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The differences between field technical representatives and medical sales representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a field technical representative and a medical sales representative. Additionally, a medical sales representative has an average salary of $74,079, which is higher than the $52,665 average annual salary of a field technical representative.
The top three skills for a field technical representative include customer service, technical support and customer satisfaction. The most important skills for a medical sales representative are patients, medical sales, and customer service.
| Field Technical Representative | Medical Sales Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $52,665 | $74,079 |
| Hourly rate | $25.32 | $35.61 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 200,868 | 206,149 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 82% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Owning wide knowledge about an application, a field technical representative ensures that the customer knows how to use any application by providing technical support and solving issues if one arises. They also give advice on what application is best to use for a certain concern. They can also evaluate and give an honest review to further improve the application. They help companies install the application and apply every bit of enhancements incorporated in it to the best of their advantage.
A medical sales representative, also known as a pharmaceutical sales representative, is an individual who is responsible for selling and promoting medications and medical equipment. Medical sales representatives set appointments with doctors, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals so that they can promote their company's medical supplies. They are required to build and maintain relationships with their customers so that they can encourage repeat purchases. Medical sales representatives should obtain a bachelor's degree in nursing, pharmacy, life sciences, or a related field.
Field technical representatives and medical sales representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Field Technical Representative | Medical Sales Representative | |
| Average salary | $52,665 | $74,079 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $77,000 | Between $45,000 And $121,000 |
| Highest paying City | Battle Creek, MI | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | California |
| Best paying company | MSC Software | Intuitive Surgical |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a field technical representative and a medical sales representative in terms of educational background:
| Field Technical Representative | Medical Sales Representative | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 82% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between field technical representatives' and medical sales representatives' demographics:
| Field Technical Representative | Medical Sales Representative | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.3% Female, 24.7% | Male, 51.3% Female, 48.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.0% Asian, 5.1% White, 73.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 5.1% White, 73.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |