An industrial cleaning sales representative walks factories, food plants and warehouses to see what needs degreasing, washing or tank cleaning, then writes and sells the scope and price. The rep brings back what the crew must know before a job is booked, such as the surfaces, the access and the hazards.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, building services companies · BLS, May 2025
Annual pay: 10th percentile $37,360, middle half $45,780 to $78,150, 90th percentile $98,900. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
Reports to
Sales Manager
Department
Sales
Schedule
Weekdays, 8 to 5, with plant visits · Some evening meetings, regular site visits and trade shows, and on-call help during peak periods or customer emergencies
Serve as the primary point of contact between the company and potential customers seeking industrial cleaning and degreasing solutions. The role evaluates sites, proposes tailored solutions to meet client needs, and finalizes deals to drive business growth while upholding high standards of customer satisfaction.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Evaluate industrial sites to understand client requirements and determine the best degreasing solutions.
Present and explain service offerings, benefits, and pricing structures to potential customers.
Develop and maintain strong customer relationships through effective communication and follow-up.
Negotiate and finalize deals while ensuring compliance with company policies and industry standards.
Collaborate with internal teams to ensure seamless service delivery and customer support.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Conduct site visits and assessments to gather essential information for solution proposal development.
Prepare and deliver presentations that clearly outline service benefits and ROI for clients.
Follow up with prospects through calls, emails, and in-person meetings to advance sales opportunities.
Coordinate with operations teams to schedule service delivery and ensure proper resource allocation.
Update and maintain accurate records in the CRM system and report daily progress to management.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
New Sales Closed: Minimum of 10 new contracts per quarter.
Lead Conversion Rate: Achieve a conversion rate of at least 25%.
Customer Satisfaction Rating: Maintain an average rating of greater than 4.8 stars.
Proposal Acceptance Rate: Secure approval on at least 80% of submitted proposals.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.
Minimum of 3 years of experience in sales, preferably in industrial services or technical sales environments.
Strong communication, negotiation, and presentation skills.
Proficiency in CRM software and Microsoft Office Suite.
Ability to work independently and manage time efficiently.
6. Preferred Experience
Prior experience selling industrial cleaning or maintenance solutions.
Background in the home services industry with a focus on commercial applications.
Familiarity with technical aspects of degreasing processes and industrial cleaning standards.
Experience working in a competitive sales environment with measurable targets.
Proven track record of meeting or exceeding sales targets within a technical field.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to visit and assess client sites, which may require moderate physical activity.
Prolonged periods of walking, standing, and climbing stairs during on-site evaluations.
Capacity to carry equipment or samples weighing up to 25 pounds when necessary.
Frequent travel to industrial sites under varying environmental conditions.
Must adhere to safety protocols while visiting potentially hazardous environments.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours: Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with occasional evening meetings.
Travel is required to meet with prospects and visit client sites, estimated at 30% of working time.
On-call availability may be required during peak service periods or in response to client emergencies.
Collaborative office environment with access to remote work options as applicable.
Periodic attendance at sales meetings, industry trade shows, and professional development events.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Salary range: $45,000 - $60,000 USD per year, based on experience and qualifications.
Commission structure available with potential to earn up to a 20% bonus on closed deals.
Health, Dental, and Vision insurance plans provided.
401k retirement plan with company matching contributions.
Additional fringe benefits include paid time off, professional development opportunities, and performance incentives.
10. Company Culture and Overview
Our team is built on a foundation of integrity, innovation, and a relentless drive for excellence.
We offer a supportive environment where professional growth is nurtured, and achievements are celebrated.
Our collaborative culture encourages continuous improvement and empowers employees to take initiative.
We pride ourselves on delivering top-notch customer service while embracing cutting-edge practices.
Join us and be part of a forward-thinking company that values diversity, inclusion, and the success of every team member.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
A rep here prices work inside someone else's plant, around old building materials, running equipment and strong chemicals. The questions asked on the walk decide whether the job makes money.
Ask for the asbestos survey in older buildings
OSHA treats pipe insulation and sprayed-on surfacing where the building went up in 1980 or before as presumed asbestos unless it's tested and ruled out. Building owners must find where it is and tell contractors whose workers will clean in those areas. Ask the plant for its survey before you price cleaning near old pipe runs, and note any damaged insulation you see. Source: OSHA: 29 CFR 1910.1001, asbestos (general industry).
Check the metal before quoting caustic
When a job calls for a caustic degreaser, the surface matters. NIOSH lists metals such as aluminum, tin and zinc among the materials sodium hydroxide reacts with, and notes that it corrodes metals. On the walk, write down what each surface is made of, including aluminum housings and galvanized rails, so the crew can pick a cleaner that won't damage them. Source: NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards: sodium hydroxide.
Old paint changes the job
If a wash could strip paint that contains lead, OSHA's lead rule for construction can apply, since its scope includes removing materials that contain lead. The employer then has to check whether any worker's lead exposure could reach the action level. Ask whether the coating has been tested before you quote a wash on old steel, tanks or structures. Source: OSHA: 29 CFR 1926.62, lead in construction.
