Regional Queensland
Regional recruitment specialist for Queensland employers, from Cairns to Toowoomba and Mount Isa. See how hard each region is to hire in, and how we help.
Sales and account manager recruitment for regional employers
Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We help distributors, manufacturers, agribusiness suppliers, building and trade suppliers and business services firms hire sales representatives, territory and account managers, business development managers and sales managers. We build your products, customers, territory and remuneration structure into the search from the first conversation.
Sales hiring at a glance
More than a fifth of sales representative ads are outside the major cities, and about a third of employers recruiting sales workers had difficulty.1,2
- of sales representative job ads are outside the major cities
- 22.5%
- 545 of 2,422 ads a month, three months to September 2026, against 29.2% of all job ads.1
- of employers recruiting sales workers had difficulty filling the role
- 34%
- National, September quarter 2026.2
- of recruiting employers outside the capitals had difficulty filling a vacancy
- 49%
- Against 43% in the capital cities. September quarter 2026.2
- of sales representatives work full-time hours
- 83%
- 2025 annual average.3
What do sales representatives and account managers do?
Sales representatives promote and sell their company's goods and services, such as building and plumbing supplies, business services and motor vehicle parts, to wholesale and retail businesses. They build lists of prospects, visit clients, quote prices and credit terms, record orders and arrange deliveries, follow up on problems and report on customers' needs and competitor activity. Sales managers set the product mix, sales territories and customer service standards, and direct the sales team.3
About 71,800 people work as sales representatives.3 In a regional territory the person you hire may work alone, plan their own calls and be the face of your business to every customer in it.
Licences, tickets and certifications for sales and account managers
No general occupational licence or registration is listed for the sales representative occupations covered here. Industry-specific requirements depend on what the person sells, and selling real estate is licensed.
Licences, certifications and training that apply to sales work, by jurisdiction. Checked 1 November 2026.
| Jurisdiction | Licence, certification or training | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| All states and territories | No occupational licence or registration is listed for sales representatives or sales and marketing managers4 | Selling goods and business services to trade and business customers |
| All states and territories | Diploma of Marketing and Communication (BSB50620)5 | The current national diploma for sales and marketing coordinators |
| All states and territories | Certified Practising Marketer (CPM), Australian Marketing Institute6 | Voluntary, for senior sales and marketing managers; typically a marketing degree and 10 years of marketing management experience |
| All states and territories | Medicines Australia Continuing Education Program7 | Medical representatives entering prescription medicines for the first time enrol in the Code of Conduct component within 6 months of starting and complete the full program within 2 years |
| All states and territories | Registration or licensing is required for real estate agents4 | Selling real estate, which this guide does not cover |
What does a sales representative earn?
The Commercial Sales Award 2020 covers commercial travellers, merchandisers and advertising sales representatives, unless another award has classifications for them. From 1 July 2026 a Commercial Traveller/Advertising Sales Representative must be paid at least $1,122.80 a week ($29.55 an hour).8
Median full-time earnings were $1,692 a week ($44 an hour) for Sales Representatives in May 2025, against $1,852 for all occupations.3 These are national figures; no regional pay series exists for sales roles.
Where are sales representatives in demand?
Sales Representative (Business Services), Sales Representative (Industrial Products) and Sales and Marketing Manager are not rated in shortage in 2026, counting a national or regional shortage rating.9 Outside the major cities, sales representative ads averaged 545 a month in the three months to September 2026, down from 605 a year earlier, and 108 were in Northern Australia.1 The sales manager column counts advertising, public relations and sales managers together, as the source does.
Online job ads a month by state and territory, three-month average to September 2026 and a year earlier, rounded, with each state's share of people employed as sales representatives.10
| State or territory | Sales representative ads | A year earlier | Sales manager ads | Share of employed sales representatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 812 | 879 | 1,740 | 32.5%3 |
| Victoria | 528 | 597 | 1,168 | 29.4%3 |
| Queensland | 595 | 657 | 1,009 | 19.2%3 |
| Western Australia | 276 | 259 | 439 | 9.6%3 |
| South Australia | 149 | 156 | 222 | 6.1%3 |
| Australian Capital Territory | 27 | 32 | 86 | 1.1%3 |
| Tasmania | 35 | 36 | 34 | 1.5%3 |
| Northern Territory | 19 | 16 | 23 | 0.6%3 |
What should you tell us about a sales role?
