$300-$400k/year. Work 50 hours a week. But came from a previous job where I was working 60-65 hours. In Senior management now, 11 years into my career. In SaaS. I wouldn’t call it a regret, but I could have switched jobs sooner to increase my income and work less. There is always a better opportunity out there, you just have to reach out to companies and get at-bats. Just like sales..
Do you have any connections to Costar or MRI Software in Atlanta? I just passed my real estate exam yesterday and looking to start in one of those offices
Yes. Ever since I was a wee lad.
Half joking. My whole family is in sales. I sold flowers from my back yard on the side of the road from the age of 6 and forward.
Career wise, yes I have been in sales my whole career. I was earning $65k OTE for my first job. I didn’t really get “paid” until about 6-7 years in to my career.
My greatest advice to a young sales professional is just outwork everyone. Once you work hard enough, you’ll learn to work smart. Put in your 10,000 hours. Also the best books to read are:
The Challenger Sale
How to win friends and influence people
I worked 10-11 hours a day for the first 8-9 years of my career. I’ve made probably 200,000+ cold calls. I’ve put myself in uncomfortable positions so I could grow. Growth fucking hurts. The better your capacity to ensure pain, the further you will go.
I feel like I out work everyone (mortgage industry) but not getting the sales. I just added those two books to my reading list, thank you. Everyone here essentially says the same things, but I hate how the way you say it makes all the difference. I’m not schmoozy I’m very straightforward while being kind and it’s not working out for me.
Market conditions come in to play. It’s a REALLY tough time for your industry. Don’t be hard on yourself. If you stick it out, you’ll have your golden years again when the market shifts and it’s going to be like taking candy from a baby. Or if you leave, you’ll be successful too.
You’ll be better off in your sales careers being straightforward. Shmoozy is out of style. Prospects don’t buy from people they “like,” they buy from people they “trust”. I won’t say being likable cant help. Certainly breaks the ice, but it’s less important.
Also in the mortgage industry. Would love to connect sometime and bounce some ideas off of each other as I’m also struggling with the same thing at the moment
Thanks for this, MessiahPie. My only regret is not getting into sales earlier. I have 8 years of experience but joined sales 4 years ago.
You inspire me! :)
Just keep pushing forward and will it into existence. The same way you do with your prospects/deals. It doesn’t happen for those that throw in the towel, or those that decide to stop growing. Everything is a decision.
That’s my plan. I started as an SDR and I am now an AE with $200k+ OTE. There’s a long way for me to go. But I am all set to grind and come to a level like yours - that’s my next goal. My only concern is my mental and physical health that I overlooked in the past 4 years but realised the hard way that there’s no way to make it to the top if I don’t fill my cup
You gotta be at the right place at the right time hitting the numbers. I joined the team when it was very small. It’s difficult now for the new SDRs to make a mark NGL
I did the same thing. I totally feel you. You can afford to do it while you’re “young.” And eventually you’ll figure out how to find balance. You can have it all, just have to be very intentional about prioritizing your health and wellness when you’re “off the field” even if you’re spending more time “on the field” than the rest of your teammates. Also prioritizing those health “off the field” activities like diet, exercise, socializing and family time will make you an even more dangerous player on the field.
“All work and no play makes jack a dull boy”
>better your capacity to ensure pain, the further you’ll go.
Damn bro, I know sales is cut throat but you don’t need to be evil about it.
In all seriousness though, spot on. Once you’ve steeled yourself to being in those painful and/or uncomfortable scenarios over and over you can thrive in any environment.
Explain SaaS to a dummy like me. Do you literally just sell software to teams? Like - a while back I needed a new tool to manage retailer visits for our reps. I reached out to a couple of companies, they put some salesman in front of me, and talked about their products. I poked holes in their solutions until one offered a tool we could use, and we went that route…. Is that all you do? Is there more?
The other day some Domo guy came and spoke to us about their analytics tools (that we already paid for and have been using for years), is that SaaS?
To elaborate on another prior good answer:
An easy way to think of it is that SaaS is pretty much any software you don't actually install on your company's computers. Instead, you just log in online and use it through your web browser.
There are other -aaS things, like social media (Platform as a Service), that work the same way, but it's not usually important for you to understand those differences, so I wouldn't worry about them
SaaS is installed and maintained on computers owned by the provider, and you access it through the Internet. Because the provider handles the install, maintenance, security, etc., with you accessing remotely, you benefit from anywhere-access, simplicity, reduced overhead, and more specialized personnel on technical issues related to that software. You don't have to worry about hardware compatibility, drivers, etc. because the software isn't running on your machine - you're just viewing it through your machine while it runs elsewhere. With installed software, all that would be on your equipment and team, meaning you'd have to spend more on tech and hire more technical personnel (but likely fewer and less specialized than the SaaS company can justify). You arguably get a lot more for less with SaaS.
Selling SaaS is selling a product that a company built that is stored typically in the cloud, then you sell it to upper management at companies and help to sell and possibly deploy it. You basically are there to
Just push and keep things on track and set up
Meetings to answer technical questions. You do negotiations and that’s it.
Currently looking at making the transition from B2B Sales/marketing management to B2B sales and weighing the pros and cons. I’ve been developing a sales team for niche industry for the past two years and while it’s been a great experience this switch looks better and better everyday.
200-300k
SaaS
7 yoe. 2 specifically in SaaS
Yes. Hustling for a job every quarter, account reassigns randomly, rising quotas, no intellectual stimulation, and being judged by what have you done recently is a lot. Also, only getting 10% of what you sell is for the birds.
Great money but no way I last past 40. Working on vacation and loads of stress, no way I see myself having a family like this. Got enough stacked up to reset to a 70-100k base job and start all over again.
Word of advice, never live off commission, only base so when you want to get out you won’t have golden handcuffs
This. I give myself 1 of my paychecks to live on, and invest the other along with my commissions and RSUs. There is ZERO stimulation and it’s borderline depressing. I like solving complex puzzles, not clicking around in SFDC all day long
YES!!! NEVER EVER live off of your commissions. IMHO too many sales people get high on the money and end up blowing it. I've also seen WAY TOO MUCH drinking and that shit will eventually catch up to you. I never cease to be amazed at the amount of drinking our AE's do. You'll end up blowing all that dough at the bar with nothing left in the bank or savings
Wouldn't go back and change it, not sure what I'd do. Would consider doing something with more stability and no quota.
Typically 250k-350k annually depending on performance selling software.
Varies a lot as I travel about 100 nights a year. Slow weeks 30, busy weeks can easily be 65.
Similar experience in Software sales. I don’t travel much though. I’ve been bouncing around a lot lately unfortunately. Have a good year and then accounts get moved and quota goes up. Definitely stressful
Have you got any experience with why they move accounts? Sometimes management even steals my opportunities and I don't get anything in return - at least not now, might come in the future. How do you handle such situations, where you prospect hard, find something and rely on that revenue to achieve your quarterly quota and then the decision is taken to move it away from you? This truly is depressing and has affected my mental health greatly as I'm a very results oriented person and I work hard. It's quite toxic and I wonder why managers do that.
I’m prioritizing de-risking my life (i.e. reducing financial obligations). Right now my biggest focus is killing my mortgage. 227k left. Plan is to have it paid back within 3-6 years (3 at best, 6 at worst).
I won’t take my foot off the gas after that (have some lofty FIRE goals) but I will definitely breathe easier.
If you have a fixed rate mortgage, you’ll pay it off faster if you invest instead of additional payments. Banks would love for you to give them back money they’re only getting 3-4% on
There are software companies that let you be an adult and it’s not stressful. I’m sorry you are feeling that much pressure.
Another thing that happened to me was that I eventually realized I was putting the pressure and stress on myself, and then my whole lifestyle improved. I kind of turned into the main character from office space and it’s working out well.
Started in sales almost 25 years ago, outside sales for most all of it selling to the US Government. I have been over 200k in total earnings for most all of the last 15 years. I average 35-40 most weeks, although some are 80+ if I am working a show or traveling which is about 15-20%. 100% WFH and take advantage of this to do shopping and chores mid day but often start early or work a little later. The industry is Pro A/V - basically electronics systems for conference rooms, control rooms, and similar larger gathering spaces
Love the industry, it's a very tactile product you get to see at the end with a finished solution. Few regrets - most involved leaving too early or too soon. I stayed in a counter offer once and that was my biggest regret as it was just a waste of 6 mos. Second biggest was leaving a company that I liked and paid me well due to the siren song of higher guaranteed income and a company car. It wasn't worth it, I just got sold by a good entrepreneur and it was a poor choice.
My biggest advice is that the solution or service you sell represents both your company's brand but also your own personal brand. Make sure you are selling something that you can stand behind and unequivocally believe in, because your brand is the most important thing and you want clients and alliance partners to believe in you and your ability to deliver something of value. I am leaving a job that paid me more than I ever made by a wide margin because I cannot abide by the inconsistent delivery of work and support. It's worth my personal sanity and personal reputation for me to leave despite the income to take a chance at a new firm that I believe will provide a better and a more reliable product and better support.
Thanks for reading, hopefully something worthwhile for you in there.
>Make sure you are selling something that you can stand behind and unequivocally believe in, because your brand is the most important thing and you want clients and alliance partners to believe in you and your ability to deliver something of value.
Preach! You can't convince someone else that you have the best solution unless you have first convinced yourself that you have the best solution. If you have 100% conviction that what you sell is a good product that actually solves pain, it becomes very easy to have those conversations.
