Industrial construction sales representative job description
An industrial construction sales representative finds new projects at plants, warehouses and process sites, walks them with owners' engineers, and builds proposals with estimators and project managers. They follow each lead from the first call to a signed contract and keep in touch with the owner while the job runs.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, commercial and industrial building contractors · BLS, May 2025
Annual pay: 10th percentile $46,840, middle half $65,510 to $130,290, 90th percentile $192,390. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
Reports to
Sales Manager
Department
Sales
Schedule
Weekdays, 8 to 5, with site travel · Plant and client visits most weeks, longer days near deadlines, and on call for urgent client needs in peak periods.
Also called
Business development representative · Industrial account manager · Technical sales representative · Business development manager
Industrial construction sales representative job description template
This is our Role Blueprint, word for word. Replace the highlighted fields and adjust the example targets and pay to fit your company.
Spearhead the identification of new industrial construction opportunities while proposing innovative solutions to secure large-scale deals. Act as a key representative of the company, bridging the gap between potential clients and our comprehensive service offerings.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Identify and develop prospective industrial construction projects and client relationships.
Propose tailored, innovative solutions that address the technical and operational needs of clients.
Lead contract negotiations and close high-value industrial construction deals.
Maintain a robust sales pipeline and regularly update strategic targets to drive revenue growth.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Prospect and conduct regular outreach to potential industrial clients and project leads.
Engage in on-site visits and client meetings to assess project requirements and propose solutions.
Present detailed proposals and collaborate with engineering and project management teams.
Constantly follow up with leads, tracking progress and ensuring client satisfaction.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Revenue Generated per Quarter: Minimum $500,000.
Deal Closure Rate: Achieve a 30% closing rate on qualified prospects.
New Opportunities Generated: Minimum of 15 new leads per month.
Client Satisfaction Rating: Maintain an average rating of 4.8 stars or higher.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Construction Management, or a related field.
Minimum of 3 years of sales experience, preferably in industrial construction or related sectors.
Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.
Proficiency in CRM software and strong analytical capabilities.
6. Preferred Experience
Experience working within the industrial construction industry or similar markets.
Proven track record of closing large-scale, high-value deals.
Background in technical sales or business development roles within industrial environments.
Familiarity with construction regulations and technical project requirements.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to travel frequently to job sites and client meetings.
Capability to work in varying environments including on-site visits at industrial construction projects.
Adaptability to occasionally work in confined or outdoor settings.
Sufficient stamina and physical fitness to manage frequent movement during site inspections.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM.
Occasional extended hours required during project deadlines or client events.
Moderate travel requirements to client locations and construction sites.
Flexibility for on-call duties during peak project times or emergent client needs.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Base Salary: $70,000 - $90,000 USD per year, commensurate with experience.
Performance-based bonuses and commission structure to reward successful deal closures.
Health, Dental, and Vision insurance coverage.
401k plan and other fringe benefits such as professional development opportunities.
10. Company Culture and Overview
At [INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE], we foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
We believe in empowering our team through growth opportunities and a supportive work environment that encourages creative problem-solving and success in every project.
Our inclusive culture values diverse perspectives and a commitment to excellence in serving our clients and communities.
We are dedicated to building long-term relationships with our employees, customers, and partners, ensuring mutual success and growth.
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 scope can change once you learn who is paying, how the plant buys and what an old building hides. The rep's questions shape the price.
Public money can make it a public work
In Oregon, a project that uses 750,000 dollars or more of a public agency's funds counts as a public work, even on a privately owned building, unless an exemption applies. Oregon's prevailing wage rules then reach the job. Ask at the first meeting whether grants or other public money are paying for the plant expansion, because the labor price changes. Source: Oregon Revised Statutes 279C.800 and 279C.840: Public works and prevailing wage.
Oregon bids name key subcontractors fast
For an Oregon public improvement contract above 100,000 dollars, every bidder has two working hours after bids are due to list its first-tier subcontractors furnishing labor. The list covers each one worth at least 15,000 dollars and at least a twentieth of the total bid, plus any worth 350,000 dollars or more, with name, type of work and dollar value. Have sub quotes and the form ready before bid day. Source: Oregon Revised Statutes 279C.370: First-tier subcontractor disclosure.
Older plants need an asbestos check first
Before a demolition or renovation starts, EPA's asbestos rule has the owner or operator of the work thoroughly inspect the affected part of the facility for asbestos. When a scope removes old pipe insulation, siding, roofing or flooring, ask for the survey before you price it. Then mark abatement as included or excluded in the proposal. Source: 40 CFR 61.145: Asbestos standard for demolition and renovation.
Find out how the plant buys
Before you chase a job, learn the path: supplier registration, the approved bidder list, the procurement portal, technical and commercial reviews, and who signs. An engineer can want you on a job and still have no way to invite you. The rep who knows the buyer in procurement hears about bids earlier.
