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The differences between instruments sales representatives and pharmaceutical sales specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an instruments sales representative and a pharmaceutical sales specialist. Additionally, an instruments sales representative has an average salary of $129,809, which is higher than the $73,003 average annual salary of a pharmaceutical sales specialist.
The top three skills for an instruments sales representative include capital equipment, mixers and spine. The most important skills for a pharmaceutical sales specialist are patients, sales territory, and diabetes.
| Instruments Sales Representative | Pharmaceutical Sales Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $129,809 | $73,003 |
| Hourly rate | $62.41 | $35.10 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 159,779 | 23,474 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 85% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
An Instruments Sales Representative is in charge of reaching out to potential clients and businesses, aiming to secure sales. They typically offer products and services to clients through calls, correspondence, or even face-to-face interactions, depending on their company of employment. They conduct market research and analysis to find business and client opportunities, identify and utilize marketing trends, generate leads, discuss product and payment details to clients, and develop sales strategies while adhering to its policies and regulations.
A pharmaceutical sales specialist's primary duty is to reach out to pharmacies, medical facilities, and physicians to discuss the latest medical drugs in an effort to secure sales. Their responsibilities typically revolve around learning and understanding everything about the products that they are offering, traveling to different areas to deliver samples, and maintaining records of all transactions. Furthermore, as a pharmaceutical sales specialist, it is essential to create marketing materials and build positive relationships with clients to accomplish sales targets, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
Instruments sales representatives and pharmaceutical sales specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Instruments Sales Representative | Pharmaceutical Sales Specialist | |
| Average salary | $129,809 | $73,003 |
| Salary range | Between $93,000 And $179,000 | Between $47,000 And $112,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | Nevada |
| Best paying company | - | AstraZeneca |
| Best paying industry | - | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between an instruments sales representative and a pharmaceutical sales specialist in terms of educational background:
| Instruments Sales Representative | Pharmaceutical Sales Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 85% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between instruments sales representatives' and pharmaceutical sales specialists' demographics:
| Instruments Sales Representative | Pharmaceutical Sales Specialist | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.4% Female, 33.6% | Male, 47.9% Female, 52.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |