What is a good OTE for a Sales Engineer?
Updated October 28, 2026 · Based on 1,010 job postings · Methodology
A good OTE for a Sales Engineer in 2026 is about $214k (the median stated OTE across 337 current US postings); $240k or more puts an offer in the top quarter, and below $180k is the bottom quarter.
Sales Engineer pay distribution, US
| Postings | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OTE (base + commission) | 337 | $180k | $214k | $240k | $262k |
| Base salary | 673 | $152k | $177k | $212k | $245k |
| All postings with pay | 1010 | $158k | $188k | $225k | $257k |
Top-paying companies for Sales Engineers
Highest-paying open Sales Engineer roles
Related: Sales Engineer pay report · Highest-paying Sales Engineer jobs · What is OTE?
FAQ
How much do Sales Engineers make?
The median posted pay for Sales Engineers in the US is $188k (midpoint of the employer's range, 1,010 postings). Base-only postings have a median of $177k.
Is OTE the same as salary?
No. OTE (on-target earnings) is base salary plus the target commission or bonus you earn at 100% of quota. Only the base is guaranteed.
Where does this data come from?
Employer-posted pay ranges on 13,057 live sales job postings from public Greenhouse, Lever and Ashby job boards, refreshed daily by OTE Jobs.
Cite this: “According to OTE Jobs data, a good OTE for a Sales Engineer in 2026 is about $214k (the median stated OTE across 337 current US postings); $240k or more puts an offer in the top quarter, and below $180k is the bottom quarter.” Source: OTE Jobs (otejobs.com), October 28, 2026. Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with a link to this page.