Salesmanship Merit Badge History

Earned through 2020362,051

Best year19748,453 earned

All-time popularity#82official, as of 2020#81by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1927. Peak year 1974 with 8,453. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

19271,035 earned#49 of 68

19281,899 earned#53 of 88

19291,085 earned#61 of 89

19301,006 earned#65 of 92

19311,108 earned#69 of 96

19321,016 earned#69 of 98

19331,085 earned#69 of 101

1934917 earned#68 of 101

19351,675 earned#63 of 101

19361,017 earned#66 of 101

19371,355 earned#63 of 102

19381,570 earned#60 of 105

19391,472 earned#65 of 106

19401,205 earned#70 of 106

19411,064 earned#71 of 106

19421,099 earned#68 of 110

19431,571 earned#63 of 112

19442,061 earned#62 of 111

19451,874 earned#65 of 111

19461,310 earned#71 of 111

19471,234 earned#69 of 111

19481,158 earned#69 of 111

19491,235 earned#70 of 111

19501,862 earned#64 of 111

19511,708 earned#71 of 111

19521,748 earned#80 of 120

19531,913 earned#67 of 105

19542,357 earned#64 of 103

19552,409 earned#67 of 100

19562,468 earned#69 of 100

19572,928 earned#64 of 100

19583,430 earned#62 of 101

19593,925 earned#58 of 101

19603,316 earned#66 of 100

19613,838 earned#62 of 101

19623,627 earned#63 of 101

19633,564 earned#63 of 102

19643,505 earned#64 of 107

19653,474 earned#62 of 109

19663,179 earned#66 of 110

19673,121 earned#68 of 112

19682,941 earned#73 of 112

19692,894 earned#77 of 113

19703,339 earned#71 of 113

19713,025 earned#73 of 113

19724,238 earned#70 of 124

19734,394 earned#72 of 122

19748,453 earned#63 of 121

19758,203 earned#65 of 128

19767,508 earned#67 of 130

19776,335 earned#65 of 130

19785,553 earned#68 of 131

19794,690 earned#65 of 132

19802,720 earned#68 of 132

19814,077 earned#68 of 134

1982No data available

1983No data available

1984No data available

1985No data available

1986No data available

1987No data available

1988No data available

1989No data available

1990No data available

1991No data available

1992No data available

19935,654 earned#63 of 123

1994No data available

1995No data available

19964,515 earned#70 of 134

1997No data available

1998No data available

1999No data available

20005,664 earned#71 of 128

20014,943 earned#77 of 129

20025,698 earned#72 of 129

20035,511 earned#72 of 130

20045,168 earned#79 of 121

20054,880 earned#79 of 121

20064,978 earned#78 of 121

20075,254 earned#75 of 121

20085,020 earned#77 of 121

20095,704 earned#79 of 122

20106,286 earned#78 of 125

20116,765 earned#64 of 129

20126,425 earned#62 of 132

20136,438 earned#49 of 129

20146,648 earned#75 of 136

20156,412 earned#78 of 138

20166,031 earned#80 of 138

20175,908 earned#78 of 139

20186,936 earned#71 of 139

20196,813 earned#71 of 139

20205,121 earned#69 of 137

2021No data available#83 of 137

2022No data available#72 of 138

2023No data available#73 of 138

2024No data available#65 of 138

2025No data available#74 of 141

Known count No data available

"—" means merit badges were earned that year but the exact number is not currently known. "#74 of 141" means the badge was number 74 of the 141 merit badges earned that year. National counts have not been published since 2020, but the rankings have. The grand total comes from official reports and includes the years without a known count. The 2025 all-time place is an estimate, because the counts for 2021 to 2025 are worked out from each year's official ranking and the total number of merit badges earned that year.