Scope with the people who run the unit
Engineers know the drawings. Operators and maintenance staff know where the old lines run, which valves won't hold and when a line can really go down. Ask them on the site visit, note access, crane space and tie-in points, and send the notes to estimating the same day.
How much industrial construction sales representatives make
The closest BLS group for industrial construction sales representatives is sales representatives of services. Sales representatives of services who work for commercial and industrial builders earned a median of $44.63 an hour ($92,830 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s above the $69,990 median for sales representatives of services in all industries. About 5,210 of the 1,256,010 sales representatives of services in that survey work for commercial and industrial building contractors.
Reps here usually earn a salary, then commission or a bonus once a job is signed. The template's base sits under the BLS median for these reps here, so show candidates what a typical year of commission adds.
Commercial and industrial building contractors
$92,830$92,830 median Middle half $65,510–$130,290 10th–90th $46,840–$192,390
All industries
$69,990$69,990 median Middle half $47,670–$100,480 10th–90th $37,980–$148,840
$25k$50k$75k$100k$125k$150k$175k$200k$225k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Commercial and industrial building contractors
$46,840
$65,510
$92,830
$130,290
$192,390
All industries
$37,980
$47,670
$69,990
$100,480
$148,840
BLS reports industrial and commercial building contractors together. 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
Reading drawings and scopes well enough to ask the right questions
Finding projects early and keeping a clean CRM
Writing clear proposals with estimators and project managers
Negotiating with plant procurement teams
Following up for months without losing track
Teach these on the job
Each owner's supplier registration and bid portal
Oregon and Rhode Island public bid rules
Your crafts, equipment and past jobs
Visitor safety rules at the plants you serve
Your estimating process
Reps work from a CRM on phone and laptop, a plan room or bid board login and a PDF markup app for drawings. Plants also expect visitors in a hard hat, glasses and boots. If the company supplies that gear, say so in the ad.
Industrial construction sales representative interview questions
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 · Scope on job walks
On a job walk inside a plant, the client's engineer mentions work they want that isn't in the bid documents. What do you do?
A strong answer: Notes it, asks for it to be issued in writing to all bidders or priced as an alternate, and doesn't quietly add it to the base bid.
Behavioral · Closing large deals
Tell me about a high-value industrial deal you closed. What made the difference?
A strong answer: Names specific actions, such as solving a scheduling problem for the client or showing safety performance, and the relationships behind the win.
The template sets these targets. Use them as examples, then set the rep's own from your sales history.
Revenue Generated per Quarter
Sum the signed contract value credited to the rep in the quarter. Agree up front how shared pursuits and repeat work from the same owner get credited.
Deal Closure Rate
Divide jobs won by qualified pursuits that closed, won or lost, in the same period. Define qualified in writing, for example a known budget and a named buyer.
New Opportunities Generated
Count new projects logged in the CRM with an owner contact, a rough scope and a likely date. Leave out names pulled from lists with no conversation behind them.
Client Satisfaction Rating
Use the owner's closeout survey or scorecard for jobs the rep sold, and add a short check-in call partway through long jobs.
Career path
Field engineer at an industrial contractorReads drawings, tracks field changes and sees how a plant job runs.
Sales representativeFinds and wins plant, warehouse and process work.
Key account managerOwns the relationship with the largest repeat owners.
Sales managerCoaches the reps and answers to the general manager for new contracts.
Other roles in an industrial construction business
Does an industrial sales rep need an engineering degree?
No. The template calls for a bachelor's degree in business or construction management, and strong reps often come from estimating, the crafts or equipment sales. They do need to read drawings and a scope well enough to know what to ask, and to know when to bring an engineer or estimator to the next meeting.
How much does an industrial construction sales representative make?
Sales representatives of services who work for commercial and industrial builders earned a median of $44.63 an hour ($92,830 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $65,510 and $130,290 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
How can a rep find plant projects before they go to bid?
Watch for signs of a new line or building: state air and water permit notices, local land use filings, a plant hiring for a new shift, utility upgrades and economic development news. Equipment suppliers and engineering firms hear early too. Log each signal in the CRM and call the owner before the scope is written.
What should a rep flag before the team spends money on a bid?
An owner who can't name a budget or an approval date. A long bid list with no clear reason you're on it. Specs that point to one rival's method or a product only they install. A schedule built on shutdown dates the plant hasn't set. Bring these to the sales manager early, since a no-bid can be the best call.
The template mentions confined spaces and stamina. What will the rep do on site?
Walk plant floors, yards and roofs behind an escort, in whatever protective gear that plant asks visitors to wear. Climb stairs and fixed ladders to platforms. Spend long stretches on site walks, some outdoors. Fit through tight spots such as pipe racks and crowded equipment rooms. Look into a pit or tank from the opening; entering one is for trained crews under the plant's permit. Name these tasks in the post and offer to discuss adjustments with any applicant who asks.
