Salary ranges by city, ramp time by stage, quota expectations, and cost-per-hire data across agency, internal, and AI-powered hiring. Updated Q1 2026.
Base salary + OTE ranges for entry, mid, and senior SDRs across 20 major US markets. Salary premium vs. national average shown.
| City | Entry-Level Base | Mid-Level Base | Senior Base | Avg OTE | vs National | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco→ | $62,000–$76,000 | $76,000–$92,000 | $90,000–$110,000 | $130,000–$170,000 | +28% | High |
| New York→ | $58,000–$70,000 | $70,000–$84,000 | $84,000–$100,000 | $120,000–$160,000 | +22% | High |
| Boston→ | $54,000–$66,000 | $66,000–$78,000 | $78,000–$94,000 | $110,000–$150,000 | +15% | Med-High |
| Seattle→ | $56,000–$68,000 | $68,000–$82,000 | $80,000–$96,000 | $110,000–$148,000 | +18% | Medium |
| Chicago→ | $49,000–$62,000 | $62,000–$74,000 | $72,000–$88,000 | $100,000–$140,000 | +8% | Medium |
| Austin→ | $48,000–$60,000 | $60,000–$72,000 | $70,000–$86,000 | $100,000–$140,000 | +5% | Medium |
| Denver→ | $47,000–$59,000 | $59,000–$71,000 | $70,000–$84,000 | $98,000–$135,000 | +4% | Medium |
| Los Angeles→ | $50,000–$64,000 | $64,000–$76,000 | $76,000–$92,000 | $105,000–$148,000 | +12% | Medium |
| Atlanta→ | $44,000–$56,000 | $56,000–$68,000 | $66,000–$80,000 | $90,000–$128,000 | -2% | Low |
| Dallas→ | $44,000–$56,000 | $56,000–$68,000 | $65,000–$79,000 | $90,000–$126,000 | -2% | Low |
| Miami→ | $42,000–$54,000 | $54,000–$66,000 | $64,000–$78,000 | $88,000–$124,000 | -5% | Low |
| Raleigh→ | $42,000–$54,000 | $54,000–$65,000 | $63,000–$76,000 | $86,000–$120,000 | -5% | Low |
| Phoenix→ | $41,000–$52,000 | $52,000–$63,000 | $62,000–$76,000 | $85,000–$118,000 | -7% | Low |
| Nashville→ | $41,000–$52,000 | $52,000–$63,000 | $62,000–$75,000 | $84,000–$116,000 | -7% | Low |
| Minneapolis→ | $42,000–$54,000 | $54,000–$65,000 | $63,000–$76,000 | $86,000–$120,000 | -4% | Low |
| Remote (US)→ | $44,000–$56,000 | $56,000–$68,000 | $66,000–$82,000 | $90,000–$130,000 | Varies | Low |
| Toronto 🇨🇦→ | $48,000–$60,000 | $60,000–$72,000 | $70,000–$85,000 | $95,000–$130,000 | Intl | Medium |
| London 🇬🇧→ | £38,000–£48,000 | £48,000–£60,000 | £60,000–£75,000 | £70,000–£105,000 | Intl | High |
| Berlin 🇩🇪→ | €40,000–€50,000 | €50,000–€62,000 | €62,000–€76,000 | €72,000–€105,000 | Intl | Medium |
| 🇺🇸 US National Avg | $45,000–$57,000 | $57,000–$68,000 | $67,000–$82,000 | $92,000–$128,000 | — | — |
* Salary data represents base pay. OTE assumes 100% quota attainment. Data based on 500+ SDR placements and market surveys, Q1 2026.
Days from start date to first meeting booked and to full quota attainment. Ramp time is the single biggest driver of true cost-per-hire.
💡 The ramp tax: A 90-day ramp on a $60K base SDR costs $15,000 in unproductive salary before they generate their first dollar of pipeline. Hire faster and ramp better — or this hidden cost balloons.
Meeting quotas, pipeline quotas, and average quota attainment rates. Use these to set realistic expectations and identify outlier candidates.
Total cost to fill one SDR role — including recruiter fees, HR time, job board costs, sourcing, and time-to-fill productivity loss.
Average voluntary turnover rates in the first 12 months. High attrition amplifies cost-per-hire significantly — a 3x-per-year hire cycle at $10K CPH costs $30K/seat/year.
Post your open SDR role and get 5 AI-matched, pre-scored candidates in 48 hours. No recruiter fees. No resume stacks.
Get a free candidate shortlist →Estimate your true cost-per-hire based on your location, seniority level, and hiring method.
The US national average SDR base salary is $45,000–$57,000 for entry-level, $57,000–$68,000 for mid-level, and $67,000–$82,000 for senior SDRs. OTE (assuming 100% quota attainment) adds 60–80% on top of base. San Francisco and New York carry the highest premiums at +28% and +22% respectively.
The average ramp time to full quota is 90 days for a Series B+ company with a defined playbook. Seed-stage companies often see 120–150 day ramps due to undefined ICP and evolving messaging. Companies that invest in call coaching and structured onboarding consistently compress ramp times to 45–60 days.
Seed-stage: 8–12 meetings/month with a 60–65% average attainment rate. Series A: 12–16 meetings with 68–75% attainment. Series B+: 15–20 meetings with 75–85% attainment. Setting quotas above industry benchmarks without the playbook to support them is the #1 cause of SDR attrition.
Agency recruiters typically charge 18–25% of the SDR's first-year base salary. At a $55,000 base, that's $9,900–$13,750 per hire, before accounting for HR time, onboarding overhead, and productivity loss during the 45–60 day fill period. Total cost-per-hire typically lands at $14,000–$18,000.
The typical SDR OTE (on-target earnings at 100% quota) is $85,000–$115,000 nationally. Entry-level OTE: $75,000–$95,000. Mid-level OTE: $95,000–$120,000. Senior OTE: $115,000–$145,000. Major metros (SF, NYC, Seattle) run 15–28% above these ranges.
The industry average 12-month voluntary attrition rate for SDRs is 35–40%. This is the highest turnover rate in tech sales. Companies with clear AE promotion paths (12–18 months) reduce attrition to 20–25%. Every 10% reduction in attrition at a $10,000 CPH saves $50,000 per year per 5-person SDR team.
More SDR hiring tools: Interview Kit · Salary Benchmarker · Scorecard Builder · All Tools