19271,035#49 of 68

19281,899#53 of 88

19291,085#61 of 89

19301,006#65 of 92

19311,108#69 of 96

19321,016#69 of 98

19331,085#69 of 101

1934917#68 of 101

19351,675#63 of 101

19361,017#66 of 101

19371,355#63 of 102

19381,570#60 of 105

19391,472#65 of 106

19401,205#70 of 106

19411,064#71 of 106

19421,099#68 of 110

19431,571#63 of 112

19442,061#62 of 111

19451,874#65 of 111

19461,310#71 of 111

19471,234#69 of 111

19481,158#69 of 111

19491,235#70 of 111

19501,862#64 of 111

19511,708#71 of 111

19521,748#80 of 120

19531,913#67 of 105

19542,357#64 of 103

19552,409#67 of 100

19562,468#69 of 100

19572,928#64 of 100

19583,430#62 of 101

19593,925#58 of 101

19603,316#66 of 100

19613,838#62 of 101

19623,627#63 of 101

19633,564#63 of 102

19643,505#64 of 107

19653,474#62 of 109

19663,179#66 of 110

19673,121#68 of 112

19682,941#73 of 112

19692,894#77 of 113

19703,339#71 of 113

19713,025#73 of 113

19724,238#70 of 124

19734,394#72 of 122

19748,453#63 of 121

19758,203#65 of 128

19767,508#67 of 130

19776,335#65 of 130

19785,553#68 of 131

19794,690#65 of 132

19802,720#68 of 132

19814,077#68 of 134

1982—

1983—

1984—

1985—

1986—

1987—

1988—

1989—

1990—

1991—

1992—

19935,654#63 of 123

1994—

1995—

19964,515#70 of 134

1997—

1998—

1999—

20005,664#71 of 128

20014,943#77 of 129

20025,698#72 of 129

20035,511#72 of 130

20045,168#79 of 121

20054,880#79 of 121

20064,978#78 of 121

20075,254#75 of 121

20085,020#77 of 121

20095,704#79 of 122

20106,286#78 of 125

20116,765#64 of 129

20126,425#62 of 132

20136,438#49 of 129

20146,648#75 of 136

20156,412#78 of 138

20166,031#80 of 138

20175,908#78 of 139

20186,936#71 of 139

20196,813#71 of 139

20205,121#69 of 137

2021—#83 of 137

2022—#72 of 138

2023—#73 of 138

2024—#65 of 138

2025—#74 of 141

Grand total through 2020:

This page keeps growing. More of this badge's history, including its patches and pamphlets, is being checked and will be added once it is confirmed.

