How much should I pay my first sales rep?

For a first AE hire at a seed-stage startup, typical OTE ranges from $100K–$140K depending on deal size. SMB AEs at seed stage average $100K–$120K OTE; mid-market AEs average $130K–$160K. Base is typically 50% of OTE with the other 50% at-risk variable. Use CompFrame's free benchmark explorer to get precise numbers for your role, stage, and deal type.

What is a good OTE for an SDR?

At Series A, SDR OTE typically ranges from $60K–$82K depending on market segment. Seed-stage SDRs average $55K–$75K OTE with a 65/35 base-to-variable split. Series B+ SDRs earn $65K–$105K. CompFrame's benchmark explorer shows real OTE, base, and variable data for SDRs across funding stages and deal sizes.

What is a standard base-to-variable split for a sales comp plan?

Standard splits vary by role: AEs typically have a 50/50 base-to-variable split. SDRs, BDRs, and AMs are usually 65/35. CSMs are typically 75/25. These ratios reflect the level of direct influence each role has over closed revenue.

How do I build a sales comp plan for a startup?

Start with OTE benchmarks for your role and funding stage, then set base at 50–75% of OTE depending on the role. Define quota at 4–6x OTE for AEs (5x is standard at Series A). Add an accelerator above 100% attainment to reward overperformance. CompFrame's free plan generator walks through all of this in minutes and outputs a hire-ready comp plan document.

What quota should I set for my first AE?

For a first AE at Series A, a 5x quota-to-OTE ratio is standard. So an AE with $150K OTE should carry a $750K annual quota. At seed stage, 4x is more typical given lower deal velocity. For mid-market deals ($50K–$150K ACV), these ratios hold; enterprise AEs at the same stage may carry 3.5–4x. CompFrame calculates quota ranges based on your specific role, stage, and deal size.

The comp plan your board can defend.
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Free benchmarks, plan generation, and comp audits for AE, SDR, BDR, AM, and CSM roles. Built for startup founders hiring their first 50 reps.

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Whether you're hiring rep #1 or building a team of 50 across AEs, SDRs, AMs, BDRs, and CSMs, CompFrame scales with you.

AE Comp Plan: Series A, Mid-Market

Score: 92

OTE

$165K

Base

$82.5K

Variable

$82.5K

Quota

$825K

Base

50%

Variable

50%

Quota:OTE

5.0×

How it works

From zero to hire-ready in minutes

Step 01

Browse Benchmarks

See what top startups pay AEs, SDRs, BDRs, AMs, and CSMs by stage and region. Real data, not blog-post averages.

$165K

SDR

$78K

$130K

Explore benchmarks

Step 02

Generate Your Plan

Build a complete sales compensation plan with OTE, base/variable split, and quota ratios. Benchmarked and ready to share in under 5 minutes.

OTE

$165,000

Split

50/50

Quota

$825K (5×)

Build your plan

Step 03

Audit and Score

Get a comp plan audit score with flags for pay equity, quota attainability, and market alignment. Know exactly what to fix before you make an offer.

AUDIT SCORE

Score your plan

Step 04

Export and Hire

Download hire-ready comp docs, agreement letters, and onboarding packets the day you make the offer. Pro from $29/mo, cancel anytime.

Comp Plan PDF

Agreement Letter

Onboarding Packet

See Pro features

Why trust CompFrame

Built on real data, not blog posts

Benchmarked compensation data

Every OTE, quota ratio, and accelerator tier is calibrated against real SaaS comp data, segmented by stage, role, and deal size.

No data collection

We don't ask for your email or company name. Generate a plan, get your link, done. Your comp data stays yours.

Opinionated by design

We don't give you 15 knobs. We give you the answer. No decelerators at seed. 50/50 split for AEs. Strong opinions, backed by data.

Built by a practitioner. CompFrame was built by a sales compensation expert who has designed over 2,000 comp plans at companies like Stripe and Twilio. The benchmarks and recommendations aren't scraped from blog posts - they come from doing this work.

Free Sales Comp Tools

Everything you need to build a defensible comp plan. Free.

No signup required. No consultant needed. Just enter your role, stage, and deal size and get a plan you can actually stand behind.

Free

Sales Comp Benchmarks

OTE benchmarks for AE, SDR, BDR, AM, and CSM roles. Filter by company stage, region, and team size.

Browse benchmarks →

Free

Sales Comp Plan Generator

Build a sales compensation plan from scratch. Set base/variable split, OTE, quota, and commission rates.

Base 50%Variable 50%

Build your plan →

Free & Pro

Plan Audit & Scoring

Score your existing comp plan against market benchmarks. Get flags for pay gaps, misaligned quotas, and retention risks.

Score your plan →

Free

Attrition Calculator

Calculate the true cost of sales rep turnover, including ramp time, lost pipeline, and recruiting spend.

$247K

total cost per lost rep

Calculate attrition cost →

Try the free tools → compframe.com/tools

CompFrame Pro

From having a plan to running comp for your team

Pro takes you beyond benchmarks and planning, into the tools you need when it's time to hire, commit, and scale.

Plan A

Plan B

Plan C

Cost Attainment

Scenario Modeling

Model it before you commit

Compare up to 4 comp structures side by side. See how changes to OTE, commission rates, or quota affect your cost and attainment before you make the hire.

See Scenario Modeling in Pro

Offer: Senior AE

Candidate-facing view

Base $95,000

OTE $160,000

Quota $800K ARR

Agreement letter ready to sign

Offers & Agreements

Close candidates faster

Generate candidate-facing offer comparisons and commission agreement letters with payout terms and signature blocks. Everything you need to extend an offer in one place.

See Offers & Agreement Letters in Pro

Role Base OTE

AE × 3 $285K $480K

SDR × 2 $120K $190K

AM × 1 $90K $150K

Team Total $820K OTE

Budget & Forecasting

Know what your team costs

Roll up base, variable, and OTE across your entire org. Commission forecast shows you monthly costs against budget before surprises hit your board deck.

See Budget & Commission Forecast in Pro

Upgrade to Pro - from $29/mo

Billed annually · $39/mo month-to-month

See all Pro features →

30-day money-back guarantee. Cancel anytime.

Built for founders and sales leaders

If this sounds like you, we built this for you

Hiring my first AEFirst-time founder, seed stage

I just raised a seed round and I'm hiring my first AE. I literally Googled 'how to pay a sales rep' last night.

5→20

Scaling from 5 to 20 repsSeries A founder growing fast

We've gone from 5 reps to 18 in eight months. Every new hire is on a slightly different plan. I need one structure that scales and doesn't blow up the budget.

Restructuring comp after a bad quarterFounder or Head of Sales

We missed quota three quarters in a row. I don't know if the plan is too hard, too soft, or just wrong. I need to audit it before I set targets again.

VP of Sales setting comp bandsScaling org, Series B+

The board asked why we're paying SDRs at the 90th percentile and AEs at the 40th. I need comp bands by role and level, something I can actually defend in the next exec review.

Growing to 50+ reps?

When you outgrow us,
we know exactly who to call.

CompFrame is purpose-built for teams of 1-50 reps. When your comp strategy outgrows self-serve and needs a strategic partner to architect the whole program, we've got you covered.

Apex Compensation Strategic Partner

Apex Compensation is a strategic partner who builds and designs entire sales compensation frameworks from the ground up. When your comp strategy outgrows self-serve (multi-segment orgs, custom SPIFFs, territory design, board-ready governance), they architect the whole program around your business goals.

Full comp framework design

Territory & SPIF strategy

Board-ready governance

Visit apexcompensation.com

Growing past 50 reps is a milestone worth celebrating. We'll help you get there, then connect you to the right team to take it further.

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Build Your Plan - Free

The comp plan your board can defend.Built in 5 minutes.

From zero to hire-ready in minutes

Built on real data, not blog posts

Everything you need to build a defensible comp plan. Free.

From having a plan to running comp for your team

Model it before you commit

Close candidates faster

Know what your team costs

If this sounds like you, we built this for you

When you outgrow us,we know exactly who to call.

Get the Startup SalesComp Playbook

Build your comp plan.Close with confidence.

The comp plan your board can defend.
Built in 5 minutes.

When you outgrow us,
we know exactly who to call.

Get the Startup Sales
Comp Playbook

Build your comp plan.
Close with confidence.