Salary guide: what reps should earn in 2025

Published: Wed, 01/08/25

Updated: Sun, 01/12/25

January 8, 2025

TOGETHER WITH

Welcome back to The Quota, the sales newsletter whose New Year’s resolution is to gain weight, not lose it (we just want to be different). We had a relaxing two weeks off, but now we’re back with a detailed new issue, featuring the 2025 sales salary guide, a Sales Fail about a fishing trip gone wrong, and advice for a rep with almost no support. Let’s dig in.

NUMBER OF THE WEEK

Salespeople who worked in companies with 10 employees or fewer were 11% less likely to reach their goals.

Source: Pipedrive

SALES ROUNDUP

Here’s what’s happening in the sales world this week:

Is the online-only car dealer Carvana a house of cards? According to a recent report from Hindenburg Research, it just might be. The report delves into Carvana’s surging stock price, and makes the shocking claim that accounting tricks have been responsible for the stock’s surge, all to the benefit of Carvana insiders, especially the father-son duo that started the company. You can read the full report here.
A 36-year-old Orlando man faces charges after deputies said he collected a $37,044 cash payment for a solar project on a Volusia County home, then disappeared with the money. Deputies say a couple contracted with Powur BBC, Inc. for the project in early April. The homeowners then paid the salesman $37,044 in cash. However, on July 18, the couple received an invoice from Powur BBC that did not reflect the $37,044 payment. The homeowners tried to contact Scott, but their calls were not returned. You can read more about what happened here.

FEATURE

Salary Guide: What Sales Reps Should Earn in 2025

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 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, RepVue helps you gauge fair pay, identify lucrative roles, and negotiate your next offer.

Let’s dive into the numbers and give you a clear picture of the sales salary landscape. Data is reported by salespeople in each role, and is current as of time of publication.

Sales Development Rep / Business Development Rep

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

Sales Development Manager

Median Base Salary: 100,000
Median OTE: 150,000
Top Performers: 225,371
% Hitting Quota: 59.4

SMB Account Executive

Median Base Salary: 70,000
Median OTE: 130,000
Top Performers: 266,739
% of Reps Hitting Quota: 44.6

Mid-Market Account Executive

Median Base Salary: 85,000
Median OTE: 165,000
Top Performers: 378,858
% of Reps Hitting Quota: 41.4

Enterprise Account Executive

Median Base Salary: 130,000
Median OTE: 255,000
Top Performers: 606,494
% of Reps Hitting Quota: 38.1

Strategic Account Executive

Median Base Salary: 145,000
Median OTE: 280,000
Top Performers: 662,473
% of Reps Hitting Quota: 44.2

Sales Engineer / Pre-sales

Median Base Salary: 140,000
Median OTE: 195,000
Top Performers: 327,131
% of SEs Hitting Quota: 63.3

Customer Success Manager

Median Base Salary: 95,000
Median OTE: 130,000
Top Performers: 208,621
% of CSMs Hitting Quota: 62.4

Account Manager

Median Base Salary: 95,000
Median OTE: 165,000
Top Performers: 399,892
% of AMs Hitting Quota: 50.3

Sales Manager

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

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.

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MEME OF THE WEEK

Source: Instagram -- Sales Humor

QUIZ

Which major car sales brand recently announced a merger with Honda Motor Company?

A. BMW
B. Kia
C. Hyundai
D. Nissan

SALES FAILS

Each week, we bring you the most cringe-worthy sales moments from across the web. To submit your sales fail story for consideration, click here. (Don't worry, you'll remain completely anonymous).

I sell enterprise software, usually big multi-year agreements, which means there's a lot of wine and dining with decision makers (golf outings, box seats at sporting events, etc.) One of my customers, who I check in with every quarter and had known for a few years, told me that he was going to be down in my neck of the woods in Florida for vacation. I'm go deep sea fishing, so I invited him to bring his two young sons and come fishing with me on my boat one afternoon. Surprisingly, he took me up on it.

So, the day arrives. It's a great day—clear skies, the sun is shining. His kids were really excited. Well, we got out there and for 3 hours, we did not get one single bite. The sun was beating down on us. His kids were getting tired and cranky. My customer wasn't pissed or anything but he was clearly not having a good time. He asked if we could go back to shore and call it a day. I told him we would, but convinced him to just wait 20 more minutes while I drove us over to one last spot I knew usually had fish.

I zipped us over to the other spot and we finally got a bite. The kids were yelling with excitement. I started reeling it in and could tell it was a big one. But I wanted to let one of the kids catch it. I kept reeling and got it close enough to the boat and gave the pole to one of the kids so he could finish it. As soon as I gave him the pole, the fish ripped it out of his hands and it went flying into the water and the fish got away. The kid started crying and I decided that was my cue to call it a day. I drove us back to shore and apologized to my customer. He was very cool about it and it didn't affect our relationship, but that was the last time I ever took a client out on the boat.

Anonymous Location withheld

GRAPH OF THE WEEK

Source: LinkedIn Poll -- January 2025

WORTH A PEEK

What is the best way to handle the “Let me think about it” response? A recent Reddit thread asked the audience to weigh in on how to get past this statement and get to a closed deal. You can read the full discussion here.

ASK THE QUOTA

Want to submit a question and be featured in our advice column? Click here. (Don't worry, you'll remain completely anonymous).

Dear Quota Team

I just started a new job at a company where I am the only salesperson. We handle everyday goods such as batteries for auto, marine, commercial, motorsport etc. along with mobile mechanic and roll-off services that I am responsible for selling, which should be pretty straightforward.

The problem is our brand is not well-known and our products are made overseas. Most of my potential customers prefer American-made batteries, and the American name brands are still able to beat our pricing. As I said, I'm the only salesperson, so I don't get to brainstorm or bounce around ideas and I don't seem to get much help from the team answering questions about pricing or delivery details. When I ask, my questions usually go unanswered. I do not get sit-downs to talk about all this and regroup. It feels like I don't have much support. What should I do?

Alone in Texas

Dear Alone,

One thing you can do is talk to existing customers. They decided to purchase your products, so find out what the selling point was that made them choose you over a competitor. You can use this in your sales pitch.

As the sole salesperson in your company, you should be able to get support from your boss, company leadership, the marketing department, etc. to help you do your job better. It sounds like you're getting almost no support and the company is a mess internally. Talk to your boss, ask for more support, and if you don't get it, it means they don't value you and it might be time to look for another job. Good luck!

Quiz Answer: D. Nissan recently announced a merger with Honda Motor Company (you can read the source article here)

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Today's email was written by Ken Kupchik, Erica Furgiuele, Steve Rado, and Emily Hill.

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