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Professional healthcare representative vs specialty sales representative

The differences between professional healthcare representatives and specialty 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 specialty sales representative. Additionally, a specialty sales representative has an average salary of $67,605, 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 specialty sales representative are patients, product knowledge, and territory management.

Professional healthcare representative vs specialty sales representative overview

Professional Healthcare RepresentativeSpecialty Sales Representative
Yearly salary$37,042$67,605
Hourly rate$17.81$32.50
Growth rate4%4%
Number of jobs127,891174,608
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 76%Bachelor's Degree, 86%
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 specialty sales representative do?

Specialty sales representatives are responsible for selling products and services using firm arguments to possible clients. Also, they perform a cost-benefit study of present and prospective clients. These representatives support positive business relationships to guarantee future sales. Their main role is to give complete and correct solutions to clients to enhance top-line revenue progress, profitability, and investment levels. Their duties include reaching out to customer leads through telemarketing as well as maximize customer satisfaction by efficiently providing resolutions to their issues and complaints.

Professional healthcare representative vs specialty sales representative salary

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

Professional Healthcare RepresentativeSpecialty Sales Representative
Average salary$37,042$67,605
Salary rangeBetween $22,000 And $59,000Between $40,000 And $113,000
Highest paying CityTorrance, CA-
Highest paying stateCalifornia-
Best paying companyCognizant-
Best paying industryPharmaceutical-

Differences between professional healthcare representative and specialty sales representative education

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

Professional Healthcare RepresentativeSpecialty Sales Representative
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 76%Bachelor's Degree, 86%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Professional healthcare representative vs specialty sales representative demographics

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

Professional Healthcare RepresentativeSpecialty Sales Representative
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 41.7% Female, 58.3%Male, 50.9% Female, 49.1%
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, 3.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 5.1% White, 73.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between professional healthcare representative and specialty 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

Specialty sales representative example responsibilities.

  • Utilize CRM system and other applications to manage all sales within the renewal stages.
  • Collaborate with management, marketing, and training departments to achieve the common goals of Merck.
  • Manage allocated resources and accountable for pharmaceutical samples in accordance with FDA and PDMA guidelines; responsible for expense management.
  • Manage tough relationships with key reimbursement decision-makers in hospitals, renal and oncology clinics throughout territory.
  • Manage the development, productivity and utilization of local, regional and national speakers for hyperlipidemia and hypertension.
  • Perform several educational sales presentations to large audiences on appropriate pain management for patients.
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Professional healthcare representative vs specialty 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 specialty sales representative skills
  • Patients, 14%
  • Product Knowledge, 9%
  • Territory Management, 7%
  • Neurology, 6%
  • Work Ethic, 6%
  • Medical Sales, 5%