Scope the access, not just the dirt
Price changes with how the crew reaches the work: overhead ducts, mezzanines, the inside of a machine, or a roof. Note which lifts, ladders or scaffolds the job needs, where the crew can tie into water and power, and where waste drums can be staged. A line missing from the scope turns into an argument after the crew arrives.
Ask about cameras before the walk
Some plants limit photos to protect their processes and their customers' products. Ask the plant contact before the walk whether you can take pictures and where. If you can't, sketch the area and take measurements so the estimate and the crew's plan still match what's there.
How much industrial cleaning & degreasing sales representatives make
The closest BLS group for industrial cleaning & degreasing sales representatives is sales representatives of services. Sales representatives of services who work for building and home services companies earned a median of $29.31 an hour ($60,970 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s below the $69,990 median for sales representatives of services in all industries. About 40,700 of the 1,256,010 sales representatives of services in that survey work for building services companies.
Reps here typically earn a base salary and commission on deals they close. The template's base band sits under the BLS median for sales reps in this industry, so commission has to make up the difference.
Building services companies
$60,970$60,970 median Middle half $45,780–$78,150 10th–90th $37,360–$98,900
All industries
$69,990$69,990 median Middle half $47,670–$100,480 10th–90th $37,980–$148,840
$0k$25k$50k$75k$100k$125k$150k$175k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Building services companies
$37,360
$45,780
$60,970
$78,150
$98,900
All industries
$37,980
$47,670
$69,990
$100,480
$148,840
BLS doesn’t publish pay for industrial cleaning companies on their own. These figures cover services to buildings and dwellings, which include them. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Turns a plant walk into a scope the crew can work from with no second visit
Builds a price from crew hours, equipment and waste rather than a guess
Explains cleaning methods to maintenance and safety staff in plain terms
Follows up on every open quote until it's won or lost
Updates the CRM the same day as each visit
Teach these on the job
Hydroblasting, steam, dry ice and vacuum truck methods and when each fits
Reading safety data sheets for the cleaners the crew will use
Each customer plant's visitor rules
The company's rate sheet and approval limits
Estimating software and proposal templates
Reps carry the CRM and a quote template tied to the rate sheet on a phone or tablet, and pack a laser distance meter and a flashlight for looking inside equipment. Keep a hard hat, safety glasses, safety-toe boots and hearing protection in the car, since many plants expect visitors to bring their own.
Two of the 6 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Phone price requests
A plant manager insists on a price over the phone. What do you do?
A strong answer: Explains what affects price, offers a range only if confident, and pushes for a site walk.
Behavioral · Technical selling
Tell me about a technical sale you made. How did you build the client's trust?
A strong answer: Learned the client's real problem, brought in the right experts, and delivered what was promised.
Set each target from your own records, such as how many site walks a rep can fit into the territory and how long plant deals take to close. The template's figures are samples.
New Sales Closed
Count new contracts and first purchase orders signed in the quarter, credited to the rep who walked the site and wrote the scope. Track repeat work from the same plant on its own line so new accounts stay visible.
Lead Conversion Rate
Divide the leads that became signed work by all the leads the rep handled, both assigned and self-found. Split the rate by lead source, such as inbound calls, referrals and cold outreach, to see where the rep wins.
Customer Satisfaction Rating
Send the customer a short survey after the first job closes, asking whether the work matched what the rep promised. Read low scores with the rep, since many trace back to something the walk missed.
Proposal Acceptance Rate
Divide the proposals the plant approved by the proposals the rep sent, counting a revised proposal once. Log the reason for each loss in the CRM, such as timing or a competitor already on site, so patterns show up.
What do the sales rep template's walking, climbing and carrying lines involve?
They describe the site walk. A rep may cover a large plant floor on foot, climb stairs to mezzanines and catwalks, stand while a supervisor explains the line, and carry a sample kit or measuring gear up to the template's weight limit. Some walks are outside, in tank farms and loading yards, and every walk follows the plant's safety rules.
How much does an industrial cleaning & degreasing sales representative make?
Sales representatives of services who work for building and home services companies earned a median of $29.31 an hour ($60,970 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $45,780 and $78,150 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
Can a rep from chemical or industrial supply sales do this job?
Often, yes. Those reps already walk plants, know maintenance staff and speak the safety language. The gap is pricing labor: they're used to selling a product at a list price, while here they estimate crew hours and equipment for work no one has seen finished. Pair them with an operations lead on their first quotes.
When should an industrial cleaning sales rep turn down a job?
When the work needs a service the company doesn't offer, a crew skill or permit it doesn't hold, or a schedule no crew can meet. Pass it to the sales manager instead of stretching the scope to fit. A job operations can't staff well can cost the whole account.
What does a good industrial cleaning proposal include?
A scope by area or piece of equipment, the method and cleaners, what the plant must do first (shut down, drain, clear product), the crew's hours and shifts, how waste will be handled, and the price basis. Attach the photos or sketches from the walk and the safety documents the plant asked for.
