How Much Money Do Entry Level Pharmaceutical Sales Reps Make?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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City Annual Salary Monthly Pay Manhattan, NY

$67,440


$5,620
Barnstable Town, MA $66,879 $5,573 Cambridge, MA $66,825 $5,569 San Mateo, CA $66,539 $5,545

Is pharmaceutical sales a hard job?

It’s a reality for pharmaceutical company representatives. But the work isn’t pure glamour. It’s also

intense, highly competitive and sometimes frustrating

. Insiders say it’s difficult to get your foot in the door with a drug company, and that it’s challenging to excel once you’ve landed that first sales job.

Can you make good money in pharmaceutical sales?


In 2019, the average rep salary was $151,217, which includes an average base salary of $109,250 and an average bonus of $41,967

. That’s a 6% increase, or almost $8,000, over the average salary for pharma sales reps from MedReps’ 2018 survey.

How do pharmaceutical reps make money?

With most pharmaceutical companies

you get a salary and you also get paid commission on your drugs that you sell

. So, if you sell 160 percent of one product, you get paid on 60 percent over that quota. The more you sell the more you make, so the harder you work, the more money you make.

How stressful is pharmaceutical sales?

Stress. Medical sales jobs also come with

considerable stress

. Some respondents specifically cited stress caused by the pressure to make quotas, while others mentioned stress caused by the increasing difficulty of gaining vendor clearances.

Are pharmaceutical reps smart?

Drug reps today are often young, well groomed, and strikingly good-looking. Many are women. They are usually affable and

sometimes very smart

.

Do pharmaceutical sales reps travel a lot?

Travel often


The best paid medical sales reps are always on the road

. They’re visiting different territories, meeting new clients, and reaching out to contacts across the map. In fact, our salary report found that those who travel 50 percent of the time earn $167,061, on average.

How long does it take to complete pharmaceutical sales training?

The PRC program takes on average about

4 weeks

(12 hours course time) to complete. It’s self-paced, so everyone will be different.

What is a typical day for a pharmaceutical sales rep?

Day-to-day duties vary based on the company they work for, the territory they are assigned to, and the medications they are representing. However, typical responsibilities include:

Scheduling meetings with medical professionals

. Educating medical professionals about the effectiveness, use, and side effects of drugs.

What is the highest paying medical sales job?

At first glance, it appears the top earners are

Sales Directors and VPs working in biotech

. After all, according to the 2016 Medical Sales Salary Report, Sales Director / VP is the highest paid job title (average total $209,082), and biotech is the highest paying product category (average total $165,028).

What sales jobs pay the most?

  • Pharmaceutical sales representative. …
  • Direct sales representative. …
  • Business development representative. …
  • Sales engineer. …
  • Sales professional. …
  • Sales manager. …
  • Real estate agent. National average salary: $107,989 per year. …
  • Vice president of sales. National average salary: $110,945 per year.

What do pharmaceutical reps wear?

Their clothes should be fresh, neat, clean and pressed. The reps should be well-groomed, paying attention to hair, face and nails. Do the pharmaceutical reps need to dress in

formal business attire such as suit and tie for men and skirted suits or matching pants suits for women

?

How do I become a good pharmaceutical sales rep?

  1. Good People Skills. You need to have good people skills when going out to market a product. …
  2. Strong Product Knowledge. …
  3. Comfortable with Public Speaking. …
  4. Manage Your Own Time. …
  5. Industry-Specific Skills. …
  6. Be Ready to Travel Anytime. …
  7. Get Your CNPR Training.

How do I prepare for a pharmaceutical sales interview?

  1. Ask this question when you start (but not in a confrontational way). “I’m excited to be here. …
  2. Practice the “Tell me about yourself” response out loud several times. …
  3. Research the company. …
  4. Show Your Success. …
  5. Money.

Is pharma sales a good career?

According to Quint Careers, pharmaceuticals sales is considered

one of the fastest-growing career opportunities

, with a 300% growth rate in the last decade. In addition to fantastic job growth, these positions nationally average a salary of $64,000 (Glassdoor).

Are medical sales reps happy?

While

most medical sales reps are happy at work

—MedReps.com notes 72% of those surveyed said they were very satisfied or somewhat satisfied—14% of respondents said “Management/Leadership” is what they like least about their jobs and 9% said “Money.”

Is medical sales rep hard?

Medical device sales is a

highly competitive and demanding field

, but it is also very rewarding, so it’s no surprise that many people want to get into this industry and begin their career path.

Do doctors like drug reps?


Physicians view drug information provided by reps as a convenient, if not entirely reliable, educational service

. An industry survey found that more than half of “high-prescribing” doctors cited drug reps as their main source of information about new drugs [22].

Why are pharmaceutical sales reps attractive?

“Drug reps are cheerful, charming.

They provide both appreciation and information

. Unfortunately, the information they provide is innately unreliable.” Physicians respond by writing more prescriptions for the targeted drug, she said.

What makes a great pharmaceutical rep?

The best pharma reps know there are plenty of ups and downs in their field. Their

perseverance and ability to grow from mistakes and trials

leads them to success. Just like many careers, success doesn’t happen overnight. Staying focused, determined, and persistent will help you reach your goals.

How much money can you make in pharmaceuticals?

Earning a median salary of around

$84,000 per year

, pharmaceutical field sales representatives are required to have experience in various areas.

What is a career in pharmaceutical sales like?

As an entry-level pharmaceutical sales representative, you can expect to

work for a drug manufacturer

. Your primary job responsibility entails presenting drug information and marketing materials to healthcare professionals that are licensed to prescribe medications.

Why do you want to do pharmaceutical sales?


You can build connections

.

Pharmaceutical sales representatives often become the trusted go-to point for customers seeking information and assistance in helping their patients. Over the course of your career, you can build deep relationships with customers and forge new connections as industries change.

How much does CNPR certification cost?

Total Package CNPR Examination NAPSRx Career Center Checkmark Great Value
$268.00


$149.00
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How long is the CNPR course?

For the average student it takes about

60-80 hours

of study time to successfully pass the CNPR examination. Once a student passes the CNPR examination they should contact pharmaceutical companies.

How do you get CNPR certified?


After you have completed the CNPR training program, you can register to take the CNPR exam at the NAPSRx website

. The exam consists of 160 questions and takes 120 minutes to complete. Earning your pharmaceutical sales certification is a very important step to enjoying a career as a pharmaceutical sales representative.

Charlene Dyck
Author
Charlene Dyck
Charlene is a software developer and technology expert with a degree in computer science. She has worked for major tech companies and has a keen understanding of how computers and electronics work. Sarah is also an advocate for digital privacy and security.