[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":45},["ShallowReactive",2],{"glossary-commission":3},{"slug":4,"path":5,"title":6,"description":7,"term":8,"wordCount":9,"hasExample":10,"inboundLinks":11,"isPublished":10,"html":12,"data":13,"related":27,"lessons":40},"commission","/glossary/commission","What Is Sales Commission? Definition and How It Works","Sales commission is variable pay earned on attainment — a percentage of closed revenue or a flat amount per meeting — on top of base salary. It is the part of OTE that only shows up if you hit your number.","Commission",256,true,30,"\u003Cp>Sales commission is the variable part of a sales rep's pay: money earned on attainment, on top of the base salary. It is usually either a percentage of the closed revenue you bring in or a flat amount per unit — for an \u003Ca href=\"/glossary/sdr/\">SDR\u003C/a> it might be a fixed fee per \u003Ca href=\"/glossary/qualified-meeting/\">qualified meeting\u003C/a>; for an \u003Ca href=\"/glossary/account-executive/\">account executive\u003C/a> it is a percentage of the deals they sign. Commission is the second half of \u003Ca href=\"/glossary/ote/\">OTE\u003C/a>, and it is the half that is not guaranteed: you only earn it when you hit your \u003Ca href=\"/glossary/quota/\">quota\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"in-plain-english\">In plain English\u003C/h2>\n\u003Cp>Commission is the "money for results" part of the paycheck. Base covers you; commission rewards you for producing. A rep who hits quota earns the full commission the plan promised, and a rep who misses it earns less or nothing. How much and how fast depends on the plan — the rate, the accelerators, and the \u003Ca href=\"/glossary/draw/\">draw\u003C/a> that covers you while you \u003Ca href=\"/glossary/ramp/\">ramp\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"why-it-matters-to-you\">Why it matters to you\u003C/h2>\n\u003Cp>Commission is what makes a sales career compound. It is also the risk in the job: it is not a guarantee, and the \u003Ca href=\"/glossary/ramp/\">ramp\u003C/a> period and any \u003Ca href=\"/glossary/draw/\">draw\u003C/a> exist precisely because your first commissions arrive late. Before you accept an offer, read the plan — the rate, what counts toward quota, and what attainment is realistic — because the gap between the OTE on the job post and the commission you actually collect is where most of the disappointment lives.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>For making a closed deal count, see \u003Ca href=\"/academy/account-executive/ask-for-the-close/\">After You Close the Deal\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\n",{"title":6,"description":7,"primaryQuery":14,"term":8,"publishedAt":15,"author":16,"reviewedAt":17,"example":18,"relatedTerms":19,"lessons":24},"what is sales commission","2026-09-10","closers","2026-09-24","\"My commission is 10% of the closed revenue I bring in — hit $500k in a quarter and that's $50k on top of base.\"",[20,21,22,23],"ote","quota","draw","ramp",[25,26],"/academy/sdr/how-sales-commission-works","/academy/sdr/how-to-read-a-sales-comp-plan",[28,31,34,37],{"slug":20,"path":29,"title":30},"/glossary/ote","What Is OTE (On-Target Earnings) in Sales? Definition",{"slug":21,"path":32,"title":33},"/glossary/quota","What Is a Quota in Sales? Definition and How It Works",{"slug":22,"path":35,"title":36},"/glossary/draw","What Is a Draw Against Commission? Definition",{"slug":23,"path":38,"title":39},"/glossary/ramp","What Is a Sales Ramp (Ramp-Up Period)? Definition",[41,43],{"path":25,"title":42},"How Sales Commission Works: Structures, Rates, and a Worked Example",{"path":26,"title":44},"How to Read a Sales Comp Plan: Base vs Variable + 11 Red Flags",1792888521888]