I work in pharma and when I break down my annual comp divided by the hours per week necessary to execute my duties with high performance (15), I make approx. $150 per hour. My overall financial picture is sound, as I've invested wisely. Investments currently bring in respectable additional income......although I do not spend my dividend income as disposable income. I reinvest it.
I already know that CSRs make more than I do on an annual basis and I do not mind working longer and harder for more money but my question is: do you still feel Intuitive is worth it when considering the additional work hours and stress vs pharma? Again, I am NOT lazy. My access to pharma customers is so poor that I literally cannot work more hours than that even when I've tried to. The lack of access won't allow it. I did work in an "eat what you kill" B2B role prior to pharma so I think I could make the transition back to that lifestyle if the incentive was worthwhile. I've been promoted a couple of times in pharma but further promotion towards management is a total political crapshoot and is not on the immediate horizon for me or any of my current coworkers. My career progression feels like it has reached an impasse.
With the exception of complete boredom at work, my current quality of life is outstanding (time spent with family and friends, time to exercise, ample vacation time, etc.) I am a young and unwed female with no dependents at the moment so I don't "need" more money to support others. My current income meets my personal needs but that could change if I have children in years to come. I also live in a high cost area (think: SF/NY/DC/Boston/LA)
I'm open to sacrificing some quality of life for a worthwhile increase in pay. But I hear a lot of talk about reps burning out here. Is the churn and burn culture at Intuitive true? In the long haul, I am trying to determine if dedicating 15 hours/week to pharma to make ~115k per year (with nominal annual raises) is better for a rep's mental health and longevity vs. working, for example, (50 hours/week for 140k? = $53/hour assuming a 10 hour workday), (150k? = $57/hour assuming a 10 hour workday), 175k? = $67/hour assuming a 10 hour workday)? etc.
I love my current pharma boss. She's a great manager and I dont need to prove myself to her at this point.....which is often necessary when you accept a new sales rep role in a new industry. She knows I'm a great rep. I've earned her respect and the respect of my team members. I'm totally bored but comfortable. The doctors that I can access know me well. I can easily influence them and servicing those accounts is butter. The only problem is some days I feel guilty and embarrassed that Im not reaching my potential as a professional by staying in pharma. Then I remind myself that many of my friends earn less money working longer hours in other industries and HATE their jobs. People always think the grass is greener on the other side and I'm facing a devil-you-know vs. devil-you-don't-know dilemma when it comes to staying in pharma or making the jump to intuitive or another surgical sales company. If intuitive is clearly a better opportunity Id hate myself for passing it up so I appreciate your feedback!!!
I understand it's a personal decision that only I can make and your opinions will vary but, in order to answer that question for myself, I'd like to please know:
1) How much do CSR reps make in a major metropolitan area (Base? Bonus?) and how many hours do you work per day/week to achieve that?
Glassdoor and other salary & comp range websites are all over the place, as are responses on other intuitive Cafepharma threads so I appreciate a more exact idea for SF/NY/DC/Boston/LA i.e. major cities. Is 75k-80k the max base offered or is there flexibility for negotiation? Is 100k actually the lowest annual bonus u have seen or does the company overpromise and underdeliver when it comes to the comp plan they state during the interview process?
2) How much do CTAs make in a major metropolitan area (Base? Bonus?) and how many hours do u work per day/week to achieve that? Does it really take 2 years to get promoted from CTA to CSR??? That sounds hella long! Other device roles usually promote within 12-18 months. Can a senior pharma rep jump directly to a CSR rep at Intuitive or is that uncommon?
3) Are surgical robotics truly the future or do hospitals/surgeons view it as an unnecessarily expensive gimmick? Is this industry poised for continued growth and better job security? People have talked about pharma being a dying industry for 10+ years and yet new products come out each year and reps continue to be needed to drive their uptake/adoption, despite declining access.
4) If this isn't a true capital equipment sell, how exactly are bonuses calculated?
5) Do you deal with the same b.s. reimbursement process with insurance companies as pharma or is it better?
6) Is intuitive a male or female driven culture?
Sincere thanks for serious responses!
I already know that CSRs make more than I do on an annual basis and I do not mind working longer and harder for more money but my question is: do you still feel Intuitive is worth it when considering the additional work hours and stress vs pharma? Again, I am NOT lazy. My access to pharma customers is so poor that I literally cannot work more hours than that even when I've tried to. The lack of access won't allow it. I did work in an "eat what you kill" B2B role prior to pharma so I think I could make the transition back to that lifestyle if the incentive was worthwhile. I've been promoted a couple of times in pharma but further promotion towards management is a total political crapshoot and is not on the immediate horizon for me or any of my current coworkers. My career progression feels like it has reached an impasse.
With the exception of complete boredom at work, my current quality of life is outstanding (time spent with family and friends, time to exercise, ample vacation time, etc.) I am a young and unwed female with no dependents at the moment so I don't "need" more money to support others. My current income meets my personal needs but that could change if I have children in years to come. I also live in a high cost area (think: SF/NY/DC/Boston/LA)
I'm open to sacrificing some quality of life for a worthwhile increase in pay. But I hear a lot of talk about reps burning out here. Is the churn and burn culture at Intuitive true? In the long haul, I am trying to determine if dedicating 15 hours/week to pharma to make ~115k per year (with nominal annual raises) is better for a rep's mental health and longevity vs. working, for example, (50 hours/week for 140k? = $53/hour assuming a 10 hour workday), (150k? = $57/hour assuming a 10 hour workday), 175k? = $67/hour assuming a 10 hour workday)? etc.
I love my current pharma boss. She's a great manager and I dont need to prove myself to her at this point.....which is often necessary when you accept a new sales rep role in a new industry. She knows I'm a great rep. I've earned her respect and the respect of my team members. I'm totally bored but comfortable. The doctors that I can access know me well. I can easily influence them and servicing those accounts is butter. The only problem is some days I feel guilty and embarrassed that Im not reaching my potential as a professional by staying in pharma. Then I remind myself that many of my friends earn less money working longer hours in other industries and HATE their jobs. People always think the grass is greener on the other side and I'm facing a devil-you-know vs. devil-you-don't-know dilemma when it comes to staying in pharma or making the jump to intuitive or another surgical sales company. If intuitive is clearly a better opportunity Id hate myself for passing it up so I appreciate your feedback!!!
I understand it's a personal decision that only I can make and your opinions will vary but, in order to answer that question for myself, I'd like to please know:
1) How much do CSR reps make in a major metropolitan area (Base? Bonus?) and how many hours do you work per day/week to achieve that?
Glassdoor and other salary & comp range websites are all over the place, as are responses on other intuitive Cafepharma threads so I appreciate a more exact idea for SF/NY/DC/Boston/LA i.e. major cities. Is 75k-80k the max base offered or is there flexibility for negotiation? Is 100k actually the lowest annual bonus u have seen or does the company overpromise and underdeliver when it comes to the comp plan they state during the interview process?
2) How much do CTAs make in a major metropolitan area (Base? Bonus?) and how many hours do u work per day/week to achieve that? Does it really take 2 years to get promoted from CTA to CSR??? That sounds hella long! Other device roles usually promote within 12-18 months. Can a senior pharma rep jump directly to a CSR rep at Intuitive or is that uncommon?
3) Are surgical robotics truly the future or do hospitals/surgeons view it as an unnecessarily expensive gimmick? Is this industry poised for continued growth and better job security? People have talked about pharma being a dying industry for 10+ years and yet new products come out each year and reps continue to be needed to drive their uptake/adoption, despite declining access.
4) If this isn't a true capital equipment sell, how exactly are bonuses calculated?
5) Do you deal with the same b.s. reimbursement process with insurance companies as pharma or is it better?
6) Is intuitive a male or female driven culture?
Sincere thanks for serious responses!