Hiring your first US sales team from the UK

When hiring a US sales team from the UK, most software companies should start with one or two proven US account executives, backed by a founder or senior leader who spends real time in the market, employed through an employer of record before setting up a US entity, and paid at US market rates in dollars. Hiring a senior "head of US" first, with no pipeline and no support, is the most common and most expensive mistake.

This guide is for UK founders, CEOs and revenue leaders planning their first US go-to-market hires. It covers readiness, who to hire first, where to base them, how to employ them, what they cost, the US employment rules that catch UK companies out, and a 12-month plan. It reflects the position as of April 2026; employment law changes often, so take local legal and tax advice before you hire.

Are you ready to hire in the US?

US expansion works best when it scales something that already works, rather than searching for product-market fit in a new market. Before opening a US role, you should be able to say yes to most of these:

• You already have US customers, ideally won without a US salesperson, and they renew.
• Your UK sales process is repeatable: a non-founder AE can win deals using a documented playbook.
• You know your US ideal customer profile and how it differs from the UK one (size, buyer title, competitors, procurement).
• Your product, pricing, contracts, data handling and support hours work for US customers. US buyers will ask for US-dollar pricing, US-friendly contract terms and support during their working day.
• You have the budget to fund at least 12 to 18 months, because US enterprise and mid-market cycles often run longer than the first year's pay of a new hire.

If several answers are no, consider a founder-led US push first: a founder or senior seller spends extended periods in the US, closes the first deals and learns the market, before you hire locally.

Who should your first US sales hire be?

For most UK Series A and B companies, the best first move is one or two experienced AEs who have sold a similar product to a similar buyer, ideally at a company that was itself a foreign entrant or an early-stage US startup. They are used to selling without a famous brand, an army of SDRs or a large solutions engineering team. Pair them with clear executive sponsorship from the UK (a founder or the CRO who visits often and joins key deals).

Hire a solutions engineer early if your product needs technical demos or proofs of concept; nothing slows US deals more than waiting for a UK-based engineer to wake up. Our solutions engineering page explains the profiles.

Where in the US should you hire?

Location shapes pay, time zone overlap and access to customers. New York and the East Coast are five hours behind London, which leaves a working overlap in the UK afternoon. The Bay Area, including San Jose, is eight hours behind, leaving little or no overlap. Many UK companies start on the East Coast for that reason, unless their customers are concentrated in the West.

Pay follows location, but less than it used to. Carta's July 2025 analysis of startup salaries found New York and San Jose paid at the San Francisco rate, Seattle at 97% and Boston at 92%. Fully remote US roles are often benchmarked to a national or second-tier band. Our salary guide gives indices for major US cities.

Should you use an EOR, a US entity or contractors?

Most UK companies hire their first US staff through an EOR, then set up a US subsidiary once the team grows. Treating US salespeople as independent contractors is risky: if you control how, when and where they work, they are likely to be employees under US law, and misclassification can bring back taxes and penalties.

Questions to settle with legal and tax advisers before your first hire: which company signs US customer contracts, whether a US-based seller creates a taxable presence for the UK company, how equity options will be granted to US employees, and when a US subsidiary becomes worthwhile.

How much does a US sales team cost compared with the UK?

Plan in dollars from day one. For the same role, US tech-hub pay is substantially higher than London pay. Indicative 2026 ranges from our salary guide (thousands; base / OTE):

These are indicative ranges from the TRG GTM Salary Guide 2026; see the full guide and the role pages for account executives and enterprise sellers.

On top of salary, budget for employer payroll taxes, health insurance (a major part of a competitive US package and a much larger cost than UK private medical cover), retirement plan contributions, EOR fees, travel to the UK and to customers, and US-specific tools and data. Many UK companies underestimate total cost by focusing on OTE alone.

Which US employment rules catch UK companies out?

• At-will employment: in almost every state, employment can be ended by either side at any time without notice, subject to contracts and anti-discrimination law. US candidates expect short notice periods (two weeks is customary), so you can hire faster than in the UK, and lose people faster too.
• Written commission plans: California has required commission agreements to be in writing, with a signed copy given to the employee, since 2013. Treat a clear, signed plan as standard in every state.
• Pay transparency in job adverts: New York State requires a good-faith salary range in adverts for jobs performed at least partly in New York (employers with four or more employees), and California requires a pay scale in job postings for employers with 15 or more employees, including a commission range where pay is based on commission. Other states and cities have similar rules.
• Overtime classification: under the Fair Labor Standards Act, the outside sales exemption only covers people whose primary duty is selling and who customarily work away from the employer's premises. Inside sales roles, where selling happens by phone and video, do not qualify for it, so you must confirm another exemption applies or pay overtime. Ask your EOR or employment counsel to classify every role.
• Final pay: some states, including California, set strict deadlines for paying final wages, which can include earned commission, when someone leaves.
• Benefits expectations: paid time off is not set by federal law, but competitive tech employers offer it, along with health insurance and a retirement plan.

How should you design the first US comp plan?

US sellers expect plans that look like US plans. That usually means a 50/50 split for AEs, uncapped commission with accelerators above 100%, monthly or quarterly commission payments, and quota in dollars set from US pipeline, not a converted UK number. Equity is more commonly expected by senior US sellers than by their UK equivalents. Our article on OTE splits explains the mechanics.

Give the first US hires a ramp that reflects reality. They are building pipeline from close to zero, in a market where buyers may not know you. A reduced quota for the first two quarters, and a guaranteed portion of variable while they ramp, is normal and worth it.

How do you run the hiring process from London?

What should the first 12 months look like?

When should you hire a US sales leader?

Hire a US-based sales leader when you have two or three US sellers producing repeatable wins, you can describe the US sales motion in your own data (deal size, cycle length, win rate, who buys), and the founder or CRO can no longer give the team enough time. At that point the job is to scale something that works, which is the job most experienced US sales leaders are good at. Hiring the leader first asks them to do the discovery work as well, usually without a team, and it is where many UK expansions stall. Use the same discipline you would for any VP hire; our guide to hiring a VP Sales at Series A or B sets out the process.

What are the most common mistakes?

• Hiring a big-company "head of US" with no pipeline, no team and no support, then expecting results in two quarters.
• Converting UK pay and quota into dollars instead of using US market data.
• Leaving US hires isolated: no executive time, no overlap in working hours, no clear route into product and marketing.
• Running interviews only in UK hours and losing candidates to faster US processes.
• Treating US sellers as contractors to avoid employment set-up.
• Ignoring state rules on pay ranges, commission plans and overtime.

TRG GTM recruits go-to-market teams in both London and San Jose, so we see both sides of this move. If you are planning US hires, send us a brief and we will share realistic pay, timelines and candidate availability for your target city. US-based sellers interested in joining UK companies entering the market can register here or browse open roles.