Medical Sales Rep Salary: Your 2025 Guide

Medical sales reps have strong earning potential and a variety of roles to explore within the health care management field. No matter the position, the goal of a medical sales rep is typically the same: to increase the volume of sales of a particular medical device, product, or medication. Medical sales reps act as experts and allies to health care professionals who prescribe medications and provide medical products to patients. 

Explore the average medical sales rep's salary and more information about the role, such as daily responsibilities and skills you may need, so you can decide if it’s the right direction for your career.

What is a medical sales rep?

A medical sales rep sells medical products, such as medical devices, equipment, and pharmaceuticals, to health care clinics and facilities. Depending on the products or services they sell, they may also sell to private practices, hospitals, and other types of medical centers. 

A medical sales rep acquires new customers and maintains existing customer relationships by providing ongoing information about relevant medical products. To do this, they may make phone calls, send emails, and travel to customers for in-person meetings. Other day-to-day responsibilities may involve giving presentations to new or existing customers, arranging meetings with customers, attending conferences or informational meetings, maintaining sales records, answering questions for new or existing customers, and meeting with a sales team.

How much does a medical sales rep make?

The average annual base salary for a medical sales rep in the United States, according to Glassdoor in November 2024, is $71,103 per year [1]. As a sales representative, you can earn more annually based on commission or bonuses. The average annual total pay, including commission, bonuses, profit sharing, and tips for a medical sales rep is $145,924, meaning you could earn an additional $74,821 a year in this role [1].

The salary of a medical sales representative varies depending on many factors, including where you work, who you work for, your experience level, and your education. Even the exact job title within a company may affect your average annual income. 

What is the average medical sales rep salary? 

According to several popular job listing sites, the average pay range for medical sales reps ranges from $59,322 to $105,283 in 2024. The salary ranges given by five different organizations for medical sales reps are as follows [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]: 

Types of medical sales reps

Medical sales reps typically specialize in a certain area of medical sales, such as surgical, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, or medical device sales. Each position varies slightly in the equipment, medication, or products you would sell. Likewise, salaries for these positions can vary as well. 

The following explains the differences between each type and provides the average salaries of each. It’s important to note that these salaries include base pay, not total pay and that medical sales representatives may earn more annually due to commissions and bonuses.

Pharmaceutical sales representative

Average annual US salary (Glassdoor): $77,857 [6]

You will need in-depth knowledge of certain drugs and medications in pharmaceutical sales. In this role, you will typically sell medications to hospitals, physicians, and other medical professionals who prescribe medications. 

Surgical sales representative

Average annual US salary (Glassdoor)): $71,275 [7]

As a sales rep in surgical sales, you will spend time negotiating pricing and completing service agreements with medical professionals who work in operating rooms or surgical centers. In this role, you will sell surgical equipment and instruments and medical devices used in the operating room.

Medical equipment sales representative

Average annual US salary (Glassdoor): $70,376 [8]

As a medical equipment sales rep, you will sell medical equipment like IV stands and hospital beds to health care facilities and practitioners needing more general medical equipment. In this field, you may find that you could have a less extensive biology background and knowledge base. 

Medical device sales representative

Average annual US salary (Glassdoor): $90,622 [9]

As a medical device sales rep, you will typically specialize in one area of health care, such as neurology or cardiology. In this role, you will sell specialized medical devices to physicians who usually have a medical or technical background.

Health care management sales representative

Average annual US salary (Glassdoor): $59,484 [10]

As a medical sales rep who works in health care management, you may work to create and implement marketing campaigns on behalf of a health care facility or organization. Other tasks in this role include monitoring sales, setting sales goals, and building brand awareness. 

Factors that affect salary

It’s helpful to understand the many factors that affect the salary of a medical sales rep, particularly if you’re considering pursuing this career path. Understanding the factors that can impact your earnings can help you arrive at a better estimate of how much you can expect to make, and uncover the steps you can take to boost your earning potential. 

Your education, experience, industry, job title, and location all affect the salary of a medical sales rep in the US. Explore each factor in more detail regarding medical sales representatives below. 

Education

Your level of education likely impacts your earnings as a medical sales rep. It’s most common for medical sales reps to hold a four-year degree, but not all employers have the same educational requirements. Zippia reports that 82 percent of medical sales reps have a bachelor’s degree, with 7 percent having an associate’s degree and 7 percent having a master’s degree [11].

