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Hospital sales representative vs specialty sales representative

The differences between hospital sales representatives and specialty 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 hospital sales representative and a specialty sales representative. Additionally, a hospital sales representative has an average salary of $93,625, which is higher than the $67,605 average annual salary of a specialty sales representative.

The top three skills for a hospital sales representative include patients, territory sales and healthcare professionals. The most important skills for a specialty sales representative are patients, product knowledge, and territory management.

Hospital sales representative vs specialty sales representative overview

Hospital Sales RepresentativeSpecialty Sales Representative
Yearly salary$93,625$67,605
Hourly rate$45.01$32.50
Growth rate4%4%
Number of jobs165,793174,608
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 85%Bachelor's Degree, 86%
Average age4747
Years of experience22

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 a specialty sales representative do?

Specialty sales representatives are responsible for selling products and services using firm arguments to possible clients. Also, they perform a cost-benefit study of present and prospective clients. These representatives support positive business relationships to guarantee future sales. Their main role is to give complete and correct solutions to clients to enhance top-line revenue progress, profitability, and investment levels. Their duties include reaching out to customer leads through telemarketing as well as maximize customer satisfaction by efficiently providing resolutions to their issues and complaints.

Hospital sales representative vs specialty sales representative salary

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

Hospital Sales RepresentativeSpecialty Sales Representative
Average salary$93,625$67,605
Salary rangeBetween $62,000 And $141,000Between $40,000 And $113,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between hospital sales representative and specialty sales representative education

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

Hospital Sales RepresentativeSpecialty Sales Representative
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 85%Bachelor's Degree, 86%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Hospital sales representative vs specialty sales representative demographics

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

Hospital Sales RepresentativeSpecialty Sales Representative
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 58.9% Female, 41.1%Male, 50.9% Female, 49.1%
Race ratioBlack 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, 13.9% Asian, 5.1% White, 73.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between hospital sales representative and specialty 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.

Specialty sales representative example responsibilities.

  • Utilize CRM system and other applications to manage all sales within the renewal stages.
  • Collaborate with management, marketing, and training departments to achieve the common goals of Merck.
  • Manage allocated resources and accountable for pharmaceutical samples in accordance with FDA and PDMA guidelines; responsible for expense management.
  • Manage tough relationships with key reimbursement decision-makers in hospitals, renal and oncology clinics throughout territory.
  • Manage the development, productivity and utilization of local, regional and national speakers for hyperlipidemia and hypertension.
  • Perform several educational sales presentations to large audiences on appropriate pain management for patients.
  • Show more

Hospital sales representative vs specialty 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 specialty sales representative skills
  • Patients, 14%
  • Product Knowledge, 9%
  • Territory Management, 7%
  • Neurology, 6%
  • Work Ethic, 6%
  • Medical Sales, 5%