackson offers a sales leadership concentration and minor, and City Colleges of Chicago offers a Business Apprenticeship associate degree at Harold Washington and five other campuses.
What the Job Involves
Sales representatives find new customers, learn what they need, present a product or service and close the deal. A typical day mixes prospecting calls and emails, meetings or demos, quotes and follow-ups, and logging every step in a CRM such as Salesforce. Field reps spend much of the week driving to accounts, while inside reps work the phone from an office or home.
Skills Employers Look For
- Comfort with cold calling and daily outbound activity
- Clear, confident speaking and writing
- Listening well enough to find the real problem
- Negotiating price and terms
- CRM habits, especially Salesforce
- A valid driver's license and clean record for territory roles
- A second language, which Sysco and Comcast Business list as a plus
Career Path and Advancement
Many Chicago reps start in an inside or business development seat, often at a freight broker or software firm in the Loop or River North, then move to a field territory or an account executive title. From there the ladder runs to senior or major accounts roles, account manager, and sales manager. Echo, for one, maps a path from account executive to senior account executive to account director.
Related Careers in Chicago
If sales interests you, these related Chicago roles are close matches:
- Inside Sales Representative Jobs
- Outside Sales Representative Jobs
- Customer Service Representative Jobs
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a license to be a sales representative in Illinois?
Not for most sales jobs. Illinois has no license for general, inside or outside sales reps. Selling insurance is different and requires a producer license from the Illinois Department of Insurance.
How much do sales representatives make in Chicago?
The metro median for wholesale and manufacturing reps is about $75,000 a year, based on BLS May 2025 data. Entry roles start around $46,000 to $58,000, and experienced reps with strong commission can pass $100,000.
Can I get a sales job in Chicago with no experience?
Yes. Echo Global Logistics hires client sales reps with zero to two years of experience and trains them for six weeks, and Cintas lists a high school diploma or GED as the minimum for many roles. Customer service or retail experience helps.
Do Chicago sales jobs require a car?
Outside and territory roles do. Cintas and Sysco ask for a valid driver's license, and Cintas pays a monthly car allowance. Inside sales roles in the Loop and River North are reachable by the L.
Why do Chicago sales postings show pay ranges?
Illinois law has required employers with 15 or more workers to include a pay scale and benefits in job postings since January 2025. That makes it easier to compare base and commission before you apply.
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