Sales Development Representative Salary: A Complete 2023 Guide (With the Highest Paying States, Companies, and Industry Comparisons)

Sales is a buzzing industry, and a Sales Development Representative role is a great entry point to a lucrative career. It's rewarding, offers excellent growth opportunities, and has high earning potential. TechSalesJobs.org makes it straightforward to land an SDR position with a competitive salary.

Your salary could range from $47,000 to $105,000 and up. The total pay varies significantly, and figures are all over the map. So we've gathered the most likely salary ranges, salary comparisons, and other details for a clearer idea of how much you can make as an SDR.

What Does a Sales Representative Do?

A Sales Development Representative (SDR) is sometimes called a Business Development Representative (BDR) and handles the initial part of the sales process. This includes finding and qualifying leads to add to the business sales funnel.

Is Being an SDR Hard?

Typical tasks of an SDR include emailing or cold calling potential customers, answering requests for more information, and following up with prospects showing interest. Once the SDR qualifies a potential customer, they'll pass their details to a senior salesperson or arrange a meeting between them.

SDR is among many high-paying entry-level jobs and an entry point into sales. It has a clear promotion path and doesn't require much experience. Do you need a degree for SDR? The answer is not really. A degree will be looked upon favorably; however, an interest in sales and excellent interpersonal and communication skills could get you in the door.

What’s the Verdict on Sales Development Representative Salaries

All salary data is taken from the 25th January 2023 Glassdoor estimated salary report.

A Sales Development Representative’s salary across all years of experience and all industries could make around $69,275 per year. This total pay comprises $50,317 base pay and $18,959 additional pay. Additional income could constitute commission, profit sharing, bonuses, and the like.

We can see more earning potential when looking at an SDR salary in specific industries. For example, an SDR working in IT has a likely salary range of $59,000 to $91,000 and up to $110,000.

In addition, the Financial Services industry offers approximately $60,000 to $94,000 and up to a possible $115,000. Take into account that these figures are based on all years of experience in the IT industry and do not factor in other influences that affect take-home salary, which we'll discuss further along.

Many people wonder: is it hard to get a job as an SDR? Fortunately, finding an SDR position is easy with TechSalesJobs.org. We advertise jobs from the world's top IT companies, including those that offer remote sales jobs. By setting up a free account, you'll receive suitable SDR roles as soon as they're available.

Factors that Influence Sales Development Representative Salaries

Location

Where you live will make a difference in how much you can earn as an SDR. This is due to the cost of living differences. The cost of living is the expense of maintaining basic living expenses in different geographic locations, including housing, healthcare, and groceries. For example, Mississippi is one of the cheapest states to live in, and New York is the most expensive.

Here are the highest paying states for SDRs according to Zippa December 2022 data.

The bottom of the pay scale includes Arizona, Florida, and Hawaii. Where you could expect an estimated salary of $46,394, $44,074, and $34,517, respectively.

However, companies are beginning to pay employees the same regardless of location.

Employer and Industry

Salaries vary by financial capability and industry. For example, SDR roles operating in the IT, Business, and Financial Services markets have larger budgets for higher wages.

According to Zippa, the companies below in the SaaS, IT, and Investment industries are paying the best SDR salaries right now.

PitchBook Data operates in the SaaS market. The SaaS industry is projected to reach an estimated worth of $195 billion this year, which may give the reason as to why the salary average is so high..

Negotiation Skills

Feel free to negotiate if you believe what you bring to the table is worth more than the salary offered. Show them that you're worth the extra money by demonstrating how your experience and transferable skills will support you in being successful in the role.

You won't need qualifications to become an SDR. However, when considering advancement, according to Glassdoor, candidates with a Bachelor's Degree can earn $64,662 compared to $36,476 for someone without a degree. Alternatively, an in-demand sales certification may strengthen your case. 

Approach your employer in a reassuring and collaborative tone. Remind them

that you're thrilled about the prospect of working with them. If you're unsuccessful, building your experience as an efficient SDR will strengthen your case for your next negotiation opportunity.

Do Sales Development Representatives Feel Fairly Compensated?

Overall, people were happy based on the reviews shared by current and former SDR employees at Salesforce and Oracle. Encouraging feedback included excellent training "you get the training you need to set you up for success." "A supportive and great collaborative team environment." "It's good exposure to IT if you don't have IT experience." And "a great place to start a sales career with good training and growth potential."

However, many SDRs said the hours were long, with high call volume expectancy, and quotas being “very difficult to hit."

Sales Development Representative Salary Levels by Seniority and Years of Experience

Here are Glassdoor's estimated salaries for Sales Development Representatives across all industries and seniority levels.

And here's an idea of the pay increases possible between each seniority level: 

• Entry-level to Intermediate: $9,000 - $15,000
• Intermediate to Mid-Level: $7,000 - $12,000
• Mid-level to Senior Level: $3,000 - $8,000

The years of experience is another influence on salary. However, other factors like the company, skills set, quota performance, and further education can influence how quickly you advance through the seniority levels. Progressing from entry-level to Senior can take as little as two years, with a possible salary range of $19,000 to $35,000.

Here, Payscale shows us what a Sales Development Representative career path could look like:

Total Sales Development Representative Compensation

In addition to competitive compensation and depending on the company, you could be offered several benefits. Many IT companies like Oracle, Salesforce, and Accenture offer medical, dental, health, and vision insurance coverage.

Other standard perks include:

-401K Plan contribution match

-Flexible vacation and paid time off

-Maternity and paternity leave

-Mobile phone discount

-Gym membership

How do Sales Development Representative Salaries Compare to Other Jobs?

Glassdoor's estimated SDR salaries below are across all industries and all years of experience.

These roles are possible progression options, thus paying above an SDR salary. Here are some of the tasks involved in these higher-paying posts.

-An Account Manager is expected to develop existing relationships for gradually increasing business.

-A Customer Success Manager ensures the retention and satisfaction of clients.

-An Account Executive is responsible for increasing sales and revenue.

-A Marketing Manager is expected to oversee marketing activities to retain clients and acquire new ones.

-A Business Development Manager is expected to find new business opportunities and design proposals for new offerings.

How Do Sales Development Representative Salaries Vary in Other Industries?

Here's an idea of what you can earn as an SDR in different industries across all seniority levels.

Here we can see the Financial Services and Information Technology industries pay the most. With the global Financial Services market estimated to grow to $37,343.95 billion in 2026 and the global IT market expected to reach $11995.97 billion in 2027, there is plenty of funds available to pay SDRs higher salaries.

On the other hand, the global market size of the Education and Telecommunications industries is valued at $3,421.26 and $1,885.41 billion, respectively.

Find a Sales Development Representative Job at TechSalesJobs.org

As a Sales Development Representative, you can expect a solid average total pay of around $69,275 plus benefits. To be good at it requires excellent communication and organization skills, resilience, and determination to meet quotas. You can go from entry-level to a Senior position in as quickly as two years and receive an estimated salary range boost of $19,000 to $35,000. 

Visit TechSalesJobs today to set up your free account and SDR job alerts and start working with the best IT companies!