How to hire a surgical sales representative

How to hire a surgical sales representative, step by step

Here's a step-by-step surgical sales representative hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a surgical sales representative job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new surgical sales representative
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a surgical sales representative, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a surgical sales representative to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a surgical sales representative that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of surgical sales representative salaries for various roles:

   Type of Surgical Sales Representative	Description	Hourly rate
   Surgical Sales Representative	Wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers to businesses, government agencies, and other organizations. They contact customers, explain product features, answer any questions that their customers may have, and negotiate prices.	$22-54
   Field Technical Representative	Owning wide knowledge about an application, a field technical representative ensures that the customer knows how to use any application by providing technical support and solving issues if one arises. They also give advice on what application is best to use for a certain concern... Show more	$16-37
   Representative	Representatives are lawmakers who represent the people in a specific district. They run for office to represent their districts in their hometown or their current place of living... Show more	$11-26

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Medical Sales
   • Product Knowledge
   • GYN
   • Surgical Procedures
   • Product Portfolio
   • Territory Sales
   • General Surgeons
   • Surgical Cases
   • Call Points
   • Medical Devices
   • Urology
   • Capital Equipment
   • Surgical Sales
   • Plastic Surgery

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage products in gastroenterology, cardiology, endocrinology, psychiatry, rheumatology, and OB-GYN categories.
   • Develop relationships with surgeons and other appropriate personnel within the spine product environment.
   • Recognize as a subject matter expert with insight into optimal equipment for treating patients with respiratory conditions and sleeping disorders.
   • Promote pharmaceutical drugs for the treatment of allergies, hypertension, BPH, dementia, chronic bronchitis.
   • Promote Merck's asthma/allergy medication to pulmonology, allergy, otolaryngology and pediatric offices.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your surgical sales representative job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A surgical sales representative salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, surgical sales representatives' average salary in montana is 63% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level surgical sales representatives earn 58% less than senior-level surgical sales representatives.
   • Certifications. A surgical sales representative with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a surgical sales representative's salary.

   Average surgical sales representative salary

   $73,379yearly

   $35.28 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level surgical sales representative salary

   $47,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

4. Writing a surgical sales representative job description

   A job description for a surgical sales representative role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a surgical sales representative job description:

   Surgical sales representative job description example

   Requisition #:
   
   22000KG2
   
   Post Date:
   
   Sep 29, 2022
   
   Medtronic is an EOE, including disability/vets
   
   **Careers that Change Lives**
   
   Written in 1960, our Mission dictates that our first and foremost priority is to contribute to human welfare. Over a half-century later, the Mission continues to serve as our ethical framework and inspirational goal for our employees around the world.
   
   The Medical Surgical Operating Unit strives to enable earlier diagnosis, better treatment, faster complication-free recovery, and enhanced patient outcomes through less invasive surgical solutions.
   
   **SURGICAL INNOVATIONS** sets the standard for Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) by creating innovative surgical products and services that focus on obesity and diseases and conditions of the gastrointestinal tract, lung, abdominal wall, pelvic region, and the head and neck.
   
   **A DAY IN THE LIFE:**
   
   A Market Sales Representative is expected to achieve annual sales objectives through selling and supporting the Companys advanced surgical and energy-based products, while representing Medtronic to the customer in accordance with Company policies and AdvaMed guidelines. Market Sales Representatives develop clinical and administrative relationships in assigned accounts and formulate a defend territory strategy, accounting for competitive pressures and local market conditions. Market Sales Representative is expected todemonstrate High Performance Practices and competencies as they meet and exceed objectives for this role.
   
   1. Achieve all territory sales objectives annually in alignment with the business strategy and annual compensation plan.
   
   2. Develop an understanding of each accounts culture, competitive pressures, financial state, stakeholders and decision makers.
   
   3. Build and maintain strong, professional relationships with clinical and administrative staff in assigned accounts. Through outstanding customer service, maintain a high retention rate of current accounts in territory.
   
   4. Display and leverage strong knowledge of products. Be able to provide hard data around all products, as well as account references.
   
   5. Effectively collaborate with Medtronic peers in other BUs to identify mutual opportunities and support customer relationships.
   
   6. Complete business analytics and regional reporting assignments in a timely, accurate fashion. Conduct quarterly business reviews to exhibit achievement of sales goals in all assigned accounts.
   
   7. Maintain awareness of competitive products and marketing practices, and keep sales management informed concerning them.
   
   8. Manage inventory of assigned products in accounts, as requested, and facilitate product returns in accordance with Company policy.
   
   9. Verbally deliver clear and concise instruction on the safe and efficacious use of assigned products to customers in and out of the OR setting, including in-services for surgeons and clinical staff.
   
   10. Scrub into surgical procedures utilizing assigned product line on a daily basis. Be fully able to answer questions about the products.
   
   11. Participate fully in training on new products and procedures through in person and online training programs. Attend regional and national meetings, as required.
   
   12. Adjust customer complaints in accordance with Company policy, and advise sales management promptly of any situation beyond the Sales Representatives scope of authority.
   
   13. Assist with Sales Training courses, both in the field and in the corporate office.
   
   14. Understand and demonstrate the High Performance Practices and Expectations in daily work activities.
   
   15. Manage assigned territory within allocated expense budget. Submit expense reports and pay Company credit card on time per Medtronic policy.
   
   **Clinical Selling / Defend Functions**
   
   1. Develop and maintain a strategic account plan to defend sales in accounts in assigned territory. Execute plan to maintain sales volumes in assigned accounts.
   
   2. Leverage marketing materials, white papers and clinical evidence through consultative selling. Use clinical knowledge to develop messaging in sales proposal.
   
   3. Build and maintain strong, lasting relationships in assigned accounts to support continued business.
   
   4. Gain insight into the key individual customers and how to influence them.
   
   5. Identify opportunities for surgeons to attend Medtronic sponsored professional training programs, and participate in programs and labs (where appropriate).
   
   **Economic Selling Functions**
   
   1. Integrate economic value messages into sales proposal where appropriate.
   
   2. Collaborate with the Contracts department and sales leadership to manage customer contracts, and facilitate the contract process.
   
   3. Research general account context to understand hospital economics and all key issues at major accounts.
   
   4. Display and leverage strong knowledge of accounts, purchasing process/buying cycle, and protocols.
   
   **Must Have: Minimum Requirements**
   
   + Bachelors degree required
   
   + Minimum of 2 years of relevant experience, or advanced degree with 0 years of experience
   
   NICE TO HAVE:
   
   Medical device sales experience
   
   OR/Hospital experience
   
   MS Word
   
   **About Medtronic**
   
   Together, we can change healthcare worldwide. At Medtronic, we push the limits of what technology, therapies and services can do to help alleviate pain, restore health and extend life.
   
   We challenge ourselves and each other to make tomorrow better than yesterday. It is what makes this an exciting and rewarding place to be.
   
   We want to accelerate and advance our ability to create meaningful innovations - but we will only succeed with the right people on our team.
   
   Lets work together to address universal healthcare needs and improve patients lives.Help us shape the
   
   future.
   
   Whatever your specialty or ambitions, you can make a difference at Medtronic - both in the lives of others and your career. Join us in our commitment to take healthcare Further, Together.
   
   **EEO STATEMENT:**
   
   It is the policy of Medtronic to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. In addition, Medtronic will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.

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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right surgical sales representative for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your surgical sales representative job on Zippia to find and recruit surgical sales representative candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as salesjobs, salesheads, allretailjobs.com, sales trax.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit surgical sales representatives, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new surgical sales representative

   Once you've decided on a perfect surgical sales representative candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new surgical sales representative first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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