Additionally, data gathered by Zippia reflects the fluctuations in earnings by level of education with the average annual income of a medical sales by education as follows [2]:

• High school diploma: $60,322

• Associate degree: $63,225

• Bachelor’s degree: $85,060

• Master’s degree: $97,395

Certifications

Employers typically offer on-the-job training. However, earning certifications may positively impact your chances of employment and lead to an increase in your overall annual salary. Many medical sales reps focus on a specific specialty, which guides them in selecting the right certification or advanced degree. Common options medical sales reps may pursue include the following: 

• Certified National Pharmaceutical Representative (CNPR): Obtained through the National Association of Pharmaceutical Sales Representatives (NAPSR), the CNPR certification program educates entry-level sales reps in the basics of medical sales to advance in the field of pharmaceutical sales.

• Certified Professional Sales Consultant (CPSC): The CPSC is ideal for medical sales reps who want to improve their sales skills, such as negotiation tactics, effective communication, and lead generation. The Institute for Professional Advancement (IPA) offers this program through the Manufacturers’ Representatives Educational Research Foundation (MRERF). 

• Certified Master Sales Professional (CMSP): If you want to build your sales rep skills and advance your field career, the CMSP certification program might help you achieve those goals. The CMSP, offered through the National Association of Sales Professionals (NASP), teaches candidates key leadership and sales skills for sales professionals and representatives of varying industries. 

Experience

Typically, with more professional experience in medical sales comes higher-paying positions as you progress as a medical sales rep. The job title of medical sales rep typically requires anywhere from zero to four years of experience, making it an entry- to mid-level position, depending on other factors. 

To acquire experience as a medical sales rep immediately after graduating from high school or after completing a degree, consider internships or volunteer programs with an organization or health care facility where you’d like to eventually work. 

Your annual salary will likely increase by years of experience, with the average annual salary for medical sales reps by years of experience, according to data from Zippia [2]:

• Entry-level medical sales reps: $58,978

• Mid-level medical sales reps: $74,079

• Senior-level medical sales reps: $151,792

Industry and employer 

The industry in which you sell and the company you work for are likely to affect your salary as a medical sales rep. Data collected by Glassdoor reports the overall highest-paying sectors for medical sales reps in the United States as follows, according to data from November 2024 [1]: 

• Manufacturing: $163,153

• Pharmaceutical and biotechnology: $183,095

• Health care: $169,326

• Management and consulting: $125,863

• Retail and wholesale: $86,891

It’s important to note that different companies have varying pay structures, which affect how much commission you’ll earn, bonuses you may earn, and other performance-based incentives the company offers. Many organizations assign medical sales reps to regions where they sell to all health care facilities. As you gain experience and skills, the company may expand or adjust your sales territory for the better.

Location

Where you work as a medical sales rep affects how much you may earn. Explore some of the areas where you could earn significantly higher salaries as a medical sales representative 

Highest-paying locations for medical sales reps 

According to Zippia, some of the highest-paying cities in the United States for medical sales reps include [2]:

1. San Francisco, California: $106,985

2. Baltimore, Maryland: $92,434

3. Newark, New Jersey: $92,318

4. Boston, Massachusetts: $84,300

5. Cleveland, Ohio: $81,678

The highest-paying states for medical sales reps include [2]:

1. California: $98,457

2. New Jersey: $92,017

3. Maryland: $91,804

4. Michigan: $91,656

5. Massachusetts: $84,352

Job outlook

The BLS anticipates little to no change in the growth rate for wholesale and manufacturing sales reps, a role related to medical sales representatives. BLS also expects 149,900 sales rep jobs added between 2023 and 2033, even though the overall growth may not increase [12]. This growth is partly due to a wider range of products available for sales reps to sell to customers and rising sales volume overall. 

Getting started as a medical sales rep with Coursera

As a medical sales rep, your annual salary may differ based on your geographic location, years of experience in sales, education level, and the commission you earn on the job. You can boost your earnings by completing higher education or certifications or moving to a location where medical sales reps earn more.

Explore the world of medical sales with an online course tailored to the needs of a medical sales rep. Earning an online or professional certification is an excellent way to gain a deeper understanding of the profession, market yourself as a knowledgeable professional, and increase your potential earnings. 

For example, you might consider enrolling in The Business of Health Care specialization on Coursera to learn more about the overall health care management system. To learn more about sales and refine your negotiating skills, explore Sales Training: Building Your Sales Career, offered by HubSpot Academy on Coursera.