[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":112},["ShallowReactive",2],{"lesson-/academy/sdr/how-much-do-sdrs-make":3},{"path":4,"data":5,"html":46,"toc":47,"prev":57,"next":64,"track":70},"/academy/sdr/how-much-do-sdrs-make",{"title":6,"description":7,"primaryQuery":8,"secondaryQueries":9,"module":14,"order":15,"tier":16,"intent":17,"asset":18,"publishedAt":21,"author":22,"reviewedAt":23,"relatedTool":24,"challenge":25,"exercise":34,"sources":37},"How Much Do SDRs Make? (~$50k Base / ~$90k OTE in the US, 2026)","An entry-level SDR in the US is paid roughly a $50,000 base with about a $90,000 on-target (OTE) in 2026 — a base-heavy split where the variable, earned at 100% of quota, is the smaller slice. The exact number shifts by metro, industry, and company size. This page explains the structure, how to read a split, and where to pull your market's current figure.","how much do sdrs make",[10,11,12,13],"sdr salary","sdr average salary","entry level sales salary","sdr base salary",8,1,"A","informational",{"type":19,"title":20},"reference","How to read an SDR comp structure (and where to find your market's number)","2026-09-10","closers","2026-09-24",null,{"type":26,"id":27,"brief":28,"lines":29},"spot","m8-l1-comp-truth-spot","Which of these is the most accurate statement about an SDR comp plan?",[30,31,32,33],"\"OTE is a guaranteed salary — that's what I'll take home every month.\"","\"I only earn the commission half of OTE if I actually hit my [quota](/glossary/quota/).\"","\"A higher OTE always means a better offer, no matter the split.\"","\"The base doesn't matter for a first sales job — only the OTE does.\"",{"prompt":35,"successCriteria":36},"Write the three questions you'd ask to understand a real SDR offer: the split, what attainment is realistic, and what happens during ramp.","You ask about base vs. OTE split, realistic attainment (what % of reps actually hit quota), and the ramp/guarantee period — not just the headline OTE.",[38,42],{"label":39,"url":40,"vintage":41},"U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS — Sales Representatives of Services (SOC 41-3091); occupation proxy for SDR-type roles — pull the current-year median for your metro","https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes413091.htm","May 2025",{"label":43,"url":44,"vintage":45},"Bridge Group, 2025 Sales Development Benchmarks — SDR comp and quota benchmarks by year","https://bridgegroupinc.net/","2025","\u003Cp>An SDR isn't paid a flat salary — they're paid a \u003Cstrong>base salary plus a variable, activity-driven component\u003C/strong>, so "how much do SDRs make" is really two questions: \u003Cem>what's the base\u003C/em>, and \u003Cem>what's the structure on top of it\u003C/em>. \u003Cstrong>For an entry-level SDR in the US (2026), that structure lands at roughly a $50,000 base and about a $90,000 on-target (OTE)\u003C/strong> — a base-heavy split where the variable, earned at 100% of \u003Ca href=\"/glossary/quota/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">quota\u003C/a>, is the smaller ~$40,000 slice. The exact number shifts by metro, industry, and company size, and the variable half is only paid if you actually hit quota. This page explains the structure, how to read a split, and where to pull the current market number for your role and city.\u003C/p>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"the-structure-first-here-is-the-asset\">The structure first — here is the asset\u003C/h2>\n\u003Cp>Every SDR comp plan is the same shape. Read it as three pieces:\u003C/p>\n\u003Col>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Base salary.\u003C/strong> The fixed part you're paid regardless of performance. SDR comp is \u003Cstrong>base-heavy\u003C/strong> compared to later \u003Ca href=\"/glossary/account-executive/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">account executive\u003C/a> roles, because the job is weighted toward consistent activity while you're still \u003Ca href=\"/glossary/ramp/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ramping\u003C/a>.\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Variable / commission.\u003C/strong> The part tied to your output — for an SDR, usually a flat fee per \u003Ca href=\"/glossary/qualified-meeting/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">qualified meeting\u003C/a> or per booked meeting. You only earn it at \u003Ca href=\"/glossary/quota-attainment/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">attainment\u003C/a>.\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>OTE (on-target earnings).\u003C/strong> Base plus the variable at 100% of \u003Ca href=\"/glossary/quota/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">quota\u003C/a>. OTE is the headline number a recruiter quotes — and it is \u003Cstrong>not a guarantee\u003C/strong> (\u003Ca href=\"/academy/sdr/what-is-ote/\">what OTE is\u003C/a>).\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ol>\n\u003Cp>The two numbers that matter are the \u003Cstrong>split\u003C/strong> (how much is base vs. variable) and \u003Cstrong>what attainment is realistic\u003C/strong> (whether reps actually hit quota) — not just the OTE total.\u003C/p>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"where-the-current-market-number-comes-from\">Where the current market number comes from\u003C/h2>\n\u003Cp>A defensible "how much do SDRs make" number has to be \u003Cstrong>dated and sourced\u003C/strong> — it changes by market, company size, industry, and release vintage. Two sources are the ones this course trusts:\u003C/p>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS)\u003C/strong> — tracks \u003Cem>Sales Representatives of Services\u003C/em> (SOC 41-3091), the closest occupation proxy for SDR-type roles. Pull the median for your metro from the \u003Cstrong>current\u003C/strong> release; the figure moves every year.\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Bridge Group (Sales Development Benchmarks)\u003C/strong> — publishes SDR-specific comp and quota benchmarks by year, which is where the sales-development-specific numbers come from.\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ul>\n\u003Cp>When you research, don't anchor to a single number — check the latest OEWS median for SOC 41-3091 in your city \u003Cstrong>and\u003C/strong> the newest Bridge Group SDR benchmark, then build a range. That range, not a single figure quoted from memory, is what you take into a \u003Ca href=\"/glossary/salary-expectations/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">salary conversation\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"read-the-split-and-the-realistic-attainment-not-the-headline\">Read the split and the realistic attainment, not the headline\u003C/h2>\n\u003Cp>Two offers can quote the same OTE and be completely different jobs. An \u003Cstrong>SDR plan is base-heavy\u003C/strong> (the variable is a smaller slice than an AE's), but the exact split still varies: one shop runs a strong base with a modest per-meeting bonus; another loads more onto the variable and expects higher volume. The base is your floor, so for a \u003Cem>first\u003C/em> job the base-heavy plan is usually the lower-risk one — you're learning, and you don't want your rent riding on meetings you haven't learned to book yet.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>The second number to chase is \u003Cstrong>realistic attainment\u003C/strong>: what share of reps actually hit \u003Ca href=\"/glossary/quota/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">quota\u003C/a>, and what does the \u003Ca href=\"/glossary/commission/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">commission\u003C/a> half of OTE really pay in the average month? A plan where most reps land near quota is worth more than a fat OTE that almost nobody reaches. Ask it directly, and read the \u003Ca href=\"/academy/sdr/how-sales-commission-works/\">commission structure\u003C/a> and the \u003Ca href=\"/academy/sdr/how-to-read-a-sales-comp-plan/\">comp-plan fine print\u003C/a> before you sign — because the gap between the OTE on the job post and what you actually collect is where most of the disappointment lives. For the full picture of how the pieces add up, see \u003Ca href=\"/academy/sdr/what-is-ote/\">what OTE really is\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\n",[48,51,54],{"id":49,"text":50},"the-structure-first-here-is-the-asset","The structure first — here is the asset",{"id":52,"text":53},"where-the-current-market-number-comes-from","Where the current market number comes from",{"id":55,"text":56},"read-the-split-and-the-realistic-attainment-not-the-headline","Read the split and the realistic attainment, not the headline",{"path":58,"title":59,"description":60,"module":61,"order":14,"kind":62,"practiceCall":24,"core":63},"/academy/sdr/free-tools-for-a-broke-sdr","Free Sales Tools for a Broke SDR: A Stack That Costs Nothing","You don't need paid tools to learn the craft or run real outreach — every layer of the SDR stack has a free or freemium option. This page maps the free-tier stack by category (CRM, scheduling, email, prospecting, engagement), tells you how to evaluate a free tier before you rely on it, and the trap of stacking too many tools. Reviewed 2026-09 — free-tier limits change, so verify each on the vendor's page.",7,"order",false,{"path":65,"title":66,"description":67,"module":14,"order":68,"kind":62,"practiceCall":24,"core":69},"/academy/sdr/what-is-ote","What Is OTE? On-Target Earnings Explained (and How to Read a Split)","OTE — on-target earnings — is the income a sales job is designed to pay at 100% of quota: your base salary plus the commission you'd earn at full attainment. It's the headline number recruiters quote and the one you compare across offers, but it is not a guarantee — you only see the commission half if you hit quota. This page explains OTE's anatomy, how to read a split, and the trap of comparing two OTEs without looking at the base and the realistic attainment.",2,true,{"slug":71,"title":72,"shortTitle":73,"crumb":74,"path":75,"positioning":76,"totalLessons":77,"modules":78},"sdr","Certified Sales Development Representative (CSDR)","SDR/BDR Certification","SDR Certification","/academy/sdr","The free certification for getting your first sales job — no degree, no experience, no upsell.",58,[79,83,87,90,95,99,102,105,108],{"id":15,"name":80,"lessonCount":81,"description":82},"The Role",6,"What an SDR actually does, whether it’s for you, and the sales career path it opens — 6 core lessons.",{"id":68,"name":84,"lessonCount":85,"description":86},"Getting In With No Experience",3,"Land your first sales job with no experience or degree — a 30-day plan — 3 core lessons.",{"id":85,"name":88,"lessonCount":14,"description":89},"Prospecting and Research","Find the right accounts and contacts to reach — 8 lessons.",{"id":91,"name":92,"lessonCount":93,"description":94},4,"Cold Calling",11,"Make cold calls without freezing up — 11 core lessons.",{"id":96,"name":97,"lessonCount":14,"description":98},5,"Cold Email and LinkedIn","Write cold emails and LinkedIn messages that get replies — 8 core lessons.",{"id":81,"name":100,"lessonCount":96,"description":101},"Conversations: Discovery and Qualification","Run discovery calls and qualify real buyers — 5 core lessons.",{"id":61,"name":103,"lessonCount":85,"description":104},"The Tool Stack","The tools that run an SDR’s daily workflow — 3 core lessons.",{"id":14,"name":106,"lessonCount":81,"description":107},"Money: Comp, Commission and Quota","SDR salary, OTE, commission and quotas — 6 lessons.",{"id":109,"name":110,"lessonCount":14,"description":111},9,"Getting Hired","Resume, interview answers, offer negotiation, and the certification assessment — 8 lessons.",1792888518995]