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The differences between medical sales specialists 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 specialist, becoming an associate sales representative takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a medical sales specialist has an average salary of $69,959, which is higher than the $51,007 average annual salary of an associate sales representative.
The top three skills for a medical sales specialist include patients, medical devices and medical sales. The most important skills for an associate sales representative are work ethic, patients, and product knowledge.
| Medical Sales Specialist | Associate Sales Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $69,959 | $51,007 |
| Hourly rate | $33.63 | $24.52 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 76,398 | 333,049 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
A medical sales specialist is an individual who advertises, markets, and distributes a specific pharmaceutical product or medical equipment to medical establishments. Medical sales specialists must manage a network of independent representatives and maintain relationships with their clients to attain territory-specific sales goals. They develop marketing strategies and business sales plans to identify key growth areas and deliver short and long-term corporate objectives. Medical sales specialists should also conduct analyses on product and market trends to achieve and exceed sales goals.
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 specialists and associate sales representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Medical Sales Specialist | Associate Sales Representative | |
| Average salary | $69,959 | $51,007 |
| Salary range | Between $47,000 And $102,000 | Between $37,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | California | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Medline | Verint |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a medical sales specialist and an associate sales representative in terms of educational background:
| Medical Sales Specialist | Associate Sales Representative | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | SUNY College of Technology at Alfred |
Here are the differences between medical sales specialists' and associate sales representatives' demographics:
| Medical Sales Specialist | Associate Sales Representative | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 50.8% Female, 49.2% | Male, 50.8% Female, 49.2% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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% |