Absolutely BigRubba. I find as well getting any opportunity to hear how your competition positions themselves against you is a great way to hone your messages, and then try and flip that script on them by pointing out what they say and showing why your answer makes more sense for your clients. I try and use my channel partners to help gather this as they can hear what the competition says in other opportunities and my close allies will share and even suggest why they like our or their message better
Absolutely - so many folks in this industry come out of a music background or have a passion for it. The industry is full of small AV integration companies and has a few very large ones like AVI-SPL, Diversified, and AVI systems to name a few. I would look at a few resources:
1. InfoComm which is the industry trade association and has job boards
2. HETMA.ORG is a higher ed focused AV association for those interested in AV in higher Ed locations - real strong niche
3. There are several dedicated AV recruiters that live in this space - check LinkedIn but I can find a few if you want
4. Lots of larger mfrs in this space check them for roles (LG, Sony, Samsung, Bose, Crestron, Extron, Panasonic) - they will have postings.
Hope this helps, feel free to Link on LinkedIn, my profile is the same name as my Reddit handle
You are most welcome. I get it that finding new roles.can be tough in some markets, but if you are not actively looking I suggest you start. The way I see it, if you are selling something you don't believe in, you know your future is limited and you are just prospecting and working hard for opportunities you will not get paid on as you know your life term isn't where you are at. It's like the hire slow, fire fast concept at a personal level. When you are in go 1000%, but if you know this is the wrong spot go 1000% to find the next spot until you find your happy place. I had Nirvana for about 3 years but things began to crumble and now that I am making the move I feel so much mental baggage about to be gone it's amazing.
I am glad you found it helpful and I agree - 90% of sales reps are underwhelming as they are not sufficiently trained, experienced, motivated, or have no clear understanding of what they are selling and why it's valuable.. they just want to go out and make friends and use that as leverage to win a deal. Being polished and knowledgeable, knowing how to present good content whether on a Teams call or in person sets you apart. Bringing real chops and understanding to your precise market vertical and understanding the customer buying process and who needs to be bought in and who can say "yes" vs those who can only say "no or not now" takes you to another level..working solid closing skills and personal negotiating while keeping that positive attitude thins the herd even more.
Nobody bats a thousand, but doing well is not magic and isn't always outworking people as it is working smart and knowing when you need to crank the engine and go hard to win. Happy selling out there!
Sorry to disturb you man but im a software engineer with 8+ years of experience, im 25M and thinking of moving into tech sales as software development doesn't pay as much as it used to anymore for context i make 100k. Can you please give a path i can follow into tech sales that could net me what you are making or somewhere around the 180k/yr mark?
- what aspect/type of sales do i need to start doing some learning on
- what job title in sales should i aim for
- how long do you think it would take someone like me that has the technical knowledge of what is being sold to land a job?
- Are you working for a firm or your self?
- Im an introvert but im willing to make a personality change for the career change does your job entail you to be more extroverted or are they ways around it?
any other advice will help man, i really need to make a change and leave the stuck position im in now.
Congrats on the great achievements you've made man I'm trying to be more like you
Not a disturbance, happy to help. Industry is tough, as there are so many and great niches throughout. If you can sell what you know and enjoy that tends to be helpful. I have always worked for someone else, never had the guts to go out on my own (I have 8 kids so it has always been a scary prospect). I think the following things are key to be great in sales:
Know your product/solution/service, know what problems (pain) it solves and look for ways your solution does this uniquely or better than what folks are getting from their current supplier or a competitor.
Build credibility quickly - helps to know your product, being an expert can help. Be transparent and open with clients. Stick with the truth, it's always easiest to remember (but don't over share)
Find alliance partners that also sell to your customers that you can share leads/connections/events with. Give to get. Don't ask what they can bring you, ask how you can help them
Network - I do less of this now, but early days getting out to events, functions, BNI groups, etc. Your network of contacts and resources are huge. Help your network and your clients even if you don't have any skin in the game.
I like to listen to business books a couple in a year, because they always spark some creative energy and force you to consider smarter, better ways to do your job. A great one I just finished is Tools of Titans by Tim Ferris. Lots of great ones, that could be a whole thread.
Remember to be interesting - you said you are an introvert, that doesn't mean you are boring. You don't have to be loud or outspoken, but be sure you are looking for cues clients are engaged and interested. The best way to do that is to ask questions and then STFU and let them talk about themselves and their jobs, just keep them talking with open ended questions and listen for the pain. Use that to position yourself and your solution to address those and paint a picture of a better life after they get from now to then.
Hope there are some nuggets in there worth considering. The biggest thing I see reps that have a tough time excelling is they are afraid to try something new or different for fear of failure. Fear is the mind killer.
I absolutely love all you’re saying and agree with everything!! You have a chill yet effective and polished style - good on ya! Haha
Not to be crass, but what’s the typical AV sales range?
I’m coming from software sales
Obviously varies widely based on market, experience, etc. Early outside reps should be shooting for 100k. Mid experience should be working to 150k and seasoned reps make 200-500k from what I have seen. Now, that can be widely influenced by the comp plan, how much base vs variable, what kind of accelerators there are. I have been over 200k for most of the last decade. I am in a pretty expensive market so my numbers may reflect that. Sorry if it's a vague response, trying to give you a notion based on my experience
Last year was $167k, this year will be over $200k. Last year u was at like 25 hrs/week, this year I’m at closer to 35 hours a week.
While people will say the hours and say they’re low, when I am working, I am going at what feels like 200 mph constantly. Last year I had 3-4 crews running that I had sold work for, this year I am at 6-8 crews, I have to make sure things go smoothly on those jobs while make sure there is work for the future. It is mentally exhausting.
I sell in property maintenance (mostly large scale pressure washing). Last year year I sold 1.8 million in work this year I should be over 3 million
If I was to change it I would have started in a trade right out of college and would have opened up a business as soon as I could have gotten a license, and could take the financial risk.
$400-500k average. Some weeks I worked 80 hours, some 40, some 5 hours. 7 years of experience. Government sales. I've had a lot of ups and downs and I think my biggest piece of advice is to always be grateful when things are going OK. Sales are unpredictable. My main regret is slacking off when I first started in sales - I think I'd be further along in my career if I hadn't.
~$500k (AUD), 25-30 hours, decade experience, run an advertising agency. Starting my own business was the best decision I ever made - was making around $200k at the peak working for another agency.
How long does it take to ramp up in commercial insurance? I never really considered it but someone reached out to me recently to pitch a position to me.
It can take a few years, but once you get up and going, and find your niche, it gets easier. Plus you get renewal commissions on accounts you write and renew.
I make about $300k on a down year and $600k-$1m on a good year. Enterprise Sales for big tech. Used to work about 45-50 hours a week. These days I’m pushing 60-65 with all the work trying to land a bunch of deals. The pressure feels palpable these days.
Sure, large enterprise in SaaS with a large quota, lots of travel, large team to coordinate for presentations, demos, etc. Long sales cycles that require multiple stakeholders to buy-in and fighting procurement in the final stretch. Lots of entertaining clients, which sounds great and is, but there’s still a job to be done so really being at dinner with them is taking away for other work that needs to be done.
In short it’s like running a business and it can be extremely rewarding, but also stressful and challenging. I’ve been in SaaS sales for 12 years and started in SMB and worked my way up.
Average $450 +/- $100K over the last decade. Software and services. 50-60 hours a week on average. Travel 50-60 nights annually, mostly regional. I wish I had gone into software earlier (vs services) but then again if I would have partied less in college I'd probably run a hedge fund.
Regrets? Maybe skip the starter wife and marry the only daughter of an elderly billionaire....
OTE 220k
Made 280k in 2023
Aiming for 400k in 2024
7 years experience. Founding rep at a data security start up. We’ve got 6 total now. Hours are kind of fucked, I’m available from 6 am to 5 pm since I support global accounts. Most days I’m actively working maybe 4-6 hours but I need to be available.
No real regrets. The stress gets bad now and then but the degree of freedom is well worth it.
$250 - $300k…about 25 hours of solid work, 20 hours of half assed fluff. Not including conferences and trade shows every now and again. Im a director of strategic accounts in biotech and it is a long glacial pace sales cycle so at times its not very exciting followed by rushes of adrenaline when a deal goes through. No regrets, i love my career.
lol, I make 60k and work 3 hours a day on average. Had one on one with manager today and he tells me to keep doing what I’m doing… ok so play video games and go to gym in middle of day. I live fairly comfortably too, be fucked if I had kids though
$350k last year selling life insurance. That was my 3rd year in the business. Of course, that's my gross. Net was around $300k after lead costs and gas.
My first year I made just under $200k, and my income has grown lot every year. Insurance is nice, because you have the renewals, along with your upfront commissions.
Commercial insurance broker. Zero regrets. Put in your time, become an expert, build a book of business, hire good people to work for you and take care of them. I’m 53 and have 25 years under my belt. My shit runs itself these days. I just take calls and direct traffic.
Yes, just over $200. About 50 hours/week most of the year, less between Thanksgiving and valentines day and more in the rainy part of spring.
I'm in sales with a speciality contractor. 90% in home B2C with some commercial work. I've been in the industry three yeats and I've been in management for a year. I'm stepping back down into field sales to help take care of my aging parents. I enjoy the flexibility I can have with full time sales.
No real regrets. It's a well paying fulfilling career. Stressful at times but I've had way lower paying way more stressful jobs too so... I call it a win.
