MedReps.com looked at posted job counts and divided that by the number of qualified candidates on the site. The result is the true availability of medical sales jobs in top cities.

MedReps recently unveiled a very informative infographic showing the top 25 cities for medical sales jobs in the U.S., and the results were quite interesting, to say the least.

Within the study that the infographic represents, a variety of criteria were examined and taken into account. Included among them were: open job opportunities, annual salaries, cost of living, and overall candidate resume views. Perhaps most importantly, the job-per-candidate ratios of selective cities tell the story about the true availability of jobs in each city. To figure out the true availability in each of these cities, we took the posted job count and divided that by the available workforce (qualified candidates). Let’s take a look at some of them.

New York:

651 jobs; 406 candidates

= 1.6 jobs per candidate

Boston:

215 jobs; 162 candidates

= 1.3 jobs per candidate

Chicago:

299 jobs; 364 candidates

= 0.8 jobs per candidate

Los Angeles:

282 jobs; 313 candidates

= 0.9 jobs per candidate

San Francisco:

244 jobs; 132 candidates

= 1.8 jobs per candidate

Philadelphia:

253 jobs; 268 candidates

= 0.9 jobs per candidate

Dallas:

207 jobs; 413 candidates

= 0.5 jobs per candidate

Of the cities mentioned, San Francisco offers the best opportunity and highest job per candidate ratio. This is not necessarily due to a seemingly inflated number of available jobs, but rather the high cost of living there. Many candidates who qualify for medical sales jobs in San Francisco either turn them down or don’t bother to apply, as they know that most of their income will go towards housing. The city by the bay ranks 13th out of 25 cities surveyed with the highest salaries for sales reps ($147,640 per year), which isn’t too shabby, but with a cost of living of 50.5% above the national average, medical sales reps aren’t exactly piling on the golden gate bridge for a job.

Dallas, on the other hand, has the lowest job per candidate ratio of the cities sampled for this study. In a previous blog, MedReps mentioned how Dallas was actually an up-and-coming destination for medical sales reps as more jobs were becoming available in an area that is working towards a modern metropolitan center complete with bustling nightlife and a deep appreciation of the performing arts. Despite the low job per candidate ratio, the annual salaries of sales reps in the Big D average $153,676, good for 6th place out of 25 cities. In addition, the relatively low cost of living (8.3% above the national average) compared to that of San Francisco can make it easier for candidates to decide where to relocate.

So, as a medical sales rep, what do you do? Ultimately, the choice is yours. Whether you choose to relocate to a city with more job opportunities and higher salaries or a city with a lower cost of living and a higher job per candidate ratio, make sure to do your homework and take into consideration what’s best for you and your individual situation.