6 free templates plus the FLSA classification, commission and OTE structure, and rep-versus-executive clarity generic templates skip. Download as DOCX.
An account representative manages customer accounts, blending sales and service: the person who owns a book of clients, processes their orders, keeps them happy, and grows the relationship. It is one of the most common sales hires a small business makes, and it is usually a non-exempt, base-plus-commission role that generic templates treat as a vague salaried position. This page fixes that with six templates by type and industry, plus the FLSA and commission guidance that matter for a sales hire.
At FirstHR, we build for the small businesses that hire account reps, an insurance agency, a B2B software company, a local distributor, where an owner writes the posting and sets the commission plan. The six templates below cover standard, inside sales, outside or territory, insurance agency, B2B SaaS, and entry-level. Each is ready to use, and the guide to writing a job description covers the fundamentals.
TL;DR
An account representative manages and grows customer accounts, blending sales and service. It is usually a junior-to-mid role, paid base plus commission, with base around $52,000-$66,000. Most reps sell inside and are non-exempt (overtime owed); only true field reps may be exempt. It is distinct from the more senior, higher-paid account executive. Download six templates as DOCX, by type and industry, with FLSA and commission guidance built in.
What Is an Account Representative?
An account representative manages customer accounts, serving as a primary point of contact for a book of clients, processing orders and requests, building relationships, and pursuing renewals and upsells. The role blends sales and service, and compared with more senior roles, account reps typically handle a larger volume of mid-market and small-business accounts with a focus on retention.
The role spans insurance, B2B and wholesale distribution, SaaS, medical supplies, and finance. Because there is no exact federal occupation for account representative, the closest official anchor is sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing (SOC 41-4012), with related detail in the O*NET profile, though real roles spread across several sales and customer-service occupations. The defining feature for an employer is that this is a volume, retention-focused account role, more junior and more affordable than an account executive.
Representative vs Executive vs Manager
The account titles are easy to confuse, and the difference is seniority, focus, and pay. Getting the level right keeps your pay band and candidate pool aligned.
Three Different Roles
An account representative is a more junior, often inside role focused on managing and growing a volume of accounts, blending sales and service, with base pay around $52,000 to $66,000. An account manager is a farmer who owns and grows established relationships. An account executive is more senior, a new-business hunter who closes larger deals and earns more, often above $100,000 in total compensation. If you are a small business servicing and growing customer accounts, the representative is usually the right and more affordable hire.
So match the title to the job: a representative to service and grow a volume of accounts, an account manager to own strategic relationships, and a sales representative for a broader selling role. Posting for the wrong level attracts the wrong candidates and sets the wrong pay expectations.
Account Representative Duties and Responsibilities
Account representative duties cluster into four areas: account management, sales and growth, service and orders, and records and reporting. A strong job description picks the responsibilities from each area that match your accounts and industry rather than listing every possible task.
Account management
Serve as a primary contact for accounts
Build and maintain client relationships
Resolve issues and coordinate internally
Sales and growth
Pursue upsell and renewal opportunities
Close repeat and add-on business
Meet sales, retention, or activity targets
Service and orders
Process orders, quotes, and requests
Answer questions and assist customers
Handle renewals and account changes
Records and reporting
Keep the CRM accurate and current
Track pipeline and account activity
Report on accounts and forecasts
The emphasis shifts by type: an inside rep leans into phone and CRM volume, while an outside rep leans into territory relationships. For a structured way to scope the role, the guide to defining job responsibilities walks through the process, and the customer success manager template covers an adjacent retention-focused role.
Which Template Should You Use?
Pick the template by the type of selling and your industry. The core structure is shared, but each version emphasizes the responsibilities, classification, and compensation that fit a specific kind of account representative. Use this guide to choose the closest fit, then adjust.
Standard
Universal base
The core version: manage accounts, blend sales and service, and grow a book of business. The baseline to adapt, with commission and FLSA guidance built in.
