Hospital sales representative vs area sales representative

The differences between hospital sales representatives and area sales representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a hospital sales representative, becoming an area sales representative takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a hospital sales representative has an average salary of $93,625, which is higher than the $58,355 average annual salary of an area sales representative.

The top three skills for a hospital sales representative include patients, territory sales and healthcare professionals. The most important skills for an area sales representative are customer service, business development, and sales process.

Hospital sales representative vs area sales representative overview

	Hospital Sales Representative	Area Sales Representative
Yearly salary	$93,625	$58,355
Hourly rate	$45.01	$28.06
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	165,793	199,212
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 85%	Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	2	4

What does a hospital sales representative do?

Hospital sales representatives sell medical supplies to clinics, hospitals, doctors, and facilities. The representatives promote their company's products like medical equipment and/or pharmaceutical products. They increase product awareness, provide advice, introduce new products, and answer queries. It is also part of their job to explain the benefits and features of the products. They are expected to be responsive, keep their patient in mind, communicative, have good customer service, and should be knowledgeable in medicine.

What does an area sales representative do?

The primary role of an area sales representative is to sell the company's products and services within a specified region or territory. You will be responsible for attracting new clients, increase profitability, and win new accounts. Other duties typically include building and maintaining relationships with both new and existing customers, traveling across the region to visit customers, and maintaining records of customer accounts and sales leads. As an area sales representative, it is also your duty to close deals and negotiate service agreements, prices, and terms of sale.

Hospital sales representative vs area sales representative salary

Hospital sales representatives and area sales representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Hospital Sales Representative	Area Sales Representative
Average salary	$93,625	$58,355
Salary range	Between $62,000 And $141,000	Between $42,000 And $80,000
Highest paying City	-	Syracuse, NY
Highest paying state	-	Maine
Best paying company	-	Microsoft
Best paying industry	-	Finance

Differences between hospital sales representative and area sales representative education

There are a few differences between a hospital sales representative and an area sales representative in terms of educational background:

	Hospital Sales Representative	Area Sales Representative
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 85%	Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Hospital sales representative vs area sales representative demographics

Here are the differences between hospital sales representatives' and area sales representatives' demographics:

	Hospital Sales Representative	Area Sales Representative
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 58.9% Female, 41.1%	Male, 66.0% Female, 34.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 5.1% White, 73.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between hospital sales representative and area sales representative duties and responsibilities

Hospital sales representative example responsibilities.

Manage products in gastroenterology, cardiology, endocrinology, psychiatry, rheumatology, and OB-GYN categories.
Educate clinicians at top teaching institutions across the southeast on appropriate care and therapies for critically ill patients.
Promote Genoptix Oncology/Hematology diagnostic services in the private oncology clinic and hospital laboratory.
Trained/developed influential physician advocates for product lines, including top gastroenterology practices and recruiting top physicians as regional speakers.
Acquire knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, and diseases to sell respiratory equipment and nebulizer medication.

Area sales representative example responsibilities.

Manage and create all content distribute via various social media outlets: Facebook, twitter, feedback blogs, etc.
Create wholesale catalog using Powerpoint and PDF.
Add and update customer information in Seibel CRM application.
Schedule monthly sales, change POS, acquire extra sales/floor space.
Increase sales and product visibility by placing POS material and encouraging promotion participation within accounts.
Execute weekly on premise promotions and off-site special events that generate brand awareness, increase distribution and additional sales.

Hospital sales representative vs area sales representative skills

Common hospital sales representative skills

Patients, 19%
Territory Sales, 7%
Healthcare Professionals, 6%
Medical Sales, 6%
Sales Quota, 6%
Sales Growth, 5%

Common area sales representative skills

Customer Service, 24%
Business Development, 17%
Sales Process, 15%
Customer Relations, 7%
Product Knowledge, 4%
Territory Sales, 3%

Hospital Sales Representative vs. similar jobs

Hospital Sales Representative related careers

Hospital Sales Representative related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Sales Industry
Hospital Sales Representative
Hospital Sales Representative vs Area Sales Representative

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse sales jobs