Salesmanship: workbook data

Printings (77)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Run	©	BSA #	UPC	SKU	SA #	HC
x	1927		3A				29.99
	1928	not made
	1929	not made
x	1930	February	3B
x	1931	March	3B
	1932	not made
c	1933	June	3B	1M
	1934	not made
x	1935	March	3B	1M
	1936	not made
c	1937	April	3B	1M
c	1938	March	3B
x	1939	January	3B	1M
x	1940	July	3B	1M						HCB
	1941	not made
x	1942	June	3B	2M	1942
	1943	not made
x	1944	April	5A	2M	1942					HCA
x	1945	June	5B	2M	1942					HCD
	1946	not made
x	1947	June	5B	1M	1942					HCE
x	1948	August	5B	1M	1942
	1949	not made
	1950	not made
x	1951	January	5B	1M	1942					HCH
x	1951	March	5B	1M	1942
x	1952	April	5B	2M	1942
x	1953	September	6	2M	1942					HCI
x	1954	April	6	2M	1942
x	1955	February	6	3M	1942
x	1956	January	6	3M	1942					HCJV1
x	1957	January	6	3M	1942
x	1958	January	6	3M	1942
x	1959	January	6	3M	1942
x	1960	February	6	3M	1942
x	1961	January	6	3M	1942					HCJV2
x	1962	April	6	3M	1942
x	1963	May	6	3M	1942					HCJV2
x	1964	April	6	3.5M
c	1965	March	6	3.5M						HCK, HCP
x	1966	June	6	3.5M						HCL, HCP
	1967	not made
x	1968	October	7A	3M
x	1969	September	7B	3.5M	1969					HCL, HCN
x	1970	January	7B	4M	1969					HCL
x	1971	May	7C	5M	1971					HCM, HCSV1
x	1972	August	8	3M	1971					HCSV1
x	1973	April	8	5M	1971					HCSV2
x	1974	March	8	6M	1971
x	1975	January	8	6.5M	1971
	1976	not made
x	1977	February	8	4M	1971
x	1978	August	8	3M	1971
x	1979	November	9A	2.8M	1971
x	1980	November	9A	2.5M	1971
x	1981	December	9A	2.5M	1971
x	1982	November	9A	2.5M	1971
x	1983	October	9A	2.5M	1971
x	1984	July	9A	2.5M	1971
x	1985	July	9A	2.5M	1971
	1986	not made
x	1987	July	9B-1	2.5M	1971
x	1988	April	9B-1	2.5M	1971
x	1989	December	9B-1	3M	1971
	1990	not made
x	1991	February	9B-1	3M	1971
x	1992	February	9B-1	3M	1971
x	1993	February	9B-1	3M	1971
x	1994	February	9B	3M	1971
x	1995	April	9B	3M	1971
x	1996	March	9B	3M
x	1997	September	9B
x	1998		9B-2
	1999	not made
x	2000		9B-2
	2001	not made
x	2002		9
x	2003		9
c	2004		9
x	2005		9
x	2006		9C-1
x	2007		9C-2
x	2008		10A
x	2009		10B
x	2010		10C
	2011	not made
x	2012		10C
x	2013		10C
	2014	not made
x	2015		10C
x	2016		10C
	2017	not made
	2018	not made
x	2019		10D
	2020	not made
	2021	not made
x	2022		10D
	2023	not made
x	2024		10D		2023	35945	7301766603980	660398	300070828
x	2024		10D		2023	35945	7301766603980	660398	300081141
	2025	not made

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1927	1,035	49	68
1928	1,899	53	88
1929	1,085	61	89
1930	1,006	65	92
1931	1,108	69	96
1932	1,016	69	98
1933	1,085	69	101
1934	917	68	101
1935	1,675	63	101
1936	1,017	66	101
1937	1,355	63	102
1938	1,570	60	105
1939	1,472	65	106
1940	1,205	70	106
1941	1,064	71	106
1942	1,099	68	110
1943	1,571	63	112
1944	2,061	62	111
1945	1,874	65	111
1946	1,310	71	111
1947	1,234	69	111
1948	1,158	69	111
1949	1,235	70	111
1950	1,862	64	111
1951	1,708	71	111
1952	1,748	80	120
1953	1,913	67	105
1954	2,357	64	103
1955	2,409	67	100
1956	2,468	69	100
1957	2,928	64	100
1958	3,430	62	101
1959	3,925	58	101
1960	3,316	66	100
1961	3,838	62	101
1962	3,627	63	101
1963	3,564	63	102
1964	3,505	64	107
1965	3,474	62	109
1966	3,179	66	110
1967	3,121	68	112
1968	2,941	73	112
1969	2,894	77	113
1970	3,339	71	113
1971	3,025	73	113
1972	4,238	70	124
1973	4,394	72	122
1974	8,453	63	121
1975	8,203	65	128
1976	7,508	67	130
1977	6,335	65	130
1978	5,553	68	131
1979	4,690	65	132
1980	2,720	68	132
1981	4,077	68	134
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993	5,654	63	123
1994
1995
1996	4,515	70	134
1997
1998
1999
2000	5,664	71	128
2001	4,943	77	129
2002	5,698	72	129
2003	5,511	72	130
2004	5,168	79	121
2005	4,880	79	121
2006	4,978	78	121
2007	5,254	75	121
2008	5,020	77	121
2009	5,704	79	122
2010	6,286	78	125
2011	6,765	64	129
2012	6,425	62	132
2013	6,438	49	129
2014	6,648	75	136
2015	6,412	78	138
2016	6,031	80	138
2017	5,908	78	139
2018	6,936	71	139
2019	6,813	71	139
2020	5,121	69	137
2021		83	137
2022		72	138
2023		73	138
2024		65	138
2025		74	141