Inside Sales
Non-exempt, hourly
For phone and CRM-based selling from the office or home. Almost always non-exempt, with hourly pay plus commission and overtime.
Outside Sales / Territory
Often exempt
For field and territory selling with travel. May qualify for the outside-sales exemption, with base plus commission.
Insurance Agency
State Farm-style
For a local insurance agency: quote and service policies with a P&C license. The most common small-business hire in this family.
B2B SaaS / Tech
Renewals and expansion
For software accounts: renewals, expansion, and a high volume of SMB accounts, with OTE and a CRM stack.
Entry-Level
First sales job
For a first sales or account job with training. Non-exempt and hourly, with a clear path to a full rep role.
Match the Template to the Role
Phone and CRM selling: Inside Sales (non-exempt). Field and territory selling: Outside Sales. A local insurance agency: Insurance Agency. Software accounts: B2B SaaS / Tech. A first sales job with training: Entry-Level. A general account role: Standard. Inside roles are almost always non-exempt, so set the classification and pay to the actual duties.
Download all six as a single Word document or copy individual templates. Each follows the same structure: company summary, job summary, key responsibilities, qualifications, a compensation section, an FLSA note, and how to apply, with an EEO statement. Fill in the brackets and post.
Download All 6 Job Description Templates
Standard, inside sales, outside/territory, insurance agency, B2B SaaS, and entry-level. All in one DOCX.
Template 1: Account Representative (Standard)
The universal base: manage accounts, blend sales and service, and grow a book of business, with commission and FLSA guidance built in. Adapt it to your industry.
Account Representative Job Description (Standard)
ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVE JOB DESCRIPTION (STANDARD)
Company: __ ([City, State] / Remote)
Reports to: __ (Sales Manager / Owner)
Employment type: Full-time
FLSA status: [Non-exempt for inside sales, or exempt outside sales; see note]
Compensation: $_____ base + commission (OTE $_____); market base ~$52,000-$66,000
ABOUT [COMPANY NAME]
[One or two sentences about your company, what you sell, and the accounts this
person will serve.]
JOB SUMMARY
[Company Name] is hiring an Account Representative to manage customer accounts,
support sales, and keep clients happy. You will be a primary point of contact for
a book of accounts, handle orders and questions, build relationships, and help
retain and grow business. A client-facing role that blends sales and service.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Serve as a primary point of contact for assigned accounts
•Process orders, quotes, and routine account requests
•Build rapport and maintain strong client relationships
•Identify and pursue upsell and renewal opportunities
•Resolve customer issues and coordinate with internal teams
•Maintain accurate records in the CRM
•Meet sales, retention, or activity targets
•Report on account activity and pipeline
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•[1-2+] years in sales, customer service, or account management
•Strong communication and relationship-building skills
•Comfortable with a CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot, or similar)
•Organized, reliable, and customer-focused
•High school diploma required; bachelor's a plus
COMPENSATION (read before posting)
Account representative pay is usually a base plus commission. State the base, the
commission structure, and on-target earnings (OTE) clearly. Many states now
require a pay range in the posting, so include the base or OTE range.
Base: $_____ | Commission: $_____ | OTE: $_____
FLSA CLASSIFICATION NOTE
Classification depends on where the work happens. An inside account rep who sells
by phone, email, or CRM from an office or home is usually NON-EXEMPT and owed
overtime. An outside rep who customarily works away from the office may qualify
for the outside-sales exemption. Classify by the real duties. This is general
information, not legal advice.
HOW TO APPLY
To apply, email __ with your resume.
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer.
Template 2: Inside Sales Account Representative
For phone and CRM-based selling from the office or home. Almost always non-exempt, with hourly pay plus commission and overtime, and an explicit FLSA note.
Compensation: $_____ per hour + commission (entry range often $37,000-$48,000 base)
JOB SUMMARY
[Company Name] is hiring an Entry-Level Account Representative. This is a great
first sales or account-management job, with training provided. You will learn the
product and the accounts, support customers, process orders, and grow into a full
account rep role with mentorship along the way.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Support and service assigned customer accounts
•Process orders, quotes, and routine requests
•Learn the product, the CRM, and the sales process
•Make outbound contact and handle inbound requests
•Keep account records accurate and current
•Work toward activity and sales targets with coaching
•Grow into a full account representative role
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•No or limited experience required; training provided
•Strong communication and a customer-first attitude
•Eager to learn sales and account management
•Reliable, organized, and coachable
•High school diploma required
FLSA CLASSIFICATION NOTE
An entry-level account rep is non-exempt and owed overtime. The work is inside
sales and support under supervision, which does not meet the outside-sales
exemption, and entry pay is below the exemption thresholds. Pay hourly, track
hours, and pay overtime, in addition to any commission. This is general
information, not legal advice.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_____ per hour + commission
To apply, email __ with your resume.
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer.
Exempt or Non-Exempt?
Account representative classification is the content gap most templates ignore, and getting it right matters because most reps are non-exempt. The answer turns on where the selling happens.
Inside Usually Non-Exempt, Outside May Be Exempt
An inside account rep who sells by phone, email, or CRM from an office or home is almost always NON-EXEMPT and owed overtime, because the outside-sales exemption requires customarily working away from the office. An outside or territory rep whose primary duty is sales in the field may qualify as exempt, with no salary threshold. Classify by the real duties, not the title. This is general information, not legal advice.
For the underlying rules, the exempt versus non-exempt guide and the Fair Labor Standards Act overview explain the tests in plain terms. Because so many account reps sell inside, plan for a non-exempt, hourly-plus-commission setup unless the role is genuinely field-based.
Salary and Commission
Account representative pay is base plus commission, the part generic templates handle worst. Anchor your range to market data, then structure the commission clearly.
Base
The fixed portion, often hourly for inside roles. National surveys put base around $52,000 to $66,000.
Commission
Paid on sales, renewals, or retention. The variable portion that rewards performance.
OTE
Base plus expected commission at target. The number candidates compare, so state it clearly.
Pay transparency
Many states require a pay range in the posting. Include the base or OTE range to stay compliant.
Base Around $52,000 to $66,000
National compensation surveys put account representative base pay around $52,000 to $66,000, with entry-level and inside roles closer to $37,000 to $48,000 (about $15 to $20 an hour at an agency) and total compensation higher with commission. The closest federal occupation, sales representatives for wholesale and manufacturing except technical products, had a median annual wage of $66,780 in May 2024 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Write the commission rules down before you hire: what counts as a sale or qualifying renewal, the rate, when it is paid, and what happens to churned deals. A clear, achievable plan attracts better reps and prevents disputes.
Hiring an Account Representative for a Small Business
Account reps are a workhorse hire for small businesses, made directly by the owner, often at an insurance agency or a small B2B company with no HR department. Three realities shape this hire, and generic templates address none of them.
Account reps are hired by small businesses, often without an HR department
The account representative is a workhorse role for small businesses: a regional insurance agency, a ten-person B2B software company, a local distributor, all hire account reps to manage and grow their customer accounts. The largest visible employer of account reps is independent insurance agencies, where an owner-agent runs a five to twenty person office with no HR department. The owner writes the job description, sets the pay, and onboards the new rep, usually between serving customers. Most published account rep templates are thin and generic, written for large sales organizations. The templates here, including a dedicated insurance-agency version, are written for the small business that actually makes this hire.
Inside sales reps are usually non-exempt, and commission needs structure
Two things make this hire different from a typical role, and generic templates skip both. First, the FLSA classification matters: an inside account rep who sells by phone and CRM from an office or home is almost always non-exempt and owed overtime, because the outside-sales exemption requires customarily working away from the employer's place of business. Only a true field or territory rep is likely exempt. Second, the pay is base plus commission, often hourly plus commission for inside roles, and the commission rules need to be written down before you hire. Getting the classification and the commission plan right up front protects both the rep and the business, which is what the notes in every template here are for.
