Medical Device Sales: Definition, Job Description, Salary, and More

Selling medical devices into doctors' offices and healthcare systems isn't easy. It takes a skilled sales rep with experience in the medical industry to close deals while navigating a hopital's hallways and hierarchy. 

Whether you're building a medical device sales team or looking to become a medical sales rep yourself, here's everything you need to know about the position. 

1. Medical Device Sales Definition
2. Medical Device Sales Representative Job Description
3. Medical Device Sales Rep Salary
4. Medical Devce Sales Rep Education Level, Experience, and Qualifications
5. Medical Device Sales Job Listings

Medical Device Sales Definition

Medical devices incude a number of different types of equipment doctors and surgeons use in a clinical setting. This may include biomedical implants like artificial joints and pacemakers, or diagnistic equipment like MRI machines and mobile ultrasound stations. While most companies use "medical device" to refer to these large, expensive items, the term is sometimes also applied to inexpensive, disposable equipment, such as gloves, needles, or bandages. 

Manufacturers typically sell this equipment to hospitals and doctors' offices by landing long-term contracts for sales and maintenance or for replenishment over a period of time. Medical device sales reps meet with doctors, surgeons, and administrators to land these contracts, as well as follow up to keep the accounts happy and profitable.    

Medical Device Sales Rep Job Description

Every company manages its field sales team differently, which means medical sales reps' responsibilities will vary widely between organizations. That being said, here's one sample job description you can use to guide your hiring practices, or prepare for a job interview. 

Job Summary:

Medical device sales representatives are responsible for selling medical products, equipment, and services to hospitals, health systems, doctors' offices, and clinics, 

Job Responsibilities:

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Cold call and visit prospects on location
• Set appointments with hospital staff and administrators 
• Manage all leads and customers within a defined territory 
• Build relationships with hospital staff
• Educate medical staff on the benefits of medical devices
• Provide product demonstrations and support
• Place replenishment orders at existing accounts
• Maximize profits by upselling and cross selling additional products
• Communicate between sales, marketing, and support teams to improve customer experience
• Collect, analyze, and present field sales datato assits with strategy planning and implementation. 

Medical Device Sales Rep Salary

Medical device sales can be a lucrative profession, depending on the company's pay structure and the employee's seniority. In 2016, sales reps made an average of $73,000 in base salary, and another $66,000 in commission and bonus pay, according to MedReps.com. In total, medical device reps make an average of $139,000 annually. 

Medical Device Sales Rep Education Level, Skills, and Experience

Most medical sales reps have at least a bachelor's degree. While not a requirement, many employers find that degrees in technical fields like engineering or biology can help reps understand the practical applications of their products, and therefore help them do their job better. 

Whether or not candidates have this kind of technical education, having direct sales training is incrediby valuable - especially if that experience is in the medical industry. For example, reps can get certified by the National Association of Medical Sales Representatives, or find other field sales certifications they can use to prove their abilities.  

Having a strong sales background is perhaps the single most important part of a medical device sales resume. Manufacturers won't expect reps to come in knowing much about their products, and will provide hands-on training to familiarize the sales team with its products. Having gritty sales chops, on the other hand, is a non-negotiable employers will surely look for at the outset.  

Medical Device Sales Rep Job Listings

Medical device companies may look to fill more senior positions with recruiters, but they often post other openings on their sales team on online job boards. For an up-to-date list of medical device sales jobs, use these links for real-time searches from Glassdoor, Indeed, Monster, and LinkedIn.