I'm not sure about pharmaceutical sales but I have an uncle that work for the medical equipment saler Stryker. He said now all they hire is pretty little blondes right out of college. (I know one that works in Dallas for a different company, 6 months after employment there was a noticeable size difference in her breasts, I'm sure the company footed that).

They start off at 60K a year, but they are basically an intern, associate, whatever you want to call it. They follow around the person above them, meet the doctors, familiarize themselves with the equipment they are selling (My uncle sales specifically equipment from the mandible on up aka the mouth on up to be very vague.

The first two years are low pay(In their field at least), but once they let you take the reigns, we are talking beaucoup money, like more than double the 60K and depending on sales it can be triple or Quadruple. Commissions off of sales, taking doctors out on deep sea fishing trips and guided hunts (That's what we do down here, I guess its more of expensive dinners and venues in NYC.)

It's all fueled by sales. Two years ago he "won" a trip to Ireland, not sure if I added fuel the fire for this argument