Post job

Professional healthcare representative education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a professional healthcare representative. Professional healthcare representatives usually study business, marketing, or communication. 76% of professional healthcare representatives hold a bachelor's degree, and 9% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 3,079 real professional healthcare representative resumes to see exactly what professional healthcare representative education sections show.

The most common colleges for professional healthcare representatives are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online professional healthcare representative courses to help get the education required to be a professional healthcare representative.

There are certain professional healthcare representative certifications that you should consider. These professional healthcare representative certifications include Basic Life Support for Healthcare and Public Safety (BLS) and Certified Sales Professional (CSP).

What education do you need to become a professional healthcare representative?

What degree do you need to be a professional healthcare representative?

The most common degree for professional healthcare representatives is bachelor's degree, with 76% of professional healthcare representatives earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 9% and master's degree degree at 8%.
  • Bachelor's, 76%
  • Master's, 9%
  • Associate, 8%
  • High School Diploma, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a professional healthcare representative?

You should major in business to become a professional healthcare representative. 28% of professional healthcare representatives major in business. Other common majors for a professional healthcare representative include marketing and communication.

Most common colleges for professional healthcare representatives

Professional healthcare representatives often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Florida State University, and Texas A&M; University. Here are the most common colleges for professional healthcare representatives in the US based on their resumes.
Professional healthcare representative common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix13.43%
Florida State University10.25%
Texas A&M University6.71%
Pennsylvania State University5.65%
University of Toledo5.30%

Best majors for professional healthcare representatives

RankMajorPercentages
1Business27.6%
2Marketing10.5%
3Communication8.2%
4Psychology7.5%
5Biology6.2%

Best colleges for professional healthcare representatives

The best colleges for professional healthcare representatives are University of Pennsylvania, New York University, and Stanford University.

A professional healthcare representative with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for professional healthcare representatives. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become professional healthcare representatives.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Enrollment

9,394

3. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

4. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

5. SUNY College at Plattsburgh

Plattsburgh, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,369

Enrollment

5,229

6. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$45,542

Enrollment

14,159

7. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,570

Enrollment

3,721

8. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

9. SUNY College of Technology at Delhi

Delhi, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,360

Enrollment

3,142

10. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

20 best online courses for professional healthcare representatives

Advertising disclosure

1. Healthcare Marketplace

coursera

The first course, Healthcare Marketplace Overview, covers all of the major sub-sectors of the healthcare industry including the physician, hospital, insurer and medical technology markets, including a historical perspective. The second course, Healthcare Delivery Providers, takes an in-depth look at the system of healthcare delivery and the transformations occurring to improve the health of populations and communities. The third course,Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Innovations, gives the...

2. The Critical Role of IT Support Staff in Healthcare

coursera

This is a very exciting time to be exploring a career in Health IT Support! In this introductory course, you’ll learn about various roles in IT support that are common in healthcare. IT support staff play critical roles in many different healthcare venues. In addition to helping clinics, hospitals, and emergency rooms, you may end up providing support in a skilled nursing facility, ambulatory surgical center, virtual care setting, or even a patient’s home! On any given day, you may interact...

3. Medical coding for U.S. healthcare industry

udemy
4.5
(266)

Jump start your career in the fastest growing career choice in the healthcare industry...

4. CompTIA Healthcare IT

udemy
4.5
(1,689)

Know all about Healthcare IT...

5. HubSpot Sales Representative

coursera

Whether you're completely new to sales and looking to start a new career, or you want to grow in your current sales role, this five-course career training program from the inbound sales experts at HubSpot can help you reach your career goals.\n\nYou’ll start by learning the basics of sales enablement and how sales and marketing teams can collaborate to create and keep relationships with their targeted buyers. You’ll develop data-driven sales goals and influential content to enable you to...

6. Salesforce Sales Development Representative

coursera

If you’ve always wanted a rewarding career, the tech sales industry may be the path for you. If you’re an ambitious problem-solver who likes to win, you’ll find tech sales not only fulfilling, but lucrative as well. As the tech industry continuously introduces innovative services and products, tech sales roles have become more crucial than ever. SDRs are in the front lines of the tech biz, connecting with customers and clients, and coming up with the smartest solutions for their problems. Sales...

7. Electronic Healthcare Records (EHR) Basics, Plain & Simple

udemy
4.5
(765)

Learn the fundamentals of Electronic Healthcare Record (EHR) Systems and why they are so important. Revised and Updated...

8. Data Science for Healthcare Claims Data

udemy
4.4
(489)

Learn and practice how to transform raw healthcare claims data into valuable knowledge and actionable insights!...

9. Healthcare IT Support

coursera

Are you looking to get your foot in the door as a Healthcare IT Support specialist? Do you want to solve technical problems for healthcare professionals and health system employees? Have you always wanted to enter an in-demand field in Health Information Technology? The courses in this specialization are designed to pique your interest regarding the ever-evolving field of IT support in healthcare. In order to help physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and a wide range of other allied health...