The offer and onboarding need to handle a commission agreement
Because the offer includes a commission plan, the paperwork matters: a clear offer letter and commission agreement spelling out base, commission, and OTE, the standard new-hire forms, and an onboarding that gets the rep into the CRM, the product, and the accounts quickly. FirstHR fits this people side for a small business: e-signature for the offer letter and commission agreement, document management for the signed documents and job description, task workflows for onboarding, and training modules for product knowledge and CRM setup. To be clear about scope, FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform, not a CRM, payroll, or commission-calculation system, so pair it with those tools. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
From Hiring to Onboarding
The job description is step one. Once a candidate accepts, the offer needs to spell out the commission plan, and onboarding needs to get a new rep into the CRM and the accounts quickly, since every week without a full pipeline is lost revenue.
Send the offer and commission agreement
Spell out base, commission, and OTE in writing, with the commission rules and FLSA classification clear from day one.
Set up the CRM
Get the rep into Salesforce, HubSpot, or your system, with accounts and pipeline assigned from the start.
Train on the product
Run product and process training so a new rep can serve and sell accounts quickly and accurately.
Store the records
Keep the signed offer, commission agreement, and onboarding documents organized and easy to find.
Once your offer is ready, the offer letter template handles the next step, an onboarding template structures the ramp, and an employee handbook template covers your policies. For adjacent roles you may also hire, the sales representative, account manager, and sales consultant templates cover related positions. FirstHR connects the offer with its commission agreement, paperwork, e-signatures, and onboarding workflow in one place so a small business can run the same process every time. FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform, not a CRM, payroll, or commission tool, so connect those separately. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Key Takeaways
An account representative manages and grows customer accounts, blending sales and service, usually as a junior-to-mid role.
Most account reps sell inside and are non-exempt, owed overtime; only true field or territory reps may be exempt.
Pay is base plus commission, with base around $52,000 to $66,000 and entry roles closer to $37,000 to $48,000.
It is distinct from the more senior, higher-paid account executive and from the relationship-focused account manager.
Match the template to the type: inside, outside, insurance, SaaS, or entry-level, with insurance agencies the most common small-business hirer.
Write the commission rules down before you hire, and capture them in the signed offer and commission agreement.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does an account representative do?
An account representative manages customer accounts, blending sales and service. They serve as a primary point of contact for a book of accounts, process orders and requests, build and maintain client relationships, resolve issues, and pursue renewals and upsells, all while keeping records current in a CRM. The role exists across many industries, including insurance, B2B and wholesale distribution, SaaS and technology, medical supplies, and finance. Compared with more senior sales roles, account representatives typically handle a larger volume of mid-market and small-business accounts and focus more on retention and service than on hunting brand-new business. The exact mix varies: an inside rep works mostly by phone and CRM, an outside or territory rep travels to customers, and an insurance agency rep quotes and services policies. Across all of them, the common thread is owning customer accounts and keeping them happy and growing.
Is an account representative exempt or non-exempt under the FLSA?
It depends on where and how they work, and most account reps are non-exempt. An inside account rep who sells by phone, email, or CRM from an office or home is almost always non-exempt and owed overtime, because the outside-sales exemption requires the employee to customarily and regularly work away from the employer's place of business. An outside or territory rep whose primary duty is sales and who works in the field may qualify for the outside-sales exemption, which has no salary threshold. Since most account reps work inside, non-exempt and hourly plus commission is the common and safe classification. The classification depends on the actual duties, not the job title, so review DOL Fact Sheet 17F on the outside-sales exemption and confirm with a qualified advisor. This is general information, not legal advice.
What is the average account representative salary?
Account representative base pay generally runs between about $52,000 and $66,000, depending on the source, with national compensation surveys placing the average in that range and total compensation higher once commission is added. Entry-level and inside roles sit lower, often around $37,000 to $48,000 base or roughly $15 to $20 an hour at an insurance agency, while experienced outside and territory reps earn more. The closest federal occupation, sales representatives for wholesale and manufacturing except technical products, had a median annual wage of $66,780 in May 2024. Pay is almost always base plus commission, so when you post the role, state the base, the commission structure, and on-target earnings, and include a pay range where your state requires it. This is general information, not legal advice.
What is the difference between an account representative and an account executive?
The difference is seniority, focus, and pay. An account representative is a more junior, often inside role focused on managing, retaining, and growing a volume of existing accounts, blending sales and service. An account executive is more senior, typically a new-business hunter who closes larger deals, carries a bigger quota, and earns more, with national surveys placing the average above $100,000 in total compensation. An account manager sits in between, a farmer who owns and grows a set of established relationships. If you are a small business hiring someone to service and grow your customer accounts, an account representative is usually the right and more affordable role. If you need someone to hunt and close large new deals, that is an account executive. Match the title and pay to the actual job, since they attract very different candidates.
Does an account representative need a degree or license?
Usually not a degree, but sometimes a license. For most account representative roles, a high school diploma plus sales or customer-service experience is enough, and many employers value a track record and strong communication over formal education, though some prefer a bachelor's degree. The notable exception is insurance: an insurance account representative at an agency typically needs a property and casualty (P&C) license, or the willingness to obtain one shortly after hire. For B2B and SaaS roles, familiarity with a CRM such as Salesforce or HubSpot is often more important than a degree. When you write the job description, list a degree as preferred rather than required for general roles to widen your candidate pool, and clearly state any required license for regulated industries like insurance.
Should the job description include the commission structure?
Yes. Because account representative pay is almost always base plus commission, stating the compensation structure clearly is one of the most important things you can do in the posting. List the base salary or hourly rate, the commission structure, the on-target earnings, and any quota or targets. Transparency attracts better candidates and prevents disputes later, and a growing number of states now legally require a pay range in job listings. Just as important is writing the commission rules down before you hire: what counts as a closed sale or qualifying renewal, the commission rate, when it is paid, and what happens to deals that churn or cancel. A clear, written, achievable commission plan is a competitive advantage in attracting and keeping good account reps, and it should be captured in both the job description and the signed offer or commission agreement.
What CRM and skills should an account representative have?
The core skills are strong communication, relationship building, customer service, negotiation, and organization, since the role is about owning and growing customer accounts. On the tools side, comfort with a CRM is essential, and the most commonly listed systems are Salesforce, HubSpot, and Zoho. For inside roles, strong phone and written communication and the ability to handle high activity matter most. For outside roles, relationship building and self-direction are key. For insurance, a P&C license and knowledge of policies and coverage are needed, and for SaaS, familiarity with a modern sales stack and an understanding of renewals and expansion help. When writing the job description, list the specific CRM your company uses so candidates know what to expect, and prioritize the skills that match whether the role is inside, outside, or industry-specific.
How do I onboard a new account representative?
Onboarding an account rep comes down to four things: paperwork, the CRM, the product, and the accounts. Start with a clear offer letter and a signed commission agreement that spells out base, commission, and OTE, along with the standard new-hire forms. Next, set the rep up in your CRM, whether Salesforce, HubSpot, or another system, and assign their accounts and pipeline. Then run product and process training so they can serve and sell accurately, and pair it with a 30-60-90 day plan and clear targets. Finally, introduce them to their book of accounts and any internal teams they will coordinate with. A structured, repeatable onboarding gets a new rep productive faster, which matters because every week without a full pipeline is lost revenue. FirstHR can handle the offer, commission agreement, e-signatures, and onboarding workflow in one place.
