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Professional representative vs pharmaceutical sales representative

The differences between professional 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 representative and a pharmaceutical sales representative. Additionally, a professional representative has an average salary of $71,939, which is higher than the $68,571 average annual salary of a pharmaceutical sales representative.

The top three skills for a professional representative include pharmaceutical products, territory management and market share growth. The most important skills for a pharmaceutical sales representative are patients, pharmaceutical products, and develop strong relationships.

Professional representative vs pharmaceutical sales representative overview

Professional RepresentativePharmaceutical Sales Representative
Yearly salary$71,939$68,571
Hourly rate$34.59$32.97
Growth rate4%4%
Number of jobs94,098102,935
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 79%Bachelor's Degree, 85%
Average age4747
Years of experience22

Professional representative vs pharmaceutical sales representative salary

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

Professional RepresentativePharmaceutical Sales Representative
Average salary$71,939$68,571
Salary rangeBetween $43,000 And $118,000Between $42,000 And $110,000
Highest paying City-Boston, MA
Highest paying state-Massachusetts
Best paying company-Eli Lilly and Company
Best paying industry-Pharmaceutical

Differences between professional representative and pharmaceutical sales representative education

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

Professional RepresentativePharmaceutical Sales Representative
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 79%Bachelor's Degree, 85%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Professional representative vs pharmaceutical sales representative demographics

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

Professional RepresentativePharmaceutical Sales Representative
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 46.4% Female, 53.6%Male, 41.0% Female, 59.0%
Race ratioBlack 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, 3.9% 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 representative and pharmaceutical sales representative duties and responsibilities

Professional representative example responsibilities.

  • Position office personnel to achieve NCQA patient self-management standards by planning and executing diabetes disease management programs.
  • Achieve sales growth objectives by incorporating product/technical knowledge, teamwork, customer and multi-product focus, innovation and creativity.
  • Identify think leaders & launch first in class diabetes management medication while reaching/exceeding sales objectives in all therapeutic categories.
  • Establish rapport with the respiratory department in the territories largest hospital which result in meeting and detailing``no-see"pulmonologists
  • Represent AstraZeneca products in the respiratory and cardiology markets.
  • Maintain point responsibility for cardiovascular and neurology franchise within district.
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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 representative vs pharmaceutical sales representative skills

Common professional representative skills
  • Pharmaceutical Products, 17%
  • Territory Management, 14%
  • Market Share Growth, 9%
  • Neurology, 7%
  • Cardiology, 6%
  • Internal Medicine, 5%
Common pharmaceutical sales representative skills
  • Patients, 21%
  • Pharmaceutical Products, 8%
  • Develop Strong Relationships, 6%
  • Territory Management, 5%
  • FDA, 4%
  • Business Plan, 4%