How to negotiate a sales job offer: OTE, accelerators and equity

To negotiate a sales job offer well, first test whether the on-target earnings (OTE) are achievable by checking the quota, attainment history, ramp and pipeline, then negotiate the parts of the package that are genuinely flexible: base within the band, ramp protection, sign-on, level and equity. Pushing the headline OTE number on its own is the weakest move, because an OTE nobody hits is worth less than a smaller one most people do.

We sit on both sides of these conversations every week: with candidates deciding whether to accept, and with hiring managers deciding how far they can move. This guide explains how a sales offer is built, how to compare two offers that look different on paper, what to ask before you negotiate, and which levers employers can actually pull. Pay ranges come from the TRG GTM 2026 salary guide and are indicative, London-weighted for the UK and tech-hub weighted for the US.

What is in a sales job offer?

Before you negotiate anything, make sure you have every component in writing. Many candidates negotiate base and OTE and only read the commission plan after they have signed. The plan is where most of the value, and most of the risk, sits.

What should a sales job pay in 2026?

Know the market before you discuss numbers. The ranges below are indicative 2026 figures for venture-backed and scaled software companies. Use them to sense-check an offer, not as a promise of what any employer will pay. Detailed tables by level are on each specialism page: SDR and BDR, account executives, enterprise and strategic and sales leadership.

Two reference points help when an employer quotes a 'market rate'. The Bridge Group's 2025 report puts the median US SDR at $55k base and $80k OTE, a 68:32 split, and notes that median has not moved since 2022. RepVue's 2025 guide puts the median US mid-market AE at $85k base and $165k OTE and the median enterprise AE at $130k base and $255k OTE. Our ranges sit above some national medians because they reflect tech-hub software companies.

Why the quota matters more than the OTE

A plan's OTE is only as good as the chance of hitting it. RepVue's Cloud Sales Index put average quota attainment across its sample at 43.3% in the first quarter of 2025, the highest level since 2023 but still well below the highs of 2021 and 2022. ICONIQ's 2025 data, reported by SaaStr, found that 61% of ramped AEs hit quota at companies with high AI adoption, against 56% elsewhere. Whichever source you use, a large share of sellers are not reaching plan, and the reason is often the plan rather than the seller.

The simplest test is the quota-to-OTE ratio. Healthy software sales plans commonly set annual quota at roughly four to six times OTE. Below four, the plan is generous or the deals are small and fast. Above six, ask hard questions about pipeline, average deal size and how many people hit last year.

Worked example: which of these two offers pays more?

Here is an illustrative comparison of two London mid-market AE offers. Offer B looks better on every headline number.

Now apply the same realistic bookings to both. If your territory and pipeline support roughly £480k to £720k of new ARR a year, the comparison reverses.

Offer B only catches up if you book £900k, which in this example is 50% more than Offer A asks for. If the team behind Offer B also has low historical attainment, the higher OTE is mostly a recruiting number. This is why we encourage candidates to ask for attainment data before they negotiate base.

What to ask before you negotiate

Hiring managers at good companies answer these without fuss. If you get vague answers to the first and fifth questions, treat the OTE with caution.

Which parts of a sales offer can you negotiate?

Commission rates and the base-to-variable split are usually set for a level across the whole team, so that peers with the same quota are paid the same way. Pushing for a different rate rarely works and can mark you as difficult. The levers below are where movement is realistic.

• Base within the band: most companies have a band for each level. If the offer is at the bottom and your experience justifies more, ask to move towards the middle. Bring evidence, such as quota history and deal sizes.
• Level: being hired as a senior AE rather than an AE often moves base, OTE and future promotion timing together. It is often easier to win than a large base increase at the lower level.
• Ramp protection: a longer ramp, a non-recoverable draw, or a guaranteed portion of commission for the first quarter or two protects you while pipeline builds.
• Sign-on bonus: if leaving means forfeiting commission on deals you have already worked, a sign-on bonus to cover part of it is a common and reasonable ask. Show the numbers.
• Equity: grants at venture-backed companies are often more flexible than cash, especially for senior hires.
• Territory and accounts: for experienced sellers, agreeing the named accounts or territory in writing can be worth more than any cash change.
• Start date and holiday: useful when you need to collect commission from your current employer before resigning.

