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Professional healthcare representative vs pharmaceutical sales representative

The differences between professional healthcare representatives and pharmaceutical sales representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a professional healthcare representative and a pharmaceutical sales representative. Additionally, a pharmaceutical sales representative has an average salary of $68,571, which is higher than the $37,042 average annual salary of a professional healthcare representative.

The top three skills for a professional healthcare representative include government agencies, patients and product portfolio. The most important skills for a pharmaceutical sales representative are patients, pharmaceutical products, and develop strong relationships.

Professional healthcare representative vs pharmaceutical sales representative overview

Professional Healthcare RepresentativePharmaceutical Sales Representative
Yearly salary$37,042$68,571
Hourly rate$17.81$32.97
Growth rate4%4%
Number of jobs127,891102,935
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 76%Bachelor's Degree, 85%
Average age4747
Years of experience22

What does a professional healthcare representative do?

Professional Healthcare representatives are sales employees who manage the company's healthcare products and healthcare client accounts. They are in charge of achieving the sales targets of the company. They form good relationships with clients and distributors to ensure continued business with them. They may visit their clients' office from time to time to check in on them and to provide samples of new products. Professional Healthcare Representatives should be updated on the latest trends in the healthcare industry, as well as new product releases related to their company's main business. They should also know all the pertinent details on the products they sell so they can answer their clients' questions.

What does a pharmaceutical sales representative do?

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.

Professional healthcare representative vs pharmaceutical sales representative salary

Professional healthcare representatives and pharmaceutical sales representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.

Professional Healthcare RepresentativePharmaceutical Sales Representative
Average salary$37,042$68,571
Salary rangeBetween $22,000 And $59,000Between $42,000 And $110,000
Highest paying CityTorrance, CABoston, MA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaMassachusetts
Best paying companyCognizantEli Lilly and Company
Best paying industryPharmaceuticalPharmaceutical

Differences between professional healthcare representative and pharmaceutical sales representative education

There are a few differences between a professional healthcare representative and a pharmaceutical sales representative in terms of educational background:

Professional Healthcare RepresentativePharmaceutical Sales Representative
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 76%Bachelor's Degree, 85%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Professional healthcare representative vs pharmaceutical sales representative demographics

Here are the differences between professional healthcare representatives' and pharmaceutical sales representatives' demographics:

Professional Healthcare RepresentativePharmaceutical Sales Representative
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 41.7% Female, 58.3%Male, 41.0% Female, 59.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.0% Asian, 5.1% White, 73.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%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%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between professional healthcare representative and pharmaceutical sales representative duties and responsibilities

Professional healthcare representative example responsibilities.

  • Lead several workshops during POA meetings, and district conference calls, with the aim to improve the team's performance.
  • Achieve sales growth objectives by incorporating product/technical knowledge, teamwork, customer and multi-product focus, innovation and creativity.
  • Promote pharmaceutical products to medical professionals, providing education to medical staffs and patients on disease states and therapies.
  • Account manager for the sales of cardiovascular, diabetes, neurology, and urology products.
  • Screen uninsure and limit insured patients on a daily basis to determine disability and Medicaid eligibility.
  • Provide elite, dedicate support for cardiology units using the new cardiology product.
  • Show more

Pharmaceutical sales representative example responsibilities.

  • Manage and establish relationships within specialty urology and neurology markets to drive new and existing therapies.
  • Demonstrate strong teamwork skills by partnering with Novartis counterparts and other pharmaceutical consultants to achieve company and individual goals.
  • Manage Santa Rosa/San Francisco territories, marketing and selling respiratory, urology, cardiology to pharmacies and primary care physicians.
  • Retail sales division promoting drugs in gastroenterology, endocrinology, pain management and infectious disease.
  • Call on and maintain relationships with primary care physicians, cardiologists, nephrologists, internists, gastroenterologists, and endocrinologists.
  • Call on primary care physicians, cardiologists, neurologists, endocrinologists, and vascular surgeons.
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Professional healthcare representative vs pharmaceutical sales representative skills

Common professional healthcare representative skills
  • Government Agencies, 16%
  • Patients, 15%
  • Product Portfolio, 9%
  • Strategic Thinking, 8%
  • Product Knowledge, 8%
  • Disease State, 6%
Common pharmaceutical sales representative skills
  • Patients, 21%
  • Pharmaceutical Products, 8%
  • Develop Strong Relationships, 6%
  • Territory Management, 5%
  • FDA, 4%
  • Business Plan, 4%