How to Compare Medical Sales Job Offers Beyond the Basic Salary

You've been offered a new medical sales role with a higher basic salary. Financially, it looks like an obvious step forward.

But is it?

Basic salary is an important part of any job offer, but it doesn't tell you everything about what you'll actually earn or what the move will mean financially.

Bonus, car or car allowance, pension, benefits, travel and even the timing of your move can make a significant difference.

Before deciding whether an offer represents a financial step forward, it helps to put the whole package side by side with what you have now.

Start With What You Have Now

Before assessing a new package, make sure you understand the value of your current one.

Look at:

• Your basic salary
• What you actually earn in bonus or commission
• Company car or car allowance
• Pension contributions
• Private healthcare and other benefits
• Annual leave
• Any other allowances or regular payments
• Your current travel and working arrangements

It's easy to remember your salary and forget the rest.

If your basic salary increases by £5,000 but you're giving up a valuable car scheme, stronger pension contribution or bonus you've consistently achieved, the difference may be smaller than it first appears.

Understand the Bonus, Not Just the Headline Number

Bonus and commission can make up a significant part of a medical sales package, so don't compare two schemes purely by looking at the headline figure.

If a role is advertised with a £20,000 bonus, find out what that actually means.

Is £20,000 the target bonus, expected OTE or maximum available?

Is the scheme capped or uncapped?

Is there a threshold you need to reach before anything is paid?

Is it based entirely on your own performance, or does team or company performance affect it?

When are payments made?

And, importantly, when will you become eligible to earn it after joining?

A higher potential bonus isn't necessarily better if the targets or scheme work very differently from what you're used to.

If you're being represented by a recruiter, ask them to clarify anything you don't understand rather than making assumptions about the figures.

Check What You Could Be Leaving Behind

Before resigning, check whether leaving at that particular point means giving up anything you've already earned or are close to receiving.

Bonus is the obvious example.

Some schemes require you to still be employed on the payment date. Others may operate differently.

Don't assume.

Check the terms of your own scheme and understand what will happen if you resign before payment.

If you stand to lose a significant amount, that doesn't automatically mean you shouldn't move. The new opportunity may still be worth considerably more to you.

It simply means the amount you're leaving behind should be part of your decision.

You should also understand when benefits with the new employer begin and whether there will be any gap between your existing and new arrangements.

Look Carefully at the Car or Car Allowance

For many medical sales professionals, the car is an important part of the package.

If you're moving from a company car to a car allowance, or vice versa, don't treat the headline allowance as though it's simply extra salary.

Think about what you'll actually need to provide yourself and how the new arrangement compares with what you have now.

Likewise, look at the practical requirements of the territory.

A role covering a relatively compact area may feel very different financially and practically from one involving significantly more mileage, regular overnight stays or frequent travel to head office.

The territory itself is part of the package you're evaluating.

Consider How the Role Will Change Your Day-to-Day Costs

Two roles offering identical salaries can still have different financial implications.

A genuinely home and field-based position will have different costs from a role requiring regular attendance at an office some distance away.

A larger territory may involve more travel and overnight stays. A different car arrangement could change what you need to fund yourself.

Not every difference needs to be converted into an exact figure.

But if the new role materially changes how and where you work, it's worth understanding what that means before accepting it.

Don't Forget the Pension and Benefits

Pension contributions can be easy to overlook when you're concentrating on salary and bonus, particularly because the benefit isn't immediately visible in your monthly pay.

Compare what your current employer contributes with the new scheme.

Then look at the other benefits that matter to you.

These might include:

• Private medical insurance
• Life assurance
• Income protection
• Additional annual leave
• Dental cover
• Professional development or training
• Other company-specific benefits

You may place very little value on some benefits and a great deal on others.

That's fine. The purpose isn't to assign a theoretical value to everything in the package. It's to understand what you're gaining and what you're giving up.

A Good Career Move Doesn't Always Come With the Biggest Immediate Pay Rise

Money matters, but not every worthwhile career move produces a substantial increase in salary on day one.

A role at a similar salary might give you experience that your current position can't offer.

For example, you might gain responsibility for larger or more complex accounts, move into a new therapy area, gain greater clinical exposure or join a manufacturer after working for a distributor.

You might be taking your first step into management, moving towards marketing or joining a company that can offer opportunities that simply aren't available where you are now.

None of those things guarantees you'll earn substantially more in the future.

The question is whether the move gives you something valuable enough to justify any financial trade-off you're making now.

Equally, More Money Doesn't Automatically Make It the Better Job

The reverse is also true.

A significant salary increase can be attractive, but understand what you're being paid more to take on.

Is the territory considerably larger?

Are the targets significantly more demanding?

Does the position involve much more travel?

Are you moving from an established customer base into a territory that needs rebuilding?

Is the management responsibility substantially greater?

None of those things makes it a bad opportunity. They may be exactly the challenge you're looking for.

But compare the jobs as well as the salaries.

Use Market Information as Context

If you're unsure whether a package is competitive, current market information can help.

Salary reports, advertised roles and conversations with specialist recruiters can give you an indication of what employers are currently offering for comparable positions.

But job titles alone aren't enough.

Two Territory Manager roles can involve very different products, customers, targets, territories and levels of responsibility.

A specialist MedTech recruiter should be able to help you understand how an offer compares with similar opportunities they're currently seeing and clarify details of the package with the employer where necessary.

Use that information as context rather than expecting every company to offer exactly the same package for the same job title.

Put the Two Packages Side by Side

Before making your decision, compare your current position and the new offer properly.

Ask yourself:

• What happens to my basic salary?
• What am I realistically likely to earn in bonus or commission?
• How do the car arrangements compare?
• What happens to my pension?
• Which benefits am I gaining or losing?
• Will the role change my travel or other regular costs?
• Am I walking away from a bonus or other payment by leaving now?
• When do I become eligible for the new bonus and benefits?
• Does the role give me something valuable for the next stage of my career?

You may still decide that the role with the lower overall package is the better move.

Or you may realise that an apparently substantial salary increase isn't quite as substantial once you've looked at everything else.

Either is fine.

The important thing is knowing what you're choosing.

Know What You're Accepting Before You Resign

By the time you hand in your notice, you should understand the package you've agreed to.

If you're unclear about the bonus, car, pension, benefits or any other part of the offer that matters to your decision, ask before you resign.

And if the package isn't quite right, that's the point to decide whether you want to negotiate rather than accepting first and raising concerns afterwards.

A good career move isn't simply the one with the highest number at the top of the offer letter.

It's the one where you've looked at what you'll earn, what you might give up and what the opportunity gives you in return, and decided that the overall move makes sense for you.