Sales Engineers
Official O*NET title: Sales Engineers (41-9031.00)
Also called: business development engineer, inside sales engineer, product sales engineer, sales applications engineer, sales engineer
Do you do this at work?
Answer each card — it takes about a minute.
Do you do this at work?
Research and identify potential customers for products or services
Swipe right for yes, left for not me. On a keyboard: → yes, ← not me, Z undo. +2 XP per answer.
How AI is changing sales engineers work
9 of 19 measurable main tasks for this job show up in real AI-use data, so we rate it Amber (some AI use) — 47%.
This shows where people already use AI, not whether the job will disappear. How we measure this.
Tasks in this job and recorded AI use
- Research and identify potential customers for products or services (main task) — a lot of recorded AI use
- Talk with customers and engineers to assess equipment needs and to determine system requirements (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Develop, present, or respond to proposals for specific customer requirements (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Keep informed on industry news and trends, products, services, competitors, relevant information about legacy, existing, and emerging technologies, and the latest product-line developments (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Maintain sales forecasting reports (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Develop sales plans to introduce products in new markets (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Document account activities, generate reports, and keep records of business transactions with customers and suppliers (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Prepare and deliver technical presentations that explain products or services to customers and prospective customers (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Collaborate with sales teams to understand customer requirements, to promote the sale of company products, and to provide sales support (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Create sales or service contracts for products or services (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Visit prospective buyers at commercial, industrial, or other establishments to show samples or catalogs, and to inform them about product pricing, availability, and advantages (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Identify resale opportunities and support them to achieve sales plans (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Plan and modify product configurations to meet customer needs (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Recommend improved materials or machinery to customers, documenting how such changes will lower costs or increase production (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Secure and renew orders and arrange delivery (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Attend trade shows and seminars to promote products or to learn about industry developments (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Attend company training seminars to become familiar with product lines (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Arrange for demonstrations or trial installations of equipment (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Train team members in the customer applications of technologies (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Provide technical and non-technical support and services to clients or other staff members regarding the use, operation, and maintenance of equipment — some recorded AI use
- Sell products requiring extensive technical expertise and support for installation and use — no recorded AI use
- Provide information needed for the development of custom-made machinery — no recorded AI use
- Diagnose problems with installed equipment — no recorded AI use
- Write technical documentation for products — no recorded AI use
- Report to supervisors about prospective firms' credit ratings — no recorded AI use
Tasks: O*NET 31.0. AI use: Anthropic Economic Index (exact or close text match).
Your first steps (guidance)
- Week 1: Open a free AI assistant and say hello. Follow our “Getting started with AI” guide. Ask it one simple question about your work.
- Week 2: Use AI on one task you do often. Try the prompt for: “Research and identify potential customers for products or services”. Try the prompt for: “Talk with customers and engineers to assess equipment needs and to determine system requirements”.
Tick your own tasks above to get a plan based on what you really do. The first 2 weeks are free; Premium (coming soon) adds weeks 3–12. New to AI? Read our beginner’s guide.
Questions about AI and sales engineers
Will AI replace sales engineers?
Our data can’t predict job losses, and we don’t try to. What it does show: 9 of the 19 main tasks for this job match tasks people already use AI for (Anthropic Economic Index), giving a Amber rating (some AI use). Using AI on a task is not the same as AI doing the whole job, and 15 of the 25 listed tasks show no recorded AI use yet.
Which sales engineer tasks is AI used for most?
In the data, the most AI use among this job’s tasks is for: research and identify potential customers for products or services; talk with customers and engineers to assess equipment needs and to determine system requirements; develop, present, or respond to proposals for specific customer requirements.
Which sales engineer tasks show little or no AI use?
For example: create sales or service contracts for products or services; visit prospective buyers at commercial, industrial, or other establishments to show samples or catalogs, and to inform them about product pricing, availability, and advantages; identify resale opportunities and support them to achieve sales plans. These are good places to keep building your own skills.
How does this job compare to others?
In Microsoft Research’s “Working with AI” study, this job’s AI applicability score is equal to or higher than 87% of the occupations they scored. That measures overlap with AI chat use, not risk of job loss.
How can a sales engineer start learning AI?
Start small: open a free AI assistant, try it on one task you do often, and always check facts and numbers yourself. The plan on this page is guidance, not professional advice.
See how this job ranks
Sales Engineers ranks #140 of 572 jobs for the share of main tasks with AI use (#1 = most), and #8 of 18 in Sales & Retail.
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