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The differences between pharmaceutical sales specialists and outside sales consultants 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 outside sales consultant takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an outside sales consultant has an average salary of $76,601, which is higher than the $73,003 average annual salary of a pharmaceutical sales specialist.
The top three skills for a pharmaceutical sales specialist include patients, sales territory and diabetes. The most important skills for an outside sales consultant are customer service, in-home, and CRM.
| Pharmaceutical Sales Specialist | Outside Sales Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $73,003 | $76,601 |
| Hourly rate | $35.10 | $36.83 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 23,474 | 230,853 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 85% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| 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 outside sales consultant is responsible for conducting sales for both prospective and existing customers. Your duties may vary, but common tasks include traveling to meet potential and existing customers, organizing meetings with customers regularly, and educating customers on the benefits of products and services. As an outside sales representative, you are responsible for monitoring the new products, market conditions and competitors, and assisting in building the brand with the help of the marketing department.
Pharmaceutical sales specialists and outside sales consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Pharmaceutical Sales Specialist | Outside Sales Consultant | |
| Average salary | $73,003 | $76,601 |
| Salary range | Between $47,000 And $112,000 | Between $48,000 And $120,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Delaware |
| Best paying company | AstraZeneca | Current TV |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Energy |
There are a few differences between a pharmaceutical sales specialist and an outside sales consultant in terms of educational background:
| Pharmaceutical Sales Specialist | Outside Sales Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 85% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| 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 outside sales consultants' demographics:
| Pharmaceutical Sales Specialist | Outside Sales Consultant | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.9% Female, 52.1% | Male, 63.5% Female, 36.5% |
| 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, 14.2% Asian, 5.1% White, 72.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |