How much more does an AE make than an SDR?
Updated October 17, 2026 · Based on 956 job postings · Methodology
About 1.9x: the median Account Executive posting pays $148k vs $76k 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 | 845 | $148k | $210k | 34% |
| SDR / BDR | 111 | $76k | $81k | 12% |
| Sales Engineer | 342 | $180k | $180k | 44% |
| Sales Manager | 96 | $178k | $190k | 19% |
| VP / Director of Sales | 153 | $241k | $265k | 35% |
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 1.9x: the median Account Executive posting pays $148k vs $76k 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 17, 2026. Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with a link to this page.