How should you evaluate equity in a sales offer?

Equity is now a standard part of offers at venture-backed companies for senior sellers and leaders, more so in the US than in the UK. It is also the part candidates understand least. Carta describes a four-year schedule with a one-year cliff as the most common, with at least 95% of cliffs set at one year; after the cliff, equity typically vests monthly. Carta also notes that a 90-day window to exercise options after leaving has historically been common, although a growing minority of terminated options on its platform have longer windows.

To compare equity, you need four numbers: how many shares or options you are being granted, the total fully diluted shares outstanding, the strike price, and the most recent preferred share price or valuation. Without the second number, an option count means nothing. Ask for it; reasonable employers provide it.

• In the US, most private-company grants are stock options (ISOs or NSOs, which are taxed differently) or, at later stages, RSUs. Get tax advice before exercising.
• In the UK, many qualifying smaller companies use Enterprise Management Incentive (EMI) options, an HMRC-approved scheme that can grant options worth up to £250,000 per employee over three years with favourable tax treatment if the rules are met. Ask whether your options are EMI-qualifying.
• Ask whether there are refresh grants after the first one, and whether any acceleration applies on a change of control.

Treat early-stage equity as a lottery ticket with good odds of being worth nothing and some odds of being worth a lot. Do not accept a lower base in exchange for equity unless you would be comfortable if the equity never paid out.

Do UK and US sales offers differ?

The structure is similar on both sides of the Atlantic: account executives on roughly 50/50 base and commission, SDRs nearer 70/30, leaders 60/40 to 70/30. The differences are in what surrounds the cash.

If you are moving between markets, compare total value over four years in one currency, and include benefits, especially US health cover.

How to ask: wording that works

Negotiation in sales hiring is expected; the way you do it is part of the assessment. Hiring managers want to see the same skills you would use with a customer: preparation, a clear ask, and a reason.

On base: 'Thank you, I am keen on the role. Based on my last two years at 112% and 108% of a £700k quota, and the senior AE band you described, I would like to discuss a base of £75k rather than £68k. Is there room to move?'

On ramp: 'The pipeline I inherit is light, which we both expect. Could we agree a non-recoverable draw at 100% of target commission for the first three months, so I can build pipeline properly rather than chase early deals?'

On a sign-on: 'If I resign this month, I forfeit roughly £18k of commission on deals that close next quarter. Could we discuss a sign-on bonus to offset part of that? I can share the opportunities in confidence.'

Keep it in writing after a call, keep it to two or three asks, and be ready to say what you would accept.

Timing, counter-offers and competing offers

Timing matters as much as wording. The best moment to negotiate is after a verbal offer and before you accept, when the company has decided it wants you and has not yet moved on to other candidates. Negotiating before an offer exists usually produces vague answers; negotiating after you have accepted looks like bad faith.

If you have a competing offer, say so plainly and share the headline structure, not every detail. Hiring managers respond to credible alternatives, but they also notice when a candidate is running an auction. A useful line is: 'I have another offer at a similar level. Your role is my first choice because of the territory and the team. If we can close the gap on base and ramp, I will accept this week.' That gives the employer a clear path to yes.

Counter-offers from your current employer deserve a hard look. A counter-offer usually fixes pay, not the reason you started looking: the territory, the quota, the manager or the product. Before you consider one, write down why you began talking to other companies and check whether the counter-offer changes any of it. Many sellers who accept counter-offers find the original frustrations return within a year, and their relationship with leadership has changed because they were known to be leaving.

Finally, think about when you resign. Commission plans often only pay on deals that close, or are invoiced, while you are still employed. Map your current pipeline against your notice period and the plan's leaver rules before you hand in notice, and use that number as evidence if you ask for a sign-on bonus.

Mistakes that cost candidates money

• Negotiating OTE without reading the plan. The plan document decides what you earn.
• Accepting verbal promises about territory, accounts or ramp. Get them in the offer or plan.
• Ignoring payment timing. Commission paid on cash collected can arrive months after signature.
• Over-negotiating small items. Three good asks land better than ten.
• Leaving before commission is paid. Check your current plan's leaver rules before you resign.