How hard is it to get into pharmaceutical sales?

How hard is it to get into pharmaceutical sales?

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. Before you can start selling for your company, you have to sell yourself to potential employers.

Do pharmaceutical sales reps make commission?

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.

Do you need certification to be a pharmaceutical sales rep?

You usually need a formal qualification in nursing, science, business or another related field and experience in the healthcare industry to work as a Sales Representative (Medical and Pharmaceutical Products). University and Vocational Education and Training (VET) are both common study pathways.

Is pharmaceutical sales a good career path?

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).

How many hours a week do pharmaceutical sales reps work?

There’s also big room for advancement. However, medical device sales representatives have poor work-life balance with extensive travel to meet with clients. The majority works beyond 40 hours per week in a stressful, high-pressure environment where satisfying quotas is paramount.

How many hours a week do you work in medical sales?

However, medical device sales representatives have poor work-life balance with extensive travel to meet with clients. The majority works beyond 40 hours per week in a stressful, high-pressure environment where satisfying quotas is paramount.