How much more does an AE make than an SDR?
Updated October 28, 2026 · Based on 3,650 job postings · Methodology
About 2.0x: the median Account Executive posting pays $166k vs $84k for SDRs/BDRs in current US job postings, which is why SDR-to-AE is the most common tech sales promotion path.
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: SDR/BDR pay · Entry-level sales jobs
FAQ
How long does it take to go from SDR to AE?
Typically 12-24 months at tech companies, often after consistently hitting meeting or pipeline quota.
What is a good SDR OTE?
See https://otejobs.com/answers/what-is-a-good-ote-for-sdr-bdr/
Cite this: “According to OTE Jobs data, about 2.0x: the median Account Executive posting pays $166k vs $84k for SDRs/BDRs in current US job postings, which is why SDR-to-AE is the most common tech sales promotion path.” Source: OTE Jobs (otejobs.com), October 28, 2026. Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with a link to this page.