The products and the customers (trade, retail, farms, businesses), whether the role is new business or account management, the territory and how much travel it involves, and the vehicle, phone and expenses you provide.
Also the base pay and how commission or bonuses work, the CRM you use, the targets, and who the person reports to. Clear numbers here help candidates judge the role early.
How we help you hire sales and account managers
You make the hiring decision and employ the person directly. We handle the search and the organising in between.
Can you find sales staff for a large regional territory?
Yes. We search for people who already live in or near the territory, then widen to people ready to move. Tell us where the territory starts and ends, the overnight travel and the relocation support, and we raise them with candidates at the start. If the right person needs a visa or sponsorship, our sister business Australian Immigration Agency can advise.
Looking for sales work in the regions?
If you are a sales representative, territory or account manager, business development manager or sales manager, register with Hire Australia. Tell us the products and customers you know and where you would like to work, and we will talk with you about roles that fit.
Talk to us about your next sales hire
Tell us the role, the products, the territory, the remuneration and when you need the person to start.
Employers pay nothing until the successful candidate has started and stayed two months. Candidates never pay for recruitment.
A FEW PRACTICAL QUESTIONS
Good to know.
Which sales roles does Hire Australia recruit?
Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We recruit sales representatives, territory and account managers, business development managers and sales managers for regional distributors, manufacturers, agribusiness suppliers, building and trade suppliers and business services firms. We build your products, customers, territory and remuneration into the search from the first conversation.
Do sales representatives need a licence?
No general occupational licence or registration is listed for the sales representative occupations covered here.4 Industry requirements depend on what the person sells: medical representatives new to prescription medicines complete Medicines Australia's education program within two years.7 Hire Australia asks about any industry requirements when we take the brief.
What does a sales representative earn?
Median full-time earnings for Sales Representatives were $1,692 a week in May 2025.3 Where the Commercial Sales Award covers a commercial traveller, the minimum is $1,122.80 a week from 1 July 2026.8 Hire Australia discusses base pay and commission with candidates early in the search.
Is it hard to hire sales staff in regional areas?
It can be. In the September quarter 2026, 34% of employers recruiting sales workers had difficulty filling the role,2 and 22.5% of sales representative ads were outside the major cities.1 Hire Australia searches beyond local applicants, including people ready to move to your territory.
Does Hire Australia supply labour hire or temporary staff?
No. Hire Australia recruits people you employ directly, in permanent roles. We don’t supply labour hire or temps, and candidates never work on our payroll. We search for and screen people for your vacancy, introduce the ones who fit, and you make the offer and employ them. That keeps the working relationship between you and your new employee from day one.
What does it cost to use Hire Australia?
Employers pay nothing until the successful candidate has started and stayed two months. Candidates never pay for recruitment. You employ the person directly, and we agree the terms with you in writing before the search begins. The same terms apply whether Hire Australia recruits a sales representative or a sales manager.
Sources (10)
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index, ANZSCO 4-digit occupations by JSA remoteness and Northern Australia classification, September 2026. Released October 2026. Data: three months to September 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Recruitment Experiences and Outlook Survey, September 2026 data file. Table 3.2, Sept quarter 2026: employers with difficulty filling their latest vacancy. About 1,000 employers a month, 5+ staff, many government bodies excluded, weighted. Accessed 1 Nov 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Occupation data - February 2026. Released March 2026. Data: employed and state shares February 2026; full-time share 2025 average; earnings May 2025. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, OSCA Occupation data - 2021 Census, Table 6 registration or licensing. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- training.gov.au, BSB50620 Diploma of Marketing and Communication. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Australian Marketing Institute, Certified Practising Marketer (CPM). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Medicines Australia, Continuing Education Program (CEP). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Fair Work Commission, Commercial Sales Award 2020 [MA000083], clause 15.1. Data: from 1 July 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, 2026 Occupation Shortage List (6-digit ANZSCO and OSCA). Files dated October 2026. Data: 2026 ratings, ANZSCO 2022 sheet. National ratings; S = shortage, R = regional shortage. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index, ANZSCO 4-digit occupations by state and territory, September 2026. Released October 2026. Data: three months to September 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