10. COVID-19 Training for Healthcare Workers

coursera

COVID-19 is rapidly spreading across the globe and all providers must be prepared to recognize, stabilize and treat patients with novel coronavirus infection. Following completion of this short course physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals will have a unified, evidenced-based approach to saving the lives of patients with COVID-19, including those who are critically ill. Learning modules are broken into short videos presented in a richly illustrated and compelling manner. The...

11. Tableau For Healthcare

udemy
4.3
(331)

Explore why and how we use Tableau to analyze quality healthcare within hospitals and health systems...

12. The Complete B2B Sales Masterclass: 6 Courses in 1

udemy
4
(413)

1. Generate Leads, 2. Pitch, 3. Close & Handle Any Objection: Get Certified in Cutting Edge, Non-Pushy B2B Sales System...

13. AI in Healthcare

coursera

Artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed industries around the world, and has the potential to radically alter the field of healthcare. Imagine being able to analyze data on patient visits to the clinic, medications prescribed, lab tests, and procedures performed, as well as data outside the health system -- such as social media, purchases made using credit cards, census records, Internet search activity logs that contain valuable health information, and you’ll get a sense of how AI could...

14. Operations and Patient Safety for Healthcare IT Staff

coursera

Now that you've been introduced to the world of Health IT and the important role played by electronic health records (EHRs), we'll focus on other technologies that play a role in maintaining ongoing operations in healthcare. Telemedicine, patient portals, barcode scanners, printers, and medical devices are just some of the technologies that impact providers and patients. As an IT support specialist, you’ll be asked to troubleshoot issues with a wide variety of tools. You'll see a scenario with...

15. Medical Writing for Healthcare Professionals

udemy
4.3
(757)

Launch your scientific and medical writing career today. Learn from an experienced medical writer!...

16. Intro to Healthcare Information Systems, Plain & Simple

udemy
4.3
(612)

Learn why healthcare Information Systems are so critical to the success of all healthcare organizations...

17. Health Care Delivery in Healthcare Organizations

coursera

Have you ever needed health care and thought that there must be better ways to get or deliver health care? For example, have you found yourself thinking that there should be a way to get a diagnostic test or treatment at home? Or do you work in a healthcare organization and find yourself thinking that there must be better ways to deliver health care? If you have, this course is for you. Course content includes an overview of health care delivery including healthcare consumerism, the patient's...

18. Health Informatics for Healthcare Professionals

coursera

This course is best suited for individuals currently in the healthcare sector, as a provider, payer, or administrator. Individuals pursuing a career change to the healthcare sector may also be interested in this course. In this course, you will have an opportunity to explore concepts and topics related to the design and management of health information systems. After an introduction to the history and current status of information systems in healthcare, you will then explore the areas of...

19. Healthcare Organization Operations

coursera

The healthcare tetralogy specialization is intended for anyone interested in healthcare organization as practiced in the United States. A range of healthcare organizations are discussed (e.g., medical, dental, pharmaceutical, and public health). The specialization is particularly useful to anyone working in the healthcare industry who either has: 1) a developing interest in the issues important to the administration of healthcare organization operations; or 2) some expertise, but wishes an...

20. Healthcare Data Literacy

coursera

This course will help lay the foundation of your healthcare data journey and provide you with knowledge and skills necessary to work in the healthcare industry as a data scientist. Healthcare is unique because it is associated with continually evolving and complex processes associated with health management and medical care. We'll learn about the many facets to consider in healthcare and determine the value and growing need for data analysts in healthcare. We'll learn about the Triple Aim and...

Top 10 most affordable universities for professional healthcare representatives

The most affordable schools for professional healthcare representatives are SUNY Farmingdale, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for professional healthcare representatives are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for professional healthcare representatives.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

7. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

10. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for professional healthcare representatives

The hardest universities for professional healthcare representatives to get into are University of Pennsylvania, New York University, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for professional healthcare representatives are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for professional healthcare representatives based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

2. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

6. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

7. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

8. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

9. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

10. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for professional healthcare representatives

The easiest schools for professional healthcare representatives to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and d'youville college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a professional healthcare representative without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for professional healthcare representatives.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

6. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

7. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

8. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

9. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

10. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

Average professional healthcare representative salary by education level

Professional healthcare representatives with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $48,239 annually. With a Doctorate degree, professional healthcare representatives earn a median annual income of $45,951 compared to $42,329 for professional healthcare representatives with an Bachelor's degree.
Professional healthcare representative education levelProfessional healthcare representative salary
Master's Degree$48,239
High School Diploma or Less$30,380
Bachelor's Degree$42,329
Doctorate Degree$45,951
Some College/ Associate Degree$31,789

Professional healthcare representative education FAQs

Search for professional healthcare representative jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.