Is tech sales a good career in 2026?
Updated October 28, 2026 · Based on 7,591 job postings · Methodology
On pay, yes: the median US tech sales posting pays $172k (5,687 postings with pay), entry SDR roles pay a median of $84k, and 42% of open US roles are remote, though commission means earnings depend on hitting quota.
Pay by sales role, US
| Role | Postings | Median pay | Median OTE | Remote share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Account Executive | 3222 | $166k | $230k | 41% |
| SDR / BDR | 428 | $84k | $85k | 18% |
| Sales Engineer | 1011 | $188k | $214k | 47% |
| Sales Manager | 391 | $174k | $216k | 32% |
| VP / Director of Sales | 635 | $231k | $325k | 45% |
Related: Sales pay insights · Entry-level sales jobs
FAQ
What is the highest-paying sales role?
VP and Director of Sales roles have the highest median posted pay ($231k).
Do you need a degree for tech sales?
Most SDR postings list a degree as preferred, not required; prior customer-facing experience matters more.
Cite this: “According to OTE Jobs data, on pay, yes: the median US tech sales posting pays $172k (5,687 postings with pay), entry SDR roles pay a median of $84k, and 42% of open US roles are remote, though commission means earnings depend on hitting quota.” Source: OTE Jobs (otejobs.com), October 28, 2026. Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with a link to this page.