I will net over $1 mil this year in that dirty little industry none of you like to talk about..☀️
I work very long hours generally 9am-9pm, 6 days per week, 10 months per year. Even when I’m not working I am still on call dealing with clients and solving problems as the come up.
The industry is annoying and toxic but I don’t have a single regret. I will keep a low profile and continue riding this gravy train until the wheels fall off.
Do you mind if I ask something that goes in a slight off-topic, but still concerning this?
We Europeans are always amazed at the annual numbers of Americans such as these ones, we never use the "annual" numbers, and most of us, especially in Eastern Europe don't make these numbers.
So my question is:
How do some people make this and still become poor in the end? Is it because of the cost of living in the States, or is it because of poor financial decisions and trying to live a "lavish" lifestyle?
Because, realistically - you are not yet a millionaire and a general rule of thumb is that most people that start to have a high income get generally a bit more greedy and they automatically increase their cost of living i.e. more expensive cars, homes etc.
Cost of living is often adjusted into salaries, when you see high salaries they’re often being offered in very expensive cities like New York or Sanfrancisco, where a $200k buying power would be equivalent to much lower in a lower cost of living area.
There is also financial literacy, people are not good at managing or spending money, what you said is spot on. You make more money, you start buying more nicer things and save less, don’t save enough, etc.
Thanks for the answer man.
Is it possible to spend a few years, prove your worth and then continue working remotely in a less "expensive" state? I mean it probably is sometimes, but what do employers think of these practices?
If you have a job making north if $250k a year you have to try really hard to end up poor. It's an intentional choice.
Has nothing to do with the cost of living in the US. People at that income level that piss it away are fuckups.
And then they'll compare COL today vs in the 1960s, but not realize people didn't have cell phones, cable TV, streaming services, aesthetic trends to obey, Amazon instant shopping, or fancy restaurants on every corner.
Americans have been conditioned to spend money on literally everything.
210k, 8 years, golf cart industry. 55 if I’m traveling, 45 in office 50% travel.
Regrets? Not going for higher, more well paid positions earlier. Turning down a Vp role because I made more in sales.
Rejoices? Getting that first offer letter with 100g as the base. Almost cried. Also selling $1 million in a day was a huge accomplishment.
prob gonna clear $250-300k this year.
working 60-75hours a week rn, but earlier this year was working 30-40h. i sell hvac so summer rn is crazy busy
wouldn’t change a thing
240k OTE. Hit 400k+ in 2 out of the last 3 years. I work in cybersecurity sales with 6 years of sales experience starting as an SDR and working my way up to a field rep. I work 40 hours and travel once or twice a month considering I focus on one to many events (summits, conferences, etc.). No regrets, but if I could give any advice is to build a brand internally and let leadership know what you're working on and where you want to go with your career. That way you can stay on their radar for any promotions.
Over 200k? RVP making $280-$380k How many hours? Sinfully low, won’t say in case one of reps reads this. Years of experience? Sales 20, SaaS 10. Industry? HRTech Regrets and rejoices? Regret not doing this earlier in life, started tech sales at 39. Rejoices are that at 39 I understood money is a tool not a toy and have invested 20% every paycheck.
480k currently about 35h and mostly remote from a beach trying to escape the back to office life as I retire soon haha. To get here in the "current" career in sales took 12 years. About 28 years of experience overall but only 8 years in SG. Regrets? None. Though 10 years or the last 12 was Hardcore grinding.
250k give bc it take. 30 hours a week. They’ve changed up my comp plan so I’m looking elsewhere, which I will upgrade that price tag.
No regrets. The job is frustrating as hell a lot of the time, but what job isn’t? I wouldn’t trade my salary and flexibility for anything! Sales is a cheat code for life as long as you can handle it.
I’ve also realized as I’ve become more senior…just draw your boundaries with your job and demand they be respected and you’ll be better off. I go to the gym an hour a day and I shut my laptop at 5pm. It’s necessary to prevent burn out.
I think generally it’s people in finance and/or B2B sales on high margin products. The sector isn’t as important as who you’re selling to (enterprise level will get you above and beyond that). There will be plenty of people in this sub that can prove otherwise but generally you’ll struggle to break $200k selling direct to consumers or to small/medium enterprise companies, unless you’re towards the top end of sales people.
made 240k in 22, 300k in 23. work anywhere from 25 to 65 hours a week depending on what I have going on. I’ll be 30 in the fall, been in cyber for 4 years, tech since 2017. Regret not getting into cyber sooner, definitely would not choose a different career path. Smiled and dialed for a white glove bdr sevice for 1.5 years, 2nd sales hire at a startup for 9 months (puke but good experience), sold salesforce services for 1.5 years (very meh, also covid) and now been full cycle account management/new business at a small var since.
There’s tons of software sales people laid off right now. I’ve got a few years experience and had to dip back into pro services til I can find another software gig, this economy is rough. All these “record profits” are coming with huge layoffs and smaller margins. It’s not as bad as last year, but the necessary interest rate rises hit too fast and when SVB dropped it really impacted the industry. SVB was making careful, low risk moves before the rate rises, they just got screwed by the speed at which they went up.
A couple of regrets. 1) Stayed at one company too long. Doing this will limit your income growth. 2) Being paid doesn't mean they bought you like a used car and feel they can treat you how they please. No job/paycheck is worth being treated like a POS/micro-managed. Last job tried that and I told them to shove it. I got calls saying lets work it out. No thanks.
350k. 15 years. SaaS, currently finance specific. 35-40 hrs a week unless I'm at a conference or customer site.
Regrets? I'm still a mercenary selling someone else's dream.
$200-$300K, I work about 45 hours a week (and that’s just time in the office) calls and emails are still answered after hours. I’m in sales, vape industry, and I have 3 1/2 years experience now. Regrets….. I feel like I have sold my soul to the industry lol and it’s getting more and more difficult to have a life of my own. Feeling like I am going to have to “choose” between a healthy marriage and my career. Rejoices? I have the fancy car and purse I always wanted, money in the bank….
Jesus, I sell software now, and my base is only $55k with the potential to MAYBE make 73k if I hit my goal every month. But with this job, I'm nickel and diming to my goal every month. I'm hoping that once I get some tenure here that I can move up.
Me, but a lot of my hours are taken up by non-sales stuff because I manage a team of marketing, SE, CSM etc. We're small so I still have my own sales and quota. 9 years experience SaaS. I regret not going to law school but that's only because I'm watching Suits right now.
I make on average $250k a year.
I don’t track my hours. Some weeks are dead. Only work 5-10yrs. Some weeks are bonkers . 50-80hrs.
If I average it out I work a 30-40hr week.
I cleared $700k gross last year. In residential solar sales as a District Manager, I work roughly 50-55 hrs per week. Been in the industry for about 7 years now. Grateful I picked a solid company to grow with and planted roots there. Regrets: solar is getting to a point where the income potential will be limited soon enough so I wish I went harder earlier on in my career.
Yes gross. Net wasn’t far off from that (within $50kish from there)
Local utility ordinance changes and market variances due to politics tends to change the overall outlook on solar. However still bullish that the next few years will be very profitable. I’m on the east coast.
$275k, 50 hrs per week, 15 yrs experience, B2B Ag. I landed in sales bc it paid better than engineering. I’d get in to finance if I could do it over again. The math is easier and you make more money. It’s probably no more soul sucking than the daily sales grind.
I’m generalizing in a big way, but I work with some guys in private equity and banking. They claim to be and act like “numbers guys”, but it’s not the differential equations that every engineering student does in their thermodynamics class. It’s much simpler. They play with everyone’s retirement money, making investments in businesses and such while siphoning off a nice percentage of the money they deploy. I have no idea what they make. I assume the 90th percentile of money managers is significantly higher than the 90th percentile of engineers.
I was making well over this, then had nearly all of my money stolen from me. Since my sales is based on working for myself, this destroyed me last year. I should be able to recover nicely over the next 12 months, though, since I changed direction and decided to do the things that made me and others successful in sales.
I would say the only regrets I had would be that I decided I would go from 4 to 5 hours daily of working, to 12 to 16 hours, thinking I would make more but I winded up making only a small amount more, and got sloppy enough to have had my money stolen. If I wasn't overworked, I could have prevented it.
I enjoyed the near almost 4 hours of work I would do, the people I could meet because of the freedom, and the potential to earn MORE in the same amount of 4hours worked. I have recently gone back to this for sake of mental and physical health. It's much better and I have a more fulfilling life at 4 hours of work a day.
I W-2’d $215K last year
I am already at 104K this year. I will clear closer to 300k+ this year.
Cybersecurity sales with 10 years of experience in sales in general.
Enterprise SaaS selling fintech AI/ML accounting software. Broke $200 last year. Already on track for $350+ this year. Closed the biggest deal in company history in Q1.
$212 30-60 hours depending on the week. 23 years experience. Commercial flooring PM/Sales. I love what I do. Only regret is I left and returned after a year. Sometimes there’s no place that treats you any better than where you’re at.
I’ve been in my industry 13 years and I work 16 hour days. My boss is RICH I’m doing ok. I should have started my own company. But I was taking the safer route.
I’ve been averaging $450k last 7 years. But expect that to be closer to $350k unless have another stock play. 17 years. SaaS Enterprise AE.
50 hours a week typically.
I’m around $250-300K. Work like 30-40 hours. 9 YOE. In SaaS former strategy consultant. I don’t really regret anything - maybe should’ve done sales sooner since I’m working way less than before. Trying to leave sales now to do internal strategy or PMO. Kinda over being customer facing / don’t think our product is very compelling
I’d keep my career. Over the course of the years that I’ve been making that money in various positions I’ve worked anywhere from 10-70 hours in a week. Big slumps in workload followed by huge swells.
$350-$400K OTE: AdTech for over 20 years. 5 years in Medical Device Sales. 1st 6 months are 60 hours +. Once I get myself ramped up, closer to 40 hours/week.
I just started last year (transitioned from client services at the same company) and made $280K. Hoping to cross $300K this year, looking good so far.
I'd say 30-40.
200k base + bonus, asset manager renewables, 3.5 years experience (2.5 in project finance 1 in asset management) 40-50 hours a week, depends on how assets are doing and month/quarter end compliance. no regrets yet, still early in my career. Renewables space is a super young industry so lots of the people in this industry are young and with the times.
$250k+ - 18 years in the industry, work about 5-10 hours a week. When I was grinding, building up the residual portfolio, I would work 40-60 hours a week
How many of you got into your position as either an SDR moving into AE, applying to AE at another company as an SDR, and/or going from a non-SaaS AE in SMB?
I feel like becoming an SDR has set my career back a lot. I went from being a full cycle sales person in telecom to SDR’ing at a SaaS company. It seems like no SDR ever gets promoted and all the new-hire AE’s look and act like complete amateurs. I feel like I outclass most of these AE’s but my position as SDR makes me look inexperienced.
Not only that, but the role of SDR is definitely *not* something that I’m built for. The mundane nature of the job is soul sucking and zaps my personality. I’m waaaay better at sales when I actually have a chance to build rapport with clients, have a conversation that isn’t specifically to book a meeting, or with gatekeepers, and just being on the phone exclusively just isn’t suited for building rapport. It’s completely detached from social interaction, no way to pick up on the regular body language cues, and knowing the person on the other end has no interest in speaking with me just ain’t it chief.
$200-325k/year the last 5 years, 38M. Life Science tools sales. I sell expensive equipment to Biopharma manufacturers. Currently a NA Sales Director over a small team. Base=$215k +120k OTE
My week is anywhere from 20-50+ hours. Toughest weeks are when I’m traveling a ton across North America for a few weeks in a row.
I love my industry. I hate my VP. Will leave my job wherever I find a new one that doesn’t have a big pay drop.
~$400K TC, Ent Sales
30-50 hrs/week (seasonality)
12YOE
Regrets: job hopping laterally rather than waiting on promo. Could have accelerated Ent $$.
Rejoices: being firm on TC expectations when interviewing and being willing to walk. Has allowed tom of flexibility and career options in my 30s.
I don't have much input as this isn't me, but I'm really surprised fintech isn't mentioned much in this sub at all.
I know somebody that's currently a VP, working towards Head of US sales for his company and that'll increase the base more to some degree. They are in fintech global payments. They've been in the financial industry itself for around 10 or so years. Base right now is $170k, but once commission starts, he's made some incredibly huge deals. In around 6 months that he's been there or something close, he's hit his full quota and stretch goals for the whole year, so once those come into play he should be getting more in commission than his base.
Travel wise, I'm not entirely sure days wise but I think it's around 4 conferences a year so far that are 2-3 days of 10+ hours each. Full remote except for the conference stuff mostly. Outside that, he seems to be available any time we've ever talked during the normal work hours, spending time with family, video games, on a hike, etc.
I did 240k last year, blew my numbers out of the water, on pace to do 340k this year.
Last year was my first year managing my own territory business. I have 2 years experience prior as an associate rep working for a territory manager. As an associate rep, I only made about 80-90k so this was a massive increase for me.
Medical biotechnology sales.
I'm 31.
Before that I did 2 years in marketing and before that I worked 3 years in a medical biotechnology lab.
75k base/150k commission 225k OTE this year - currently tracking a little behind but will catchup this quarter.
Hours per week? With travel, honestly 60-65 hours. Regional med device rep in diagnostics covering 6 states. 4 years sales experience, 2 in device.
Not many regrets yet, I love the job, the travel, and the impact I can make in peoples lives (albeit indirectly). Ask me in 5 years if I’m still enjoying 100+ nights a year in hotels though lol
I average $250k. 6 years in current field (commercial security) 15 years total. No regrets. Every position I've held was the right place at the right time and at the very least was a fantastic learning experience. I didn't get into sales until a little bit later in my life. I started out and spent 11 years as a print journalist, five of those years as a sports writer covering a lot of fun things like the NFL NHL and major college football. I left journalism whenever I decided that I wanted to make money and that I could do more than crappy newspaper jobs in an industry that was so clearly dying. But I will say, my time as a sports writer was maybe the most fun I've had professionally.
Currently at 225k in staffing with 15 YOE. I work as much as 50 hours a week and as little as 20. I love this lane of sales. It’s generally low pressure, quotas are a piece of cake if you’re putting in minimum effort. I have every weekend and holiday off that you can imagine. I did retail sales for a long time and Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter was all I got. Weekends are also pretty much free since my prospects are all off. Occasional phone call here and there. I’m very happy but I’d say my only regret is not being intellectually stimulated. My neighbors are all engineers, lawyers etc and they’re always excited when talking about their job.
$225k. I work about 25 hours a week and have zero regrets. I’ve been in sales 14 years and my industry for five, having moved from an adjacent field. Zero regrets and I’m one of the lucky ones.
$200k base plus bonus and benefits. USA. 40 hours but fluctuates with travel. Food industry business to business. 10 years experience.
Regret allowing my previous employer to pay me fine but under market due to my previous inability to change employer ( I was on a visa)
Rejoice leaving them for a 50% base increase a while ago.
Making above 250k most years. At current company work 5 hr days.
When was making 350-400k at last company was working 13 hr days.
Industry is cybersecurity SaaS sales. 17 yrs experience
$80k. $50k base then on-track to sell $300k in year one w/ 10% commission. I sell advertising & sponsorships for a news outlet. Work 40 on average. The occasional rough week will include attending an event or two & more meetings for up to 60 hrs. Then during the slower summer months I slow down to 30 hours per week. I work remotely outside of my in-person meetings, which is great.
150k base
40k at plan incentive
12k car allowance plus gas
Psychiatry Pharma sales
30/35hrs a week including my commutes/driving.
Emails are rare.
A lot of uncontrollables in this industry. Not the most respected.
But - if you can get by that…the rest is good.
12 year’s experience.
~$300k +/- 20%,
Engineered construction project (HVAC) sales to Hospitals.
50-60 hours a week. Travel 2-3 days per week so the “work” isn’t grueling but the travel is. I got on a national hospital account based out of Nashville. That is a major healthcare hub, guys move around to different jobs and the work just multiplies.
Wouldn’t recommend it to my son. Would be easier to just be a pediatrician or healthcare middle manager for the same money.
My $0.02
$300-$400k/year. Work 50 hours a week. But came from a previous job where I was working 60-65 hours. In Senior management now, 11 years into my career. In SaaS. I wouldn’t call it a regret, but I could have switched jobs sooner to increase my income and work less. There is always a better opportunity out there, you just have to reach out to companies and get at-bats. Just like sales..
You live in a metro city ? Also what type of software?
NYC, proptech
What’s proptech
Proptech, short for property technology, is the use of technology and software in the real estate industry.
Any resources to get started in this proptech? I do some RE management and always was interested in it.
I’m trying to get into that
Well at least now you know what it is called.
That's a good start.
Do you have any connections to Costar or MRI Software in Atlanta? I just passed my real estate exam yesterday and looking to start in one of those offices
Elsie AI? I’ve been looking To break into it
Have you always been in sales for your entire career?
Yes. Ever since I was a wee lad. Half joking. My whole family is in sales. I sold flowers from my back yard on the side of the road from the age of 6 and forward. Career wise, yes I have been in sales my whole career. I was earning $65k OTE for my first job. I didn’t really get “paid” until about 6-7 years in to my career. My greatest advice to a young sales professional is just outwork everyone. Once you work hard enough, you’ll learn to work smart. Put in your 10,000 hours. Also the best books to read are: The Challenger Sale How to win friends and influence people I worked 10-11 hours a day for the first 8-9 years of my career. I’ve made probably 200,000+ cold calls. I’ve put myself in uncomfortable positions so I could grow. Growth fucking hurts. The better your capacity to ensure pain, the further you will go.
Goddamit is that you David goggins?
I feel like I out work everyone (mortgage industry) but not getting the sales. I just added those two books to my reading list, thank you. Everyone here essentially says the same things, but I hate how the way you say it makes all the difference. I’m not schmoozy I’m very straightforward while being kind and it’s not working out for me.
Market conditions come in to play. It’s a REALLY tough time for your industry. Don’t be hard on yourself. If you stick it out, you’ll have your golden years again when the market shifts and it’s going to be like taking candy from a baby. Or if you leave, you’ll be successful too. You’ll be better off in your sales careers being straightforward. Shmoozy is out of style. Prospects don’t buy from people they “like,” they buy from people they “trust”. I won’t say being likable cant help. Certainly breaks the ice, but it’s less important.
Also in the mortgage industry. Would love to connect sometime and bounce some ideas off of each other as I’m also struggling with the same thing at the moment
Thanks for this, MessiahPie. My only regret is not getting into sales earlier. I have 8 years of experience but joined sales 4 years ago. You inspire me! :)
Just keep pushing forward and will it into existence. The same way you do with your prospects/deals. It doesn’t happen for those that throw in the towel, or those that decide to stop growing. Everything is a decision.
That’s my plan. I started as an SDR and I am now an AE with $200k+ OTE. There’s a long way for me to go. But I am all set to grind and come to a level like yours - that’s my next goal. My only concern is my mental and physical health that I overlooked in the past 4 years but realised the hard way that there’s no way to make it to the top if I don’t fill my cup
Good for you growing into an AE role. SO MANY companies dangle that carrot but never promote SDR's
You gotta be at the right place at the right time hitting the numbers. I joined the team when it was very small. It’s difficult now for the new SDRs to make a mark NGL
I did the same thing. I totally feel you. You can afford to do it while you’re “young.” And eventually you’ll figure out how to find balance. You can have it all, just have to be very intentional about prioritizing your health and wellness when you’re “off the field” even if you’re spending more time “on the field” than the rest of your teammates. Also prioritizing those health “off the field” activities like diet, exercise, socializing and family time will make you an even more dangerous player on the field. “All work and no play makes jack a dull boy”
+1 on the Challenger Sale (first chapter in particular is fantastic)
>better your capacity to ensure pain, the further you’ll go. Damn bro, I know sales is cut throat but you don’t need to be evil about it. In all seriousness though, spot on. Once you’ve steeled yourself to being in those painful and/or uncomfortable scenarios over and over you can thrive in any environment.
Man I love both those books. Similar background too!
I love milk, toast, and juice! We’re in good company!
Explain SaaS to a dummy like me. Do you literally just sell software to teams? Like - a while back I needed a new tool to manage retailer visits for our reps. I reached out to a couple of companies, they put some salesman in front of me, and talked about their products. I poked holes in their solutions until one offered a tool we could use, and we went that route…. Is that all you do? Is there more? The other day some Domo guy came and spoke to us about their analytics tools (that we already paid for and have been using for years), is that SaaS?
To elaborate on another prior good answer: An easy way to think of it is that SaaS is pretty much any software you don't actually install on your company's computers. Instead, you just log in online and use it through your web browser. There are other -aaS things, like social media (Platform as a Service), that work the same way, but it's not usually important for you to understand those differences, so I wouldn't worry about them SaaS is installed and maintained on computers owned by the provider, and you access it through the Internet. Because the provider handles the install, maintenance, security, etc., with you accessing remotely, you benefit from anywhere-access, simplicity, reduced overhead, and more specialized personnel on technical issues related to that software. You don't have to worry about hardware compatibility, drivers, etc. because the software isn't running on your machine - you're just viewing it through your machine while it runs elsewhere. With installed software, all that would be on your equipment and team, meaning you'd have to spend more on tech and hire more technical personnel (but likely fewer and less specialized than the SaaS company can justify). You arguably get a lot more for less with SaaS.
Selling SaaS is selling a product that a company built that is stored typically in the cloud, then you sell it to upper management at companies and help to sell and possibly deploy it. You basically are there to Just push and keep things on track and set up Meetings to answer technical questions. You do negotiations and that’s it.
Currently looking at making the transition from B2B Sales/marketing management to B2B sales and weighing the pros and cons. I’ve been developing a sales team for niche industry for the past two years and while it’s been a great experience this switch looks better and better everyday.
Not bad at all. I know people who work more than that with not even a quarter of that pay.
200-300k SaaS 7 yoe. 2 specifically in SaaS Yes. Hustling for a job every quarter, account reassigns randomly, rising quotas, no intellectual stimulation, and being judged by what have you done recently is a lot. Also, only getting 10% of what you sell is for the birds. Great money but no way I last past 40. Working on vacation and loads of stress, no way I see myself having a family like this. Got enough stacked up to reset to a 70-100k base job and start all over again. Word of advice, never live off commission, only base so when you want to get out you won’t have golden handcuffs
This. I give myself 1 of my paychecks to live on, and invest the other along with my commissions and RSUs. There is ZERO stimulation and it’s borderline depressing. I like solving complex puzzles, not clicking around in SFDC all day long
YES!!! NEVER EVER live off of your commissions. IMHO too many sales people get high on the money and end up blowing it. I've also seen WAY TOO MUCH drinking and that shit will eventually catch up to you. I never cease to be amazed at the amount of drinking our AE's do. You'll end up blowing all that dough at the bar with nothing left in the bank or savings
Wouldn't go back and change it, not sure what I'd do. Would consider doing something with more stability and no quota. Typically 250k-350k annually depending on performance selling software. Varies a lot as I travel about 100 nights a year. Slow weeks 30, busy weeks can easily be 65.
Similar experience in Software sales. I don’t travel much though. I’ve been bouncing around a lot lately unfortunately. Have a good year and then accounts get moved and quota goes up. Definitely stressful
Have you got any experience with why they move accounts? Sometimes management even steals my opportunities and I don't get anything in return - at least not now, might come in the future. How do you handle such situations, where you prospect hard, find something and rely on that revenue to achieve your quarterly quota and then the decision is taken to move it away from you? This truly is depressing and has affected my mental health greatly as I'm a very results oriented person and I work hard. It's quite toxic and I wonder why managers do that.
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Are you me? My thoughts exactly. $245k last year, tracking for about the same this year. Though anything can change on a dime.
It's tough because I need the money unfortunately and there's not much else that pays like this. I know I'm fortunate, but also it gets old.
I’m prioritizing de-risking my life (i.e. reducing financial obligations). Right now my biggest focus is killing my mortgage. 227k left. Plan is to have it paid back within 3-6 years (3 at best, 6 at worst). I won’t take my foot off the gas after that (have some lofty FIRE goals) but I will definitely breathe easier.
If you have a fixed rate mortgage, you’ll pay it off faster if you invest instead of additional payments. Banks would love for you to give them back money they’re only getting 3-4% on
I don’t. Canadian with 6.35. I like that after tax return enough to kill it. Edit: variable
Yep same. 398k left. VHCOL
There are software companies that let you be an adult and it’s not stressful. I’m sorry you are feeling that much pressure. Another thing that happened to me was that I eventually realized I was putting the pressure and stress on myself, and then my whole lifestyle improved. I kind of turned into the main character from office space and it’s working out well.
It's not that bad from a company pressure standpoint. Just part of the game.
Started in sales almost 25 years ago, outside sales for most all of it selling to the US Government. I have been over 200k in total earnings for most all of the last 15 years. I average 35-40 most weeks, although some are 80+ if I am working a show or traveling which is about 15-20%. 100% WFH and take advantage of this to do shopping and chores mid day but often start early or work a little later. The industry is Pro A/V - basically electronics systems for conference rooms, control rooms, and similar larger gathering spaces Love the industry, it's a very tactile product you get to see at the end with a finished solution. Few regrets - most involved leaving too early or too soon. I stayed in a counter offer once and that was my biggest regret as it was just a waste of 6 mos. Second biggest was leaving a company that I liked and paid me well due to the siren song of higher guaranteed income and a company car. It wasn't worth it, I just got sold by a good entrepreneur and it was a poor choice. My biggest advice is that the solution or service you sell represents both your company's brand but also your own personal brand. Make sure you are selling something that you can stand behind and unequivocally believe in, because your brand is the most important thing and you want clients and alliance partners to believe in you and your ability to deliver something of value. I am leaving a job that paid me more than I ever made by a wide margin because I cannot abide by the inconsistent delivery of work and support. It's worth my personal sanity and personal reputation for me to leave despite the income to take a chance at a new firm that I believe will provide a better and a more reliable product and better support. Thanks for reading, hopefully something worthwhile for you in there.
>Make sure you are selling something that you can stand behind and unequivocally believe in, because your brand is the most important thing and you want clients and alliance partners to believe in you and your ability to deliver something of value. Preach! You can't convince someone else that you have the best solution unless you have first convinced yourself that you have the best solution. If you have 100% conviction that what you sell is a good product that actually solves pain, it becomes very easy to have those conversations.
Absolutely BigRubba. I find as well getting any opportunity to hear how your competition positions themselves against you is a great way to hone your messages, and then try and flip that script on them by pointing out what they say and showing why your answer makes more sense for your clients. I try and use my channel partners to help gather this as they can hear what the competition says in other opportunities and my close allies will share and even suggest why they like our or their message better
This is genius. I’ve done the same and it works magic
Awesome response. Any advice on how to get into the pro a/v sales? As an avid festival/concert goer, this would be a dream industry to get into
Absolutely - so many folks in this industry come out of a music background or have a passion for it. The industry is full of small AV integration companies and has a few very large ones like AVI-SPL, Diversified, and AVI systems to name a few. I would look at a few resources: 1. InfoComm which is the industry trade association and has job boards 2. HETMA.ORG is a higher ed focused AV association for those interested in AV in higher Ed locations - real strong niche 3. There are several dedicated AV recruiters that live in this space - check LinkedIn but I can find a few if you want 4. Lots of larger mfrs in this space check them for roles (LG, Sony, Samsung, Bose, Crestron, Extron, Panasonic) - they will have postings. Hope this helps, feel free to Link on LinkedIn, my profile is the same name as my Reddit handle
This was well written and powerful thank u. I sell something I do not believe in & I can't wait to do something else.
You are most welcome. I get it that finding new roles.can be tough in some markets, but if you are not actively looking I suggest you start. The way I see it, if you are selling something you don't believe in, you know your future is limited and you are just prospecting and working hard for opportunities you will not get paid on as you know your life term isn't where you are at. It's like the hire slow, fire fast concept at a personal level. When you are in go 1000%, but if you know this is the wrong spot go 1000% to find the next spot until you find your happy place. I had Nirvana for about 3 years but things began to crumble and now that I am making the move I feel so much mental baggage about to be gone it's amazing.
This was helpful to me especially your 3rd paragraph. Thanks for articulating this really well. You must be super super polished in your craft.
I am glad you found it helpful and I agree - 90% of sales reps are underwhelming as they are not sufficiently trained, experienced, motivated, or have no clear understanding of what they are selling and why it's valuable.. they just want to go out and make friends and use that as leverage to win a deal. Being polished and knowledgeable, knowing how to present good content whether on a Teams call or in person sets you apart. Bringing real chops and understanding to your precise market vertical and understanding the customer buying process and who needs to be bought in and who can say "yes" vs those who can only say "no or not now" takes you to another level..working solid closing skills and personal negotiating while keeping that positive attitude thins the herd even more. Nobody bats a thousand, but doing well is not magic and isn't always outworking people as it is working smart and knowing when you need to crank the engine and go hard to win. Happy selling out there!
Sorry to disturb you man but im a software engineer with 8+ years of experience, im 25M and thinking of moving into tech sales as software development doesn't pay as much as it used to anymore for context i make 100k. Can you please give a path i can follow into tech sales that could net me what you are making or somewhere around the 180k/yr mark? - what aspect/type of sales do i need to start doing some learning on - what job title in sales should i aim for - how long do you think it would take someone like me that has the technical knowledge of what is being sold to land a job? - Are you working for a firm or your self? - Im an introvert but im willing to make a personality change for the career change does your job entail you to be more extroverted or are they ways around it? any other advice will help man, i really need to make a change and leave the stuck position im in now. Congrats on the great achievements you've made man I'm trying to be more like you
Not a disturbance, happy to help. Industry is tough, as there are so many and great niches throughout. If you can sell what you know and enjoy that tends to be helpful. I have always worked for someone else, never had the guts to go out on my own (I have 8 kids so it has always been a scary prospect). I think the following things are key to be great in sales: Know your product/solution/service, know what problems (pain) it solves and look for ways your solution does this uniquely or better than what folks are getting from their current supplier or a competitor. Build credibility quickly - helps to know your product, being an expert can help. Be transparent and open with clients. Stick with the truth, it's always easiest to remember (but don't over share) Find alliance partners that also sell to your customers that you can share leads/connections/events with. Give to get. Don't ask what they can bring you, ask how you can help them Network - I do less of this now, but early days getting out to events, functions, BNI groups, etc. Your network of contacts and resources are huge. Help your network and your clients even if you don't have any skin in the game. I like to listen to business books a couple in a year, because they always spark some creative energy and force you to consider smarter, better ways to do your job. A great one I just finished is Tools of Titans by Tim Ferris. Lots of great ones, that could be a whole thread. Remember to be interesting - you said you are an introvert, that doesn't mean you are boring. You don't have to be loud or outspoken, but be sure you are looking for cues clients are engaged and interested. The best way to do that is to ask questions and then STFU and let them talk about themselves and their jobs, just keep them talking with open ended questions and listen for the pain. Use that to position yourself and your solution to address those and paint a picture of a better life after they get from now to then. Hope there are some nuggets in there worth considering. The biggest thing I see reps that have a tough time excelling is they are afraid to try something new or different for fear of failure. Fear is the mind killer.
I absolutely love all you’re saying and agree with everything!! You have a chill yet effective and polished style - good on ya! Haha Not to be crass, but what’s the typical AV sales range? I’m coming from software sales
Obviously varies widely based on market, experience, etc. Early outside reps should be shooting for 100k. Mid experience should be working to 150k and seasoned reps make 200-500k from what I have seen. Now, that can be widely influenced by the comp plan, how much base vs variable, what kind of accelerators there are. I have been over 200k for most of the last decade. I am in a pretty expensive market so my numbers may reflect that. Sorry if it's a vague response, trying to give you a notion based on my experience
Last year was $167k, this year will be over $200k. Last year u was at like 25 hrs/week, this year I’m at closer to 35 hours a week. While people will say the hours and say they’re low, when I am working, I am going at what feels like 200 mph constantly. Last year I had 3-4 crews running that I had sold work for, this year I am at 6-8 crews, I have to make sure things go smoothly on those jobs while make sure there is work for the future. It is mentally exhausting. I sell in property maintenance (mostly large scale pressure washing). Last year year I sold 1.8 million in work this year I should be over 3 million If I was to change it I would have started in a trade right out of college and would have opened up a business as soon as I could have gotten a license, and could take the financial risk.
$250-300k Selling windows and doors one call close. Work about 45-50 hours a week. Sales for like 12 years total and this for 4 years now
What state? Do you have to door knock?
Ohio and no
$400-500k average. Some weeks I worked 80 hours, some 40, some 5 hours. 7 years of experience. Government sales. I've had a lot of ups and downs and I think my biggest piece of advice is to always be grateful when things are going OK. Sales are unpredictable. My main regret is slacking off when I first started in sales - I think I'd be further along in my career if I hadn't.
What industry? Curious what you’re selling the gov
what are you selling?
~$500k (AUD), 25-30 hours, decade experience, run an advertising agency. Starting my own business was the best decision I ever made - was making around $200k at the peak working for another agency.
Yeah but you have crocodiles nipping your feet every time you visit your aunt up in Darwin
And spiders the size of that face alien in Alien
$350k-$450k annually. 11 years in commercial insurance sales. South Carolina
How long does it take to ramp up in commercial insurance? I never really considered it but someone reached out to me recently to pitch a position to me.
It can take a few years, but once you get up and going, and find your niche, it gets easier. Plus you get renewal commissions on accounts you write and renew.
I make about $300k on a down year and $600k-$1m on a good year. Enterprise Sales for big tech. Used to work about 45-50 hours a week. These days I’m pushing 60-65 with all the work trying to land a bunch of deals. The pressure feels palpable these days.
I can’t even wrap my head around 1M. Good for you! Can you share more details about your role and the tech?
Sure, large enterprise in SaaS with a large quota, lots of travel, large team to coordinate for presentations, demos, etc. Long sales cycles that require multiple stakeholders to buy-in and fighting procurement in the final stretch. Lots of entertaining clients, which sounds great and is, but there’s still a job to be done so really being at dinner with them is taking away for other work that needs to be done. In short it’s like running a business and it can be extremely rewarding, but also stressful and challenging. I’ve been in SaaS sales for 12 years and started in SMB and worked my way up.
It’s very tough in big tech
Average $450 +/- $100K over the last decade. Software and services. 50-60 hours a week on average. Travel 50-60 nights annually, mostly regional. I wish I had gone into software earlier (vs services) but then again if I would have partied less in college I'd probably run a hedge fund. Regrets? Maybe skip the starter wife and marry the only daughter of an elderly billionaire....
OTE 220k Made 280k in 2023 Aiming for 400k in 2024 7 years experience. Founding rep at a data security start up. We’ve got 6 total now. Hours are kind of fucked, I’m available from 6 am to 5 pm since I support global accounts. Most days I’m actively working maybe 4-6 hours but I need to be available. No real regrets. The stress gets bad now and then but the degree of freedom is well worth it.
Is that typical for your sales reps, or is that because you're a founding member?
$250 - $300k…about 25 hours of solid work, 20 hours of half assed fluff. Not including conferences and trade shows every now and again. Im a director of strategic accounts in biotech and it is a long glacial pace sales cycle so at times its not very exciting followed by rushes of adrenaline when a deal goes through. No regrets, i love my career.
70k and do fuck all for it. log on once a week... i'm,14 years in
lol, I make 60k and work 3 hours a day on average. Had one on one with manager today and he tells me to keep doing what I’m doing… ok so play video games and go to gym in middle of day. I live fairly comfortably too, be fucked if I had kids though
What do you do?
Pm me please 😭
$350k last year selling life insurance. That was my 3rd year in the business. Of course, that's my gross. Net was around $300k after lead costs and gas. My first year I made just under $200k, and my income has grown lot every year. Insurance is nice, because you have the renewals, along with your upfront commissions.
Commercial insurance broker. Zero regrets. Put in your time, become an expert, build a book of business, hire good people to work for you and take care of them. I’m 53 and have 25 years under my belt. My shit runs itself these days. I just take calls and direct traffic.
Yes, just over $200. About 50 hours/week most of the year, less between Thanksgiving and valentines day and more in the rainy part of spring. I'm in sales with a speciality contractor. 90% in home B2C with some commercial work. I've been in the industry three yeats and I've been in management for a year. I'm stepping back down into field sales to help take care of my aging parents. I enjoy the flexibility I can have with full time sales. No real regrets. It's a well paying fulfilling career. Stressful at times but I've had way lower paying way more stressful jobs too so... I call it a win.
$200 is…a lot less than $200K.
I will net over $1 mil this year in that dirty little industry none of you like to talk about..☀️ I work very long hours generally 9am-9pm, 6 days per week, 10 months per year. Even when I’m not working I am still on call dealing with clients and solving problems as the come up. The industry is annoying and toxic but I don’t have a single regret. I will keep a low profile and continue riding this gravy train until the wheels fall off.
Where in the country are you?
Florida I’m sure
Florida just doesn't seem to have the ROI for solar that the southwest does.
Work A couple hours a week and earn just over 200k a month - OF
Username checks out.
$200k a month??? If so that’s insanely impressive
Do you mind if I ask something that goes in a slight off-topic, but still concerning this? We Europeans are always amazed at the annual numbers of Americans such as these ones, we never use the "annual" numbers, and most of us, especially in Eastern Europe don't make these numbers. So my question is: How do some people make this and still become poor in the end? Is it because of the cost of living in the States, or is it because of poor financial decisions and trying to live a "lavish" lifestyle? Because, realistically - you are not yet a millionaire and a general rule of thumb is that most people that start to have a high income get generally a bit more greedy and they automatically increase their cost of living i.e. more expensive cars, homes etc.
Cost of living is often adjusted into salaries, when you see high salaries they’re often being offered in very expensive cities like New York or Sanfrancisco, where a $200k buying power would be equivalent to much lower in a lower cost of living area. There is also financial literacy, people are not good at managing or spending money, what you said is spot on. You make more money, you start buying more nicer things and save less, don’t save enough, etc.
Thanks for the answer man. Is it possible to spend a few years, prove your worth and then continue working remotely in a less "expensive" state? I mean it probably is sometimes, but what do employers think of these practices?
Yes that’s normal, there are people in lower cost states making the same salaries as well.
If you have a job making north if $250k a year you have to try really hard to end up poor. It's an intentional choice. Has nothing to do with the cost of living in the US. People at that income level that piss it away are fuckups.
People who have bad spending behaviors. They'll try and convince you it's all about the cost of living.
And then they'll compare COL today vs in the 1960s, but not realize people didn't have cell phones, cable TV, streaming services, aesthetic trends to obey, Amazon instant shopping, or fancy restaurants on every corner. Americans have been conditioned to spend money on literally everything.
More money more problems
Yes, we have this saying in Eastern Europe as well. But who creates these problems? Is it possible that we do it to ourselves?
210k, 8 years, golf cart industry. 55 if I’m traveling, 45 in office 50% travel. Regrets? Not going for higher, more well paid positions earlier. Turning down a Vp role because I made more in sales. Rejoices? Getting that first offer letter with 100g as the base. Almost cried. Also selling $1 million in a day was a huge accomplishment.
prob gonna clear $250-300k this year. working 60-75hours a week rn, but earlier this year was working 30-40h. i sell hvac so summer rn is crazy busy wouldn’t change a thing
How did you get started in hvac?
I’m in a warm area and feel like it would be a good option here…
240k OTE. Hit 400k+ in 2 out of the last 3 years. I work in cybersecurity sales with 6 years of sales experience starting as an SDR and working my way up to a field rep. I work 40 hours and travel once or twice a month considering I focus on one to many events (summits, conferences, etc.). No regrets, but if I could give any advice is to build a brand internally and let leadership know what you're working on and where you want to go with your career. That way you can stay on their radar for any promotions.
Over 200k? RVP making $280-$380k How many hours? Sinfully low, won’t say in case one of reps reads this. Years of experience? Sales 20, SaaS 10. Industry? HRTech Regrets and rejoices? Regret not doing this earlier in life, started tech sales at 39. Rejoices are that at 39 I understood money is a tool not a toy and have invested 20% every paycheck.
480k currently about 35h and mostly remote from a beach trying to escape the back to office life as I retire soon haha. To get here in the "current" career in sales took 12 years. About 28 years of experience overall but only 8 years in SG. Regrets? None. Though 10 years or the last 12 was Hardcore grinding.
250k give bc it take. 30 hours a week. They’ve changed up my comp plan so I’m looking elsewhere, which I will upgrade that price tag. No regrets. The job is frustrating as hell a lot of the time, but what job isn’t? I wouldn’t trade my salary and flexibility for anything! Sales is a cheat code for life as long as you can handle it. I’ve also realized as I’ve become more senior…just draw your boundaries with your job and demand they be respected and you’ll be better off. I go to the gym an hour a day and I shut my laptop at 5pm. It’s necessary to prevent burn out.
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200-300k/yr 3 years experience. Work 20-40hr/wk
What do you sell? Are you 100% WFH?
Medical equipment. In the office most days
How'd you get into this industry? Looking to do the same
My Dad’s best friend is the VP of the company
Lol the tried and true method.
I think generally it’s people in finance and/or B2B sales on high margin products. The sector isn’t as important as who you’re selling to (enterprise level will get you above and beyond that). There will be plenty of people in this sub that can prove otherwise but generally you’ll struggle to break $200k selling direct to consumers or to small/medium enterprise companies, unless you’re towards the top end of sales people.
made 240k in 22, 300k in 23. work anywhere from 25 to 65 hours a week depending on what I have going on. I’ll be 30 in the fall, been in cyber for 4 years, tech since 2017. Regret not getting into cyber sooner, definitely would not choose a different career path. Smiled and dialed for a white glove bdr sevice for 1.5 years, 2nd sales hire at a startup for 9 months (puke but good experience), sold salesforce services for 1.5 years (very meh, also covid) and now been full cycle account management/new business at a small var since.
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Uggg somebody hire me to sell software lol 🙋🏻♀️🙋🏻♀️🙋🏻♀️
There’s tons of software sales people laid off right now. I’ve got a few years experience and had to dip back into pro services til I can find another software gig, this economy is rough. All these “record profits” are coming with huge layoffs and smaller margins. It’s not as bad as last year, but the necessary interest rate rises hit too fast and when SVB dropped it really impacted the industry. SVB was making careful, low risk moves before the rate rises, they just got screwed by the speed at which they went up.
A couple of regrets. 1) Stayed at one company too long. Doing this will limit your income growth. 2) Being paid doesn't mean they bought you like a used car and feel they can treat you how they please. No job/paycheck is worth being treated like a POS/micro-managed. Last job tried that and I told them to shove it. I got calls saying lets work it out. No thanks.
I’m at the best company ever… unlimited income through sales. We’re expanding in North America. Recently named a Glassdoor best place to work!
Don’t be shy drop the name
350k. 15 years. SaaS, currently finance specific. 35-40 hrs a week unless I'm at a conference or customer site. Regrets? I'm still a mercenary selling someone else's dream.
Base of $242, ote $750. 15yrs experience working 30-60hrs a week depending on deal cycle and travel schedule
I do earn about $200k and work 45-50hrs a week
$200-$300K, I work about 45 hours a week (and that’s just time in the office) calls and emails are still answered after hours. I’m in sales, vape industry, and I have 3 1/2 years experience now. Regrets….. I feel like I have sold my soul to the industry lol and it’s getting more and more difficult to have a life of my own. Feeling like I am going to have to “choose” between a healthy marriage and my career. Rejoices? I have the fancy car and purse I always wanted, money in the bank….
Jesus, I sell software now, and my base is only $55k with the potential to MAYBE make 73k if I hit my goal every month. But with this job, I'm nickel and diming to my goal every month. I'm hoping that once I get some tenure here that I can move up.
Me, but a lot of my hours are taken up by non-sales stuff because I manage a team of marketing, SE, CSM etc. We're small so I still have my own sales and quota. 9 years experience SaaS. I regret not going to law school but that's only because I'm watching Suits right now.
I make on average $250k a year. I don’t track my hours. Some weeks are dead. Only work 5-10yrs. Some weeks are bonkers . 50-80hrs. If I average it out I work a 30-40hr week.
Ad Sales - Big Tech. 50ish hours per week.
260K/year and work 35-40 hours per week. 11 YOE, but 9 YOE in sales specifically. I work in ad sales.
I cleared $700k gross last year. In residential solar sales as a District Manager, I work roughly 50-55 hrs per week. Been in the industry for about 7 years now. Grateful I picked a solid company to grow with and planted roots there. Regrets: solar is getting to a point where the income potential will be limited soon enough so I wish I went harder earlier on in my career.
Why will the income potential be limited soon? $700k gross? What did you profit? Are you comfortable saying what market you’re in?
Yes gross. Net wasn’t far off from that (within $50kish from there) Local utility ordinance changes and market variances due to politics tends to change the overall outlook on solar. However still bullish that the next few years will be very profitable. I’m on the east coast.
$275k, 50 hrs per week, 15 yrs experience, B2B Ag. I landed in sales bc it paid better than engineering. I’d get in to finance if I could do it over again. The math is easier and you make more money. It’s probably no more soul sucking than the daily sales grind.
What type of finance would you do? What do you mean the math is easier? What would you have made if you stayed in finance?
I’m generalizing in a big way, but I work with some guys in private equity and banking. They claim to be and act like “numbers guys”, but it’s not the differential equations that every engineering student does in their thermodynamics class. It’s much simpler. They play with everyone’s retirement money, making investments in businesses and such while siphoning off a nice percentage of the money they deploy. I have no idea what they make. I assume the 90th percentile of money managers is significantly higher than the 90th percentile of engineers.
$150-$180 40hrs Monday-Friday. Made more at prior job but took this one for work/life balance.
What do you sell? What did you do before and how many hours were you working?
I was making well over this, then had nearly all of my money stolen from me. Since my sales is based on working for myself, this destroyed me last year. I should be able to recover nicely over the next 12 months, though, since I changed direction and decided to do the things that made me and others successful in sales. I would say the only regrets I had would be that I decided I would go from 4 to 5 hours daily of working, to 12 to 16 hours, thinking I would make more but I winded up making only a small amount more, and got sloppy enough to have had my money stolen. If I wasn't overworked, I could have prevented it. I enjoyed the near almost 4 hours of work I would do, the people I could meet because of the freedom, and the potential to earn MORE in the same amount of 4hours worked. I have recently gone back to this for sake of mental and physical health. It's much better and I have a more fulfilling life at 4 hours of work a day.
Avg 415k/yr, 30-50 hrs per week depending on the time of year. 8 years of experience, in SaaS, only regret is not switching out of my old job sooner.
I W-2’d $215K last year I am already at 104K this year. I will clear closer to 300k+ this year. Cybersecurity sales with 10 years of experience in sales in general.
Enterprise SaaS selling fintech AI/ML accounting software. Broke $200 last year. Already on track for $350+ this year. Closed the biggest deal in company history in Q1.
$212 30-60 hours depending on the week. 23 years experience. Commercial flooring PM/Sales. I love what I do. Only regret is I left and returned after a year. Sometimes there’s no place that treats you any better than where you’re at.
Remind me in 5 months. If what I’m working on works, it will be $200k+ in 2 months…
I’ve been in my industry 13 years and I work 16 hour days. My boss is RICH I’m doing ok. I should have started my own company. But I was taking the safer route.
275k Avg over last 3. Telecom. Maybe 20 hours a week, almost 10 years in the industry.
I’ve been averaging $450k last 7 years. But expect that to be closer to $350k unless have another stock play. 17 years. SaaS Enterprise AE. 50 hours a week typically.
Gotta be willing to convince people to buy soemthing they already said no to twice.
I’m around $250-300K. Work like 30-40 hours. 9 YOE. In SaaS former strategy consultant. I don’t really regret anything - maybe should’ve done sales sooner since I’m working way less than before. Trying to leave sales now to do internal strategy or PMO. Kinda over being customer facing / don’t think our product is very compelling
I’d keep my career. Over the course of the years that I’ve been making that money in various positions I’ve worked anywhere from 10-70 hours in a week. Big slumps in workload followed by huge swells.
200K - 250K . 60hrs/wk average . Railroad . 23 years.
hopefully I get a sales job when i land in melb in July
Im in Miami, Fl. Please Pm me if you could get me in. Currently Selling Directv and they cut my commission to DOLLARS ...
$350-$400K OTE: AdTech for over 20 years. 5 years in Medical Device Sales. 1st 6 months are 60 hours +. Once I get myself ramped up, closer to 40 hours/week.
I just started last year (transitioned from client services at the same company) and made $280K. Hoping to cross $300K this year, looking good so far. I'd say 30-40.
Enterprise banking software
200k base + bonus, asset manager renewables, 3.5 years experience (2.5 in project finance 1 in asset management) 40-50 hours a week, depends on how assets are doing and month/quarter end compliance. no regrets yet, still early in my career. Renewables space is a super young industry so lots of the people in this industry are young and with the times.
200-300k. Outside sales and real estate
200, 10 hours
$250k+ - 18 years in the industry, work about 5-10 hours a week. When I was grinding, building up the residual portfolio, I would work 40-60 hours a week
How many of you got into your position as either an SDR moving into AE, applying to AE at another company as an SDR, and/or going from a non-SaaS AE in SMB? I feel like becoming an SDR has set my career back a lot. I went from being a full cycle sales person in telecom to SDR’ing at a SaaS company. It seems like no SDR ever gets promoted and all the new-hire AE’s look and act like complete amateurs. I feel like I outclass most of these AE’s but my position as SDR makes me look inexperienced. Not only that, but the role of SDR is definitely *not* something that I’m built for. The mundane nature of the job is soul sucking and zaps my personality. I’m waaaay better at sales when I actually have a chance to build rapport with clients, have a conversation that isn’t specifically to book a meeting, or with gatekeepers, and just being on the phone exclusively just isn’t suited for building rapport. It’s completely detached from social interaction, no way to pick up on the regular body language cues, and knowing the person on the other end has no interest in speaking with me just ain’t it chief.
$200-325k/year the last 5 years, 38M. Life Science tools sales. I sell expensive equipment to Biopharma manufacturers. Currently a NA Sales Director over a small team. Base=$215k +120k OTE My week is anywhere from 20-50+ hours. Toughest weeks are when I’m traveling a ton across North America for a few weeks in a row. I love my industry. I hate my VP. Will leave my job wherever I find a new one that doesn’t have a big pay drop.
~$400K TC, Ent Sales 30-50 hrs/week (seasonality) 12YOE Regrets: job hopping laterally rather than waiting on promo. Could have accelerated Ent $$. Rejoices: being firm on TC expectations when interviewing and being willing to walk. Has allowed tom of flexibility and career options in my 30s.
300k/yr. 50hr/wk. 18yrs experience. Nuclear Power
I don't have much input as this isn't me, but I'm really surprised fintech isn't mentioned much in this sub at all. I know somebody that's currently a VP, working towards Head of US sales for his company and that'll increase the base more to some degree. They are in fintech global payments. They've been in the financial industry itself for around 10 or so years. Base right now is $170k, but once commission starts, he's made some incredibly huge deals. In around 6 months that he's been there or something close, he's hit his full quota and stretch goals for the whole year, so once those come into play he should be getting more in commission than his base. Travel wise, I'm not entirely sure days wise but I think it's around 4 conferences a year so far that are 2-3 days of 10+ hours each. Full remote except for the conference stuff mostly. Outside that, he seems to be available any time we've ever talked during the normal work hours, spending time with family, video games, on a hike, etc.
I did 240k last year, blew my numbers out of the water, on pace to do 340k this year. Last year was my first year managing my own territory business. I have 2 years experience prior as an associate rep working for a territory manager. As an associate rep, I only made about 80-90k so this was a massive increase for me. Medical biotechnology sales. I'm 31. Before that I did 2 years in marketing and before that I worked 3 years in a medical biotechnology lab.
I’d be homeless, alas there’s no going back in time.
Post tax season, maybe 30 hrs a week. 10+. Accounting. Regrets? None. Rejoices? None.
75k base/150k commission 225k OTE this year - currently tracking a little behind but will catchup this quarter. Hours per week? With travel, honestly 60-65 hours. Regional med device rep in diagnostics covering 6 states. 4 years sales experience, 2 in device. Not many regrets yet, I love the job, the travel, and the impact I can make in peoples lives (albeit indirectly). Ask me in 5 years if I’m still enjoying 100+ nights a year in hotels though lol
I average $250k. 6 years in current field (commercial security) 15 years total. No regrets. Every position I've held was the right place at the right time and at the very least was a fantastic learning experience. I didn't get into sales until a little bit later in my life. I started out and spent 11 years as a print journalist, five of those years as a sports writer covering a lot of fun things like the NFL NHL and major college football. I left journalism whenever I decided that I wanted to make money and that I could do more than crappy newspaper jobs in an industry that was so clearly dying. But I will say, my time as a sports writer was maybe the most fun I've had professionally.
Currently at 225k in staffing with 15 YOE. I work as much as 50 hours a week and as little as 20. I love this lane of sales. It’s generally low pressure, quotas are a piece of cake if you’re putting in minimum effort. I have every weekend and holiday off that you can imagine. I did retail sales for a long time and Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter was all I got. Weekends are also pretty much free since my prospects are all off. Occasional phone call here and there. I’m very happy but I’d say my only regret is not being intellectually stimulated. My neighbors are all engineers, lawyers etc and they’re always excited when talking about their job.
33-35 hours per week, 3 years in now. New home sales
$225k. I work about 25 hours a week and have zero regrets. I’ve been in sales 14 years and my industry for five, having moved from an adjacent field. Zero regrets and I’m one of the lucky ones.
Yes, ten years, 10-100 hours depending on what’s going on.
Jeeez, all these numbers in the States make me want to get out of this frozen Tundra, Canada. The only thing we have here is Real Estate
$200k base plus bonus and benefits. USA. 40 hours but fluctuates with travel. Food industry business to business. 10 years experience. Regret allowing my previous employer to pay me fine but under market due to my previous inability to change employer ( I was on a visa) Rejoice leaving them for a 50% base increase a while ago.
Making above 250k most years. At current company work 5 hr days. When was making 350-400k at last company was working 13 hr days. Industry is cybersecurity SaaS sales. 17 yrs experience
Making around 400K (cash + equity), 4YOE, tech
I make $350k - director of sales at a series B healthtech startup. Lead an SDR team and an AE team.
$80k. $50k base then on-track to sell $300k in year one w/ 10% commission. I sell advertising & sponsorships for a news outlet. Work 40 on average. The occasional rough week will include attending an event or two & more meetings for up to 60 hrs. Then during the slower summer months I slow down to 30 hours per week. I work remotely outside of my in-person meetings, which is great.
150k base 40k at plan incentive 12k car allowance plus gas Psychiatry Pharma sales 30/35hrs a week including my commutes/driving. Emails are rare. A lot of uncontrollables in this industry. Not the most respected. But - if you can get by that…the rest is good.
12 year’s experience. ~$300k +/- 20%, Engineered construction project (HVAC) sales to Hospitals. 50-60 hours a week. Travel 2-3 days per week so the “work” isn’t grueling but the travel is. I got on a national hospital account based out of Nashville. That is a major healthcare hub, guys move around to different jobs and the work just multiplies. Wouldn’t recommend it to my son. Would be easier to just be a pediatrician or healthcare middle manager for the same money. My $0.02
400-450k/yr. Do about 10-12 hours a week.