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The differences between pharmaceutical sales specialists and inside sales associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a pharmaceutical sales specialist, becoming an inside sales associate takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a pharmaceutical sales specialist has an average salary of $73,003, which is higher than the $40,687 average annual salary of an inside sales associate.
The top three skills for a pharmaceutical sales specialist include patients, sales territory and diabetes. The most important skills for an inside sales associate are inside sales, sales associates, and strong customer service.
| Pharmaceutical Sales Specialist | Inside Sales Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $73,003 | $40,687 |
| Hourly rate | $35.10 | $19.56 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 23,474 | 320,863 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 85% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
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.
An inside sales associate is responsible for selling the company's goods and services through remote communication. Inside sales associates make calls to potential customers, demonstrate the products' features, take orders, process payments, and inform the customers of the delivery details. They strategize the most effective sales pitches to attract the customers on purchasing more services that would generate revenues and increase the company's profitability and brand image. An inside sales associate also supports the marketing team in developing marketing campaigns and promotional offers depending on customer demands and requests.
Pharmaceutical sales specialists and inside sales associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Pharmaceutical Sales Specialist | Inside Sales Associate | |
| Average salary | $73,003 | $40,687 |
| Salary range | Between $47,000 And $112,000 | Between $30,000 And $54,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Washington |
| Best paying company | AstraZeneca | MSCI |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a pharmaceutical sales specialist and an inside sales associate in terms of educational background:
| Pharmaceutical Sales Specialist | Inside Sales Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 85% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | SUNY College of Technology at Alfred |
Here are the differences between pharmaceutical sales specialists' and inside sales associates' demographics:
| Pharmaceutical Sales Specialist | Inside Sales Associate | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.9% Female, 52.1% | Male, 57.3% Female, 42.7% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.0% Asian, 5.1% White, 73.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |