When it comes to choosing or advancing in a sales career, understanding your actual earning potential is key. That’s why we’ve compiled this comprehensive sales salary guide based on real salary data shared by sales professionals across various industries, experience levels, and regions. Unlike the estimates or generic figures available elsewhere, RepVue data offers an accurate snapshot of what sales reps can truly expect to earn in 2025.

In this guide, you’ll find not only the median base salaries, but also insights into on-target earnings and commissions, average team quota attainment, and how market factors affect compensation packages for salespeople. By leveraging the real-world experiences of actual sales reps, we’ll help you gauge fair pay, identify lucrative sales roles, and confidently negotiate your next offer.

Let’s dive into the numbers and give you a clear, authentic picture of the sales salary landscape so you can make informed decisions for your sales career in 2025.

2025 Sales Salary Benchmarks

Here are the yearly salary benchmarks for a range of sales roles. Data is reported by salespeople in each role, and is current as of time of publication.

For the most up-to-date numbers, check out our salaries page or click the specific roles.

Sales Development Representative / Business Development Representative

• Median Base Salary for SDRs: $55,000
• Median OTE for SDRs: $85,000
• Top Performers: $130,050
• % of SDRs Hitting Quota: 56.7%

Sales Development Manager

• Median Base Salary for Sales Development Managers: $100,000
• Median OTE for Sales Sales Development Managers: $150,000
• Top Performers: $225,371
• % Hitting Quota: 59.4%

SMB Account Executive

• Median Base Salary for SMB AEs: $70,000
• Median OTE for SMB AEs: $130,000
• Top Performers: $266,739
• % of Reps Hitting Quota: 44.6%

Mid-Market Account Executive

• Median Base Salary for Mid-Market AEs: $85,000
• Median OTE for Mid-Market AEs: $165,000
• Top Performers: $378,858
• % of Reps Hitting Quota: 41.4%

Enterprise Account Executive

• Median Base Salary for Enterprise AEs: $130,000
• Median OTE Enterprise AEs: $255,000
• Top Performers: $606,494
• % of Reps Hitting Quota: 38.1%

Strategic Account Executive

• Median Base Salary: $145,000
• Median On-Target Earnings (OTE): $280,000
• Top Performers: $662,473
• % of Reps Hitting Quota: 44.2%

Sales Engineer / Pre-sales

• Median Base Salary for Sales Engineers: $140,000
• Median OTE for Sales Engineers: $195,000
• Top Performers: $327,131
• % of SEs Hitting Quota: 63.3%

Customer Success Manager

• Median Base Salary for Customer Success Managers: $95,000
• Median OTE for Customer Success Managers: $130,000
• Top Performers: $208,621
• % of CSMs Hitting Quota: 62.4%

Account Manager

• Median Base Salary for Account Managers: $95,000
• Median OTE for Account Managers: $165,000
• Top Performers: $399,892
• % of AMs Hitting Quota: 50.3%

Sales Manager

• Median Base Salary for Sales Managers: $135,000
• Median OTE for Sales Managers: $255,000
• Top Performers: $474,212
• % of Sales Managers Hitting Quota: 53.6%

Factors Affecting Sales Salaries

When it comes to understanding sales compensation, multiple variables come into play. From the depth of your professional background to the dynamics of the broader economy, these factors collectively shape how much you can earn in a sales role.

1. Experience

Your level of experience in sales directly influences your earning potential—up to a certain point. While a sales rep with five to ten years of experience typically earns more than someone just starting out, additional years beyond that don’t always translate into higher pay.

Instead, once you’re well-established, the quality and relevance of your experience become more critical than simply accumulating years of experience. Proven results, strong industry relationships and networking, and a track record of consistently meeting or exceeding targets will often matter more than hitting a specific tenure milestone.

2. Industry

Not all industries compensate sales professionals equally. High-margin and specialized sectors, such as software and medical devices, tend to offer more lucrative salary packages due to the complexity of their products and the substantial value each sale can deliver. In contrast, sales roles in lower-margin sectors like retail generally come with more modest pay.

Ultimately, the level of product specialization, the complexity of the sales cycle, and the profit margins in the market segment all influence how much you can expect to earn.

3. Location

Historically, geography played a pivotal role in determining sales salaries. High-cost metropolitan areas such as New York City, San Francisco, and London often offered premium compensation packages to attract top-tier talent who faced steep housing and living expenses. Over the last few years, the rise of remote work began to chip away at these regional disparities, allowing companies to base pay on skill, performance, and market rates rather than a salesperson’s ZIP code.

However, with a growing number of organizations now issuing return-to-office mandates — even if on a hybrid schedule — location is regaining some of its influence. Companies that require a physical presence may revert to regional compensation models, particularly if their offices are based in high-demand, high-cost areas.

For sales reps, this shift can mean reassessing where to live and work. Those willing to relocate for career advancement or adapt to hybrid office policies could still command competitive salaries, while those who prioritize fully remote positions may need to be more flexible on compensation. In short, location is not the all-encompassing factor it once was, but its significance remains fluid as workplace expectations continue to evolve.

4. Economic Conditions

Broad economic trends can significantly influence sales salaries, and these effects aren’t static. During periods of rapid growth — like the post-2020 surge — companies clamored for top sales talent, driving up both base pay and commission rates. Following extensive layoffs of tech sales reps in 2023 and 2024, compensation has grown more slowly.

Looking ahead to 2025, expect a more dynamic landscape shaped by evolving market conditions and emerging technology. As businesses streamline operations through automation and artificial intelligence, the need for highly skilled salespeople capable of navigating complex value propositions will intensify. Many experts predict that top-tier sales reps — those with a proven record of closing deals in competitive markets — will maintain strong bargaining power.

That said, it’s crucial to assess not only the salary you’re being offered but also the long-term viability of the company’s market position. In 2025, salespeople who carefully choose companies positioned for stable growth and who cultivate specialized expertise may be best equipped to weather uncertain economic cycles and capitalize on high-demand opportunities in the ever-evolving sales landscape.

Calculating Total Compensation

Calculating your total compensation and true earning potential as a sales professional often comes down to evaluating your likelihood of achieving OTE and how many of your peers consistently meet their quotas. By reviewing what percentage of the team actually hits quota, you can gauge whether OTE is a realistic benchmark or more of an aspirational figure.

If a large portion of the team regularly attains quota, you can have more confidence that OTE accurately reflects achievable total compensation. Conversely, if only a small fraction of reps reach their targets, it’s important to adjust your expectations. In other words, to understand your real earnings potential, analyze the gap between stated on-target goals and the team’s historical performance — then use that insight to make informed decisions about your expected total compensation.