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The differences between surgical sales representatives and medical 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 surgical sales representative and a medical representative. Additionally, a surgical sales representative has an average salary of $73,379, which is higher than the $36,309 average annual salary of a medical representative.
The top three skills for a surgical sales representative include medical sales, product knowledge and GYN. The most important skills for a medical representative are patients, customer service, and first aid kits.
| Surgical Sales Representative | Medical Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $73,379 | $36,309 |
| Hourly rate | $35.28 | $17.46 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 124,729 | 176,481 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 85% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A surgical sales representative is responsible for selling surgical devices for health care facilities with cost-efficient offers but high-quality standards. Surgical sales representatives negotiate contracts with existing and potential clients by discussing the features and benefits of their products that would attract the clients' purchasing decisions. They also manage their business proposals by sending out e-mail campaigns or personally visiting the clients' area. A surgical sales representative must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in identifying the recent medical technology trends that would generate more revenue resources for the business.
A medical representative is responsible for selling medical equipment, medications, and other medical supplies by demonstrating benefits and features to patients and healthcare professionals. Medical representatives work closely with their company's marketing department to develop strategic procedures and promotional techniques to attract customers and generate revenues for the business. They respond to the customers' inquiries and concerns, take their orders, and process their payments. A medical representative also analyzes the current trends in the medical industry to identify business opportunities that would establish a market presence.
Surgical sales representatives and medical representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Surgical Sales Representative | Medical Representative | |
| Average salary | $73,379 | $36,309 |
| Salary range | Between $47,000 And $113,000 | Between $27,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Lansing, MI |
| Highest paying state | - | Michigan |
| Best paying company | - | Capgemini |
| Best paying industry | - | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a surgical sales representative and a medical representative in terms of educational background:
| Surgical Sales Representative | Medical Representative | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 85% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between surgical sales representatives' and medical representatives' demographics:
| Surgical Sales Representative | Medical Representative | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.6% Female, 33.4% | Male, 45.2% Female, 54.8% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |