Lately, the conversation has centered around the H-1B visa’s impact on software development. But what about Sales Engineering? I analyzed H-1B lottery selection data for FY2024 [1] to see how prevalent these visas are in the Sales Engineering role. Here’s what I found:

Finding 1: Very Few H-1B Applications for Sales Engineers Were Selected

Only 447 applications for Sales Engineers were selected. To put that into perspective:

• This is 0.5% of the 85,000 total H-1B applications selected.
• This is 0.7% of the estimated 60,000 Sales Engineering jobs in the U.S.
• This is 3.7% of the 12,000 applications selected for Software Developer roles.

Summary: Despite the technical nature of the role, the number of applications is surprisingly small. But the next finding offers some clarity.

Finding 2: Employers Recruit Sales Engineers More Like Developers Than Sales Reps

• There are only ~60,000 Sales Engineering jobs in the US [2]
• The 447 Sales Engineering applications represent 0.7% of these jobs.
• To put this in perspective, the 12,000 Software Development applications selected also represent 0.7% of the 1.6 million Software Developer jobs in the US [3]

In contrast, traditional Sales roles show a different pattern:

• Only 85 applications were selected for Sales roles, a minuscule fraction of millions of sales jobs in the U.S.

Summary: Sales Engineering is a technical role. U.S. employers treat it as such, sourcing global talent to fill these specialized positions. So, the 447 Sales Engineering lotteries selected is not an aberration; it's in line with the Software Developer role.

Finding 3: Outsourcing / Consulting Companies Dominate H-1B Applications

As in Software Development, outsourcing or consulting companies like Wipro, Slalom, and Tech Mahindra filed the most applications for Sales Engineers. Among product companies, AWS, Google, and Nokia were prominent.

What's surprising is that the even the biggest product companies - AWS and Google - got ~ 20 applications for Sales Engineers. This implies that employers are satisfied with US Sales Engineering talent and are selective in who they sponsor for the Sales Engineering role.

This division between outsourcing and product companies has obvious policy implications. It's self-evident that the quality bar of AWS and Google is fundamentally different than that of outsourcing / consulting companies.

Summary: The dominance of consulting firms mirrors trends seen in Software Development. Any discussion of future changes has to separate these two different types of employers: consulting firms vs product firms.

Finding 4: India is the Top Source of H-1B Talent

• 74% of selected applications for Sales Engineers were for candidates born in India.
• Even excluding Indian consulting firms, 51% of selected applications still came from Indian talent.

Summary: India is a dominant force in supplying top technical talent, including for Sales Engineering roles. It’s a reflection of Indian demographics and the dividend of investment in their human capital.

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Summary

H-1B was designed to recruit top talent with specialized skills from around the world. Sales Engineers have a rare skill; they are engineers who can sell. 

So, it’s no surprise that US employers globally recruit for this role just like they recruit for Software Development.

Why do US companies need to recruit for this role internationally? For the same reason they need to recruit for Software Developers. The best Sales Engineers, like the best Software Developers, make all the difference. Sometimes, the best are not born in the US.

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Sources

[1] https://github.com/BloombergGraphics/2024-h1b-immigration-data

[2] https://www.bls.gov/ooh/sales/sales-engineers.htm

[3] https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes151252.htm

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