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The differences between pharmaceutical 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 a pharmaceutical sales representative and a pharmaceutical sales specialist. Additionally, a pharmaceutical sales specialist has an average salary of $73,003, which is higher than the $68,571 average annual salary of a pharmaceutical sales representative.
The top three skills for a pharmaceutical sales representative include patients, pharmaceutical products and develop strong relationships. The most important skills for a pharmaceutical sales specialist are patients, sales territory, and diabetes.
| Pharmaceutical Sales Representative | Pharmaceutical Sales Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $68,571 | $73,003 |
| Hourly rate | $32.97 | $35.10 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 102,935 | 23,474 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 85% | Bachelor's Degree, 85% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
The job of pharmaceutical sales representatives is to inform and educate doctors about a company's medical and pharmaceutical products. They serve as the link between a company and healthcare professionals to hit sales targets. They have varied responsibilities, including assessing clients' needs and presenting suitable products, delivering product samples, and working sales teams to develop and implement brand strategies. This role's qualifications include relevant work experience, excellent communication, sales, negotiation skills, and a bachelor's degree in a relevant field.
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.
Pharmaceutical sales representatives and pharmaceutical sales specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Pharmaceutical Sales Representative | Pharmaceutical Sales Specialist | |
| Average salary | $68,571 | $73,003 |
| Salary range | Between $42,000 And $110,000 | Between $47,000 And $112,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Eli Lilly and Company | AstraZeneca |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a pharmaceutical sales representative and a pharmaceutical sales specialist in terms of educational background:
| Pharmaceutical Sales Representative | Pharmaceutical Sales Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 85% | Bachelor's Degree, 85% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between pharmaceutical sales representatives' and pharmaceutical sales specialists' demographics:
| Pharmaceutical Sales Representative | Pharmaceutical Sales Specialist | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 41.0% Female, 59.0% | Male, 47.9% Female, 52.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.3% 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% |