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Sales Engineer

Engineering

Sell business goods or services, the selling of which requires a technical background equivalent to a baccalaureate degree in engineering.

Mechanical EngineeringBusiness

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Sell products requiring extensive technical expertise and support for installation and use, such as material handling equipment, numerical-control machinery, or computer systems.
  2. 2Develop, present, or respond to proposals for specific customer requirements, including request for proposal responses and industry-specific solutions.
  3. 3Collaborate with sales teams to understand customer requirements, to promote the sale of company products, and to provide sales support.
  4. 4Create sales or service contracts for products or services.
  5. 5Visit prospective buyers at commercial, industrial, or other establishments to show samples or catalogs, and to inform them about product pricing, availability, and advantages.
  6. 6Keep informed on industry news and trends, products, services, competitors, relevant information about legacy, existing, and emerging technologies, and the latest product-line developments.
  7. 7Identify resale opportunities and support them to achieve sales plans.
  8. 8Confer with customers and engineers to assess equipment needs and to determine system requirements.
  9. 9Plan and modify product configurations to meet customer needs.
  10. 10Prepare and deliver technical presentations that explain products or services to customers and prospective customers.
  11. 11Recommend improved materials or machinery to customers, documenting how such changes will lower costs or increase production.
  12. 12Maintain sales forecasting reports.
  13. 13Document account activities, generate reports, and keep records of business transactions with customers and suppliers.
  14. 14Research and identify potential customers for products or services.
  15. 15Secure and renew orders and arrange delivery.
  16. 16Develop sales plans to introduce products in new markets.
  17. 17Provide information needed for the development of custom-made machinery.
  18. 18Provide technical and non-technical support and services to clients or other staff members regarding the use, operation, and maintenance of equipment.
  19. 19Attend trade shows and seminars to promote products or to learn about industry developments.
  20. 20Diagnose problems with installed equipment.
  21. 21Attend company training seminars to become familiar with product lines.
  22. 22Arrange for demonstrations or trial installations of equipment.
  23. 23Write technical documentation for products.
  24. 24Train team members in the customer applications of technologies.
  25. 25Report to supervisors about prospective firms' credit ratings.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • CSE
  • Sales Engineer
  • Sales Engineers
  • Sales Specialist
  • Customer Engineer
  • Pre-Sales Engineer
  • Field Sales Engineer
  • Inside Sales Engineer
  • Outside Sales Engineer
  • Product Sales Engineer

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. 2

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. 3

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. Typical entry

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationBachelor's degree

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

BusinessDraws directly on Sales and Marketing — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EconomicsDraws directly on Sales and Marketing — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
PhysicsDraws directly on Engineering and Technology — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Additional MathematicsDraws directly on Engineering and Technology — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Design & Technology (RBT)Draws directly on Engineering and Technology — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Customer and Personal Service91%
  • Sales and Marketing87%

    BusinessEconomics

  • Engineering and Technology86%

    PhysicsAdditional MathematicsDesign & Technology (RBT)

  • English Language86%

    English

  • Mathematics76%

    Additional MathematicsMathematics

  • Administration and Management73%

    BusinessEconomics

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleConstant contact
  • Dealing with customers or the publicVery high
  • Leading or coordinating othersVery high
  • Handling conflict situationsRarely
  • Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
  • Outdoors, in all weatherAlmost never
  • Noisy environmentAlmost never

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

32%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

0.67%

Of Malaysian Claude conversations, about this kind of work

Measures how much people use Claude for this work, not how many Malaysians do this job — and more AI use can mean people relying on it, not that it's replacing them.

Growing role in the US

US Bureau of Labor Statistics data, not Malaysian. Shown because it's the only forward-looking demand estimate we have for this job.

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post
See pay for a related career: Real Estate Negotiator

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Matriculation

One or two years, heavily subsidised with allowance. Competitive, quota-based entry.

12–24 months

Asasi / Foundation

One-year runway into a specific university: public via UPU or private direct entry.

12 months

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About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Sales Engineers

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org