Medical sales representative vs sales development representative

The differences between medical sales representatives and sales development 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 a sales development representative takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a medical sales representative has an average salary of $74,079, which is higher than the $51,504 average annual salary of a sales development representative.

The top three skills for a medical sales representative include patients, medical sales and customer service. The most important skills for a sales development representative are SDR, lead generation, and customer service.

Medical sales representative vs sales development representative overview

	Medical Sales Representative	Sales Development Representative
Yearly salary	$74,079	$51,504
Hourly rate	$35.61	$24.76
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	206,149	199,588
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 82%	Bachelor's Degree, 83%
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 a sales development representative do?

A sales development representative qualifies leads at the sales funnel's initial stages. Sales development representatives need to conduct research for prospective clients and qualify the leads before handing them to the sales team. They develop sales strategies to attract buyers or solicit potential customers. They need to build relationships with their customers to determine their needs and qualify the viability of interests to drive sales. Also, they collaborate with the sales executives making certain that corporate targets and goals are met.

Medical sales representative vs sales development representative salary

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

	Medical Sales Representative	Sales Development Representative
Average salary	$74,079	$51,504
Salary range	Between $45,000 And $121,000	Between $34,000 And $77,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	California	Alaska
Best paying company	Intuitive Surgical	PitchBook Data
Best paying industry	Pharmaceutical	Start-up

Differences between medical sales representative and sales development representative education

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

	Medical Sales Representative	Sales Development Representative
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 82%	Bachelor's Degree, 83%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Medical sales representative vs sales development representative demographics

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

	Medical Sales Representative	Sales Development Representative
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 51.3% Female, 48.7%	Male, 63.1% Female, 36.9%
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, 3.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between medical sales representative and sales development 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.

Sales development representative example responsibilities.

Manage organization website and Facebook page; writing articles for websites and newsletters.
Develop social media strategies for Facebook, LinkedIn, and emerging social networks, generating leads.
Manage individual sales activities by developing highly effective, communications focuse relationship with multiple sales channels.
supply chain management and procurement software (SaaS).
Handle customer service inquiries, returns, and RMA exchanges.
Develop a strong knowledge of SaaS sales techniques and lead management/generation.

Medical sales representative vs sales development representative skills

Common medical sales representative skills

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

Common sales development representative skills

SDR, 11%
Lead Generation, 6%
Customer Service, 6%
Account Executives, 5%
Linkedin, 5%
Outbound Calls, 4%

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Medical Sales Representative
Medical Sales Representative vs Sales Development Representative

Updated January 8, 2025

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