Commodities Sales Agent

Career Guide

A Commodities Sales Agent sells physical commodities and related trading products to clients, such as producers, manufacturers, and investors. The role focuses on finding buyers and sellers, understanding market prices, structuring deals, and maintaining long-term client relationships while meeting compliance and risk requirements.

Browse All Roles

Key Responsibilities

Prospect and onboard new clients
Build and manage a client portfolio
Quote prices and explain market moves to clients
Negotiate deal terms and confirm trades
Coordinate with trading, operations, and logistics teams
Track client positions and support hedging decisions
Monitor commodity news, supply and demand, and price drivers
Maintain accurate records and follow compliance policies
Meet sales targets and report pipeline activity
Support client service needs after the trade

Top Skills for Success

Relationship Building

Negotiation

Clear Communication

Resilience

Time Management

Market Awareness

Commodity Fundamentals

Regulatory Awareness

Risk Awareness

Price Quoting

Client Prospecting

Sales Pipeline Management

Trade Booking

Post Trade Client Support

Career Progression

Can Lead To

Senior Commodities Sales Agent

Commodities Sales Manager

Key Account Manager

Institutional Sales Executive

Commodities Broker

Transition Opportunities

Commodities Trader

Risk Analyst

Structuring Specialist

Sales and Trading Product Specialist

Commercial Strategy Manager

Common Skill Gaps

Often Missing Skills

Commodity FundamentalsRisk AwarenessRegulatory AwarenessSales Pipeline ManagementTrade BookingMarket Awareness

Development SuggestionsBuild a strong base in one commodity group first, then expand. Practice pricing conversations using real market headlines, keep a simple pipeline tracker, and learn the end-to-end trade flow from quote to settlement. Seek mentorship from a senior seller and partner closely with operations and risk teams to reduce errors.

Market Intelligence Report

Commodities Sales Agent is part of the Account Executives category.Explore our market intelligence report to see how AI and hiring demand are shifting for these roles.

See the market intelligence report

Salary & Demand

Median Salary Range

Entry LevelUSD 55,000 to 90,000 base plus bonus

Mid LevelUSD 90,000 to 160,000 base plus bonus

Senior LevelUSD 160,000 to 300,000 base plus bonus

Growth Trend

Stable overall demand, with hiring strongest in energy and metals. Compensation is highly performance-based and tends to rise in volatile markets and during active trading cycles.

Companies Hiring

Major Employers

Goldman SachsJPMorgan ChaseMorgan StanleyCitiBank of AmericaTrafiguraVitolGlencoreMercuriaGunvorCargillADMBungeShellBP

Industry Sectors

Investment BankingBrokerageCommodity TradingEnergyMetals and MiningAgricultureShipping and LogisticsManufacturing Procurement

Recommended Next Steps

Choose a commodity focus area and learn its main price drivers

Create a target list of clients and a weekly outreach plan

Practice a short market update script and a deal pitch

Learn core trade lifecycle steps and common documentation needs

Strengthen spreadsheet skills for pricing, margin tracking, and client reporting

Build credibility by following daily market news and summarizing key moves

Ask for shadowing opportunities on client calls and deal negotiations