Medical sales representative vs associate sales representative

The differences between medical sales representatives and associate 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 medical sales representative, becoming an associate sales representative takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a medical sales representative has an average salary of $74,079, which is higher than the $51,007 average annual salary of an associate sales representative.

The top three skills for a medical sales representative include patients, medical sales and customer service. The most important skills for an associate sales representative are work ethic, patients, and product knowledge.

Medical sales representative vs associate sales representative overview

	Medical Sales Representative	Associate Sales Representative
Yearly salary	$74,079	$51,007
Hourly rate	$35.61	$24.52
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	206,149	333,049
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 82%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	2	4

What does a medical sales representative do?

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.

What does an associate sales representative do?

The duties of an associate sales representative depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. Their responsibilities typically revolve around reaching out to clients through calls or door-to-door visits, offering products and services, collecting payments, addressing issues and concerns, and performing corrective measures when necessary. An associate sales representative often has a quota and deadline to reach; therefore, it is essential to be sales driven and goal-oriented. Furthermore, one must adhere to the policies and regulations of the company.

Medical sales representative vs associate sales representative salary

Medical sales representatives and associate sales representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Medical Sales Representative	Associate Sales Representative
Average salary	$74,079	$51,007
Salary range	Between $45,000 And $121,000	Between $37,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	California	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Intuitive Surgical	Verint
Best paying industry	Pharmaceutical	Health Care

Differences between medical sales representative and associate sales representative education

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

	Medical Sales Representative	Associate Sales Representative
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 82%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Medical sales representative vs associate sales representative demographics

Here are the differences between medical sales representatives' and associate sales representatives' demographics:

	Medical Sales Representative	Associate Sales Representative
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 51.3% Female, 48.7%	Male, 50.8% Female, 49.2%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 5.1% White, 72.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between medical sales representative and associate sales representative duties and responsibilities

Medical sales representative example responsibilities.

Lead the sales team in number of CPAP's sell monthly.
Work closely with manage care plans, Medicare and Medicaid to ensure full coverage of all products in portfolio
Follow policies and procedures to accomplish responsibilities including following HIPAA regulations.
Develop customer relationships and achieve sales objectives for product portfolio consisting of CNS products.
Present clinical information and lead discussions on various types of treatment for hypertension and acute coronary syndrome.
Utilize CRM database to manage and track prospect interaction to ensure accurate documentation of window requirements and ongoing communication.

Associate sales representative example responsibilities.

Manage organization website and Facebook page; writing articles for websites and newsletters.
Perform inside sales, including telemarketing, prospecting, account penetration and product application, consulting and delivery of customer service.
Learned how to ask proper questions and communicate MetLife's product differentiators against competition

Medical sales representative vs associate sales representative skills

Common medical sales representative skills

Patients, 17%
Medical Sales, 16%
Customer Service, 9%
Sales Territory, 6%
Product Knowledge, 6%
Ventilation, 5%

Common associate sales representative skills

Work Ethic, 16%
Patients, 13%
Product Knowledge, 12%
Excellent Interpersonal, 7%
Excellent Organizational, 4%
Sales Techniques, 4%

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Medical Sales Representative
Medical Sales Representative vs Associate Sales Representative

Updated January 8, 2025

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