Pharmaceutical sales professionals sell and promote pharmaceutical products.
Pharmaceutical companies discover, research, develop and manufacture a wide variety of prescription and non-prescription drugs, as well as other health-related products. Like other organizations that sell products or services, the pharmaceutical industry employs different types of sales professionals to promote their products. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported approximately 6,900 sales and related occupations in May of 2008 in the pharmaceutical and medical manufacturing industry.
Outside Sales Representative
An outside sales representative in the pharmaceutical industry travels to customer locations such as physician's offices, hospitals and retail establishments to promote and sell pharmaceutical products. This includes contacting potential customers to explain clinical study results, use and dosage of the products and giving samples. The occupation requires at least a bachelor's degree in life sciences, biology, chemistry or a related discipline. Additional extensive training is typically provided by the employer. As of August 2010, CBSalary listed a national average salary of $89,096 per year for this occupation.
Inside Sales Representative
An inside sales representative in the pharmaceutical industry promotes and sells pharmaceutical products to customers over the telephone, rather than visiting customers at their locations. An inside sales representative will place outbound sales calls to customers and recive calls from customers to answer questions and provide assistance. After selling products, these professionals secure customers' credit and set up the shipment of products to customer locations. This occupation typically requires a high school diploma or GED, as well as previous sales experience. Most employer prefer previous pharmaceutical experience as well. As of August 2010, Indeed listed a national average salary of $55,000 per year for this occupation.
Product or Brand Manager
A product or brand manager oversees and directs the sales and marketing activities of a pharmaceutical product. This includes consumer research, developing sales and marketing strategies, managing the financial budget, as well as training sales staff on sell the brand or product. Employers prefer a master's degree in business administration, but are willing to accept a bachelor's degree. These professionals are often promoted into this type of role after several years of experience in sales or marketing. As of August 2010, Indeed listed a national average salary of $87,000 per year for a pharmaceutical brand manager.
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