How to hire a medical sales specialist

How to hire a medical sales specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step medical sales specialist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a medical sales specialist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new medical sales specialist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a medical sales specialist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The medical sales specialist hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

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   A medical sales specialist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, medical sales specialists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of medical sales specialists and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Medical Sales Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Medical Sales Specialist	Wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers to businesses, government agencies, and other organizations. They contact customers, explain product features, answer any questions that their customers may have, and negotiate prices.	$22-49
   Sales Development Representative	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... Show more	$16-37
   Outside Sales	An outside sales representative is responsible for generating the company's sales and revenues by offering goods and services to existing and potential clients, responding to the customers' inquiries and concerns about the products, and researching on possible leads. Outside sales representatives monitor the current industry trends to identify new business opportunities that would help the business adjust to market changes to achieve profitability goals... Show more	$26-50

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Medical Devices
   • Medical Sales
   • Product Knowledge
   • Capital Equipment
   • Sales Territory
   • Orthopedic Surgeons
   • Working Independently
   • Sales Performance
   • Neurology
   • Human Health
   • Healthcare Professionals
   • Sales Quota
   • Trade Shows

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Demonstrate strong teamwork skills by partnering with Novartis counterparts and other pharmaceutical consultants to achieve company and individual goals.
   • Coordinate memory screenings working primary care and neurology practices using Eisai develop tools to increase Alzheimer's awareness.
   • Increase market share of cardiology, endocrinology and antibiotic products in the Chicago region.
   • Train and educate referral sources and patients on Medicare coverage criteria guidelines.
   • Market and promote dermatology products to dermatologists and allergist in Raleigh market.
   • Secure business from a top-rate dermatology practice that have previously establish preferred vendors.

   More medical sales specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your medical sales specialist job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A medical sales specialist can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, medical sales specialists' average salary in south carolina is 56% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level medical sales specialists 54% less than senior-level medical sales specialists.
   • Certifications. A medical sales specialist with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a medical sales specialist's salary.

   Average medical sales specialist salary

   $69,959yearly

   $33.63 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level medical sales specialist salary

   $47,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 21, 2026

   Average medical sales specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$93,298	$45
   2	Maryland	$88,218	$42
   3	Michigan	$87,392	$42
   4	Arizona	$81,415	$39
   5	Connecticut	$76,522	$37
   6	Washington	$75,503	$36
   7	New Jersey	$75,024	$36
   8	Massachusetts	$74,139	$36
   9	North Carolina	$74,038	$36
   10	Texas	$73,857	$36
   11	Colorado	$73,221	$35
   12	New York	$72,699	$35
   13	Illinois	$70,843	$34
   14	Ohio	$70,785	$34
   15	Oregon	$70,198	$34
   16	Missouri	$69,047	$33
   17	Maine	$66,527	$32
   18	Georgia	$65,721	$32
   19	Pennsylvania	$63,555	$31
   20	Indiana	$61,798	$30

   Average medical sales specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Medline	$81,449	$39.16	38
   2	CVS Health	$80,907	$38.90	57
   3	Complete Care	$69,995	$33.65
   4	Randstad North America, Inc.	$69,758	$33.54
   5	Goodwin Recruiting	$68,986	$33.17
   6	Tactile Medical	$68,032	$32.71
   7	Zynex Medical	$67,231	$32.32
   8	Airgas	$66,651	$32.04	32
   9	Inogen	$65,656	$31.57	15
   10	ManpowerGroup	$62,924	$30.25	2
   11	Safari	$59,088	$28.41
   12	Medical Company	$58,003	$27.89

4. Writing a medical sales specialist job description

   A job description for a medical sales specialist role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a medical sales specialist job description:

   Medical sales specialist job description example

   WHY JOIN US?
   -Award-winning –“Top places to work 2020, 2021 & 2022” “Healthcare workplace Innovator” “Top 100 Agency Home Care Elite”
   -Competitive salary, bonus plan, incentives, benefits, flexible PTO plan, paid holidays, 401k with generous company match
   -Growth opportunities
   -Comprehensive and ongoing training.
   
   JOB RESPONSIBILITIES
   -Adheres to the company’s Mission and Values.
   -Analyzes potential prospects within a specific market territory by reviewing past and current marketing data.
   -Understands knowledge and promotes services provided within the market.
   -Develops relationships with prospective sources; hospitals, physicians, SNF’s and ALF’s to enhance sales growth.
   -Creates weekly plans that reflect appropriate daily sales calls.
   -Maintains accurate account list for all prospective referral sources and maintains physician profiles, weekly territory sales call plan and tracks all patient referrals daily through the start of care.
   -Meets and/or exceeds sales targets for growth.
   -Attends community strategic meetings within the prospective territory.
   -Develops focus-driven marketing strategy with Sales Manager on a weekly basis.
   -Maintains market awareness and communicates updates effectively.
   -Organizes distributes and tracks respective patient documents for the organization.
   -Communicates and assists operations as needed to ensure timely admissions, patient, and referral sources satisfaction.
   -Attends company sales/marketing meetings.
   -Adheres to the company’s HIPPA privacy, Business Ethics, and Compliance programs
   -Adheres to Agency programs, policies, and procedures.

   QUALIFICATIONS:
   -Demonstrates exceptional interpersonal skills, multi-tasking, and problem-solving skills.
   -Exhibits organizational skills, professional appearance, behavior, and a service attitude towards the community and others.
   -Promotes an attitude of gratitude, and team-spirited.
   -Must be flexible regarding working hours.
   -Have excellent written and oral skills.
   -Embody an entrepreneurial, creative spirit and attitude.
   -Requires valid driver’s license with reliable transportation and insurance.
   -Ability to travel within and out of geographic territory as needed.

   WHO WE ARE?
   Our Mission at Pinnacle Home Care is to change lives through the art of the experience!! Pinnacle Home Care is a full-service Medicare Certified and Florida Licensed Home Health Company locally owned and operated by home health professionals who are passionate about delivering exceptional, quality care to the communities that we serve. We take pride in our home health care professionals who are devoted to fulfilling the levels of service that we uphold. Human service can never be successful without dedication, just as dedication cannot be realized without passion.

   We are an equal opportunity employer and prohibit discrimination/harassment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find medical sales specialists for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your medical sales specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit medical sales specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as salesjobs, salesheads, allretailjobs.com, sales trax.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit medical sales specialists, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new medical sales specialist

   Once you have selected a candidate for the medical sales specialist position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new medical sales specialist. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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