How much do specialty pharmacy sales reps make?

Specialty pharmacy sales reps make $81,227 a year, on average. However, the range in pay can start from as little as $73,054 to as much as $89,851 a year. Factors such as location and the company impact how much a specialty pharmacy sales rep can make.

What is a typical base salary for sales?

The typical base salary for sales is $56,964 a year, on average. However, this can range from as little as $48,734 to as much as $65,135 a year. Factors such as location and years of experience can impact how much base salary a typical sales position will earn you.

What training do you need to be a sales representative?

The training needed to be a sales representative is usually provided by the employer. Most companies require their sales representatives to have a high school diploma. Some companies may seek out candidates who have completed a technical program or have an earned associate's or bachelor's degree, depending on the type of sales representative position.

How To Become A Specialty Sales Representative: What It Is and Career Path

What is a specialty sales representative and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Dr. John Hansen

A Specialty Sales Representative may sell and represent many different products and services. Generally speaking, these include household appliances, jewelry, health care products, etc. The job itself entails selling and talking about this product and researching and figuring out the best sales strategy for it.

Coordinating the sales and projects is also an important task, and fostering business relationships with existing and newly found customers. You can start working in this position with a high school degree or the equivalent. Some employers may seek out candidates with a Bachelor's, but it is not a must.

What general advice would you give to a specialty sales representative?

Dr. John Hansen

Professor and Director, Center for Sales Leadership, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Regarding the third question, the only real way to maximize your salary in sales is to perform well against the success metrics in place in your role. Sales is, for the most part, an outcome-based profession, meaning that pay increases (or decreases) based on outcomes attained. Whatever the success metrics are in the position one is currently in, they will maximize their income to the extent that they perform well in relation to these success metrics.

ScoreSpecialty Sales RepresentativeUS Average

Salary

5.3

Avg. Salary $67,605

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.6

Growth rate 4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.23%

Asian 5.08%

Black or African American 3.78%

Hispanic or Latino 13.90%

Unknown 3.71%

White 73.30%

Gender

female 49.07%

male 50.93%

Age - 48

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 48

Stress level

7.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.8

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.6

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a specialty sales representative

Explore specialty sales representative education requirements

Most common specialty sales representative degrees

Bachelor's

86.2 %

Master's

8.4 %

Associate

3.8 %

Start to develop specific specialty sales representative skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	13.55%
Product Knowledge	8.77%
Territory Management	6.87%
Neurology	5.88%
Work Ethic	5.87%

Complete relevant specialty sales representative training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New specialty sales representatives learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a specialty sales representative based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real specialty sales representative resumes.

Research specialty sales representative duties and 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.

Prepare your specialty sales representative resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your specialty sales representative resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a specialty sales representative resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

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