How much does a pharmaceutical sales rep typically earn?

Question

What type of education, background and experience do those companies look for in hiring sales rep positions?

Answer 1

I've known reps that obviously made a good living, but don't know how much they made. One was a good friend with whom I had worked. He left that job about 20 years ago when we were both making about $40K. The dollar was worth almost twice what it is today, so it's safe to say that you could expect at least $70-80K.

Answer 2

To break into pharma sales, you need a degree first of all. It's helpful to have one in marketing or sales, but my brother who's a pharma rep has an English degree. Before they'll even look at you, you have to have at least 2 or 3 years sales experience in B2B sales.

As far as salary, my brother just starting out got a base of $55,000, plus a paid for brand new car (new Volvo), his cell phone paid, and lots of other little perks. There are also bonuses every quarter, usually at least several thousand. In addition to that, the perks are unreal... trips, cars, sporting events, etc. It's a hard business to break into but they do really well.