Last year I wrote a post about how much sales reps earned in 2022. It offers plenty of great data on how much salespeople earned on average and how much you can expect to pay. But for this post, I want to zero in specifically on SaaS sales salary in 2023, which, as we’ll find out, is substantially higher than what a regular salesperson earns.
So if you’re recruiting in the SaaS industry, this information should be highly valuable to you. Let’s get right into it.
Crunching Multiple Data Sources
First off, let me say that, depending on which source you look at, there can be a considerable disparity in SaaS sales salary data. To gain the most objective insights possible, I crunched the data from three reputable sources to come up with a reasonable average across the board.
Here’s what I found.
Comparably’s Data
To start, let’s look at recent data from Comparably. According to their research, the US average in 2023 is $109,335, which is the highest of the three sources I looked at.
Note that this data specifically references salespeople in tech, which is over $17,000 more than the average salary of a regular salesperson at just $92,000.
Glassdoor’s Data
Next, there’s Glassdoor, which lists a SaaS sales salary that’s very close to Comparably’s. According to their findings, the average SaaS salesperson earns $108,003 in 2023 — just over $1,000 less than what Comparably’s data found.
ZipRecruiter’s Data
Last, there’s ZipRecruiter, which says the average US-based SaaS salesperson earns $82,141 in 2023, which is dramatically lower than what Comparably and Glassdoor found.
Note that ZipRecruiter mentions that the top earners in this profession commonly get as much as $155,000 a year. But overall, they place the average at just over $82,000.
The Overall Average
Based on the data from Comparably, Glassdoor, and ZipRecruiter, the average SaaS sales salary across the board comes out to $99,826 — just under $100k. There are a ton of variables and factors that determine how much a SaaS salesperson gets paid, including education, experience, location, and market demand.
But I feel this is a reasonable estimate for 2023. So that’s a pretty good number to have in mind when you’re hiring for this position. This brings me to my next point.
Expect to Pay More for a SaaS Sales Salary Than a Regular Sales Salary
Most salespeople make decent money. But it should be noted that SaaS sales reps, in particular, earn significantly more than regular generalist sales reps.
Just how big is the disparity?
According Glassdoor, the average salesperson salary in 2023 is $85,130, which is nearly $23,000 less than the $108,003 a SaaS salesperson earns.
And according to ZipRecruiter, the average salesperson earns just $50,042 in 2023, which is over $30,000 less than the $82,141 SaaS salespeople earn.
So as you can see, you can expect to pay a SaaS salesperson far more than a someone who handles general sales. The reason for this disparity?
HubSpot notes that “SaaS reps generally have a higher base pay than other salespeople because of the training, expertise, and high motivation they need to succeed.” That’s why they tend to earn more, which is something you’ll want to keep in mind if you’re in the SaaS industry.
Finding Quality SaaS Salespeople for a Reasonable Salary
As we’ve just learned, most SaaS salespeople command top tollar in 2023. Especially those that bring a wealth of knowledge, experience, and skills to the table.
For the rest of this post, I’d like to talk about how you can find top-tier SaaS sales reps without overpaying.
Hands down, one of the best tools for this is SaaS sales recruiting platform HireDNA.
It offers a wide array of SaaS recruiting features, including comprehensive assessments, data-driven skills validation, candidate screening, and more. But it all starts with first creating an ideal candidate profile.
A candidate profile focuses on essentials like sales experience, product knowledge, role requirements, personality traits, and of course, compensation. This allows you to set exactly how much you’re willing to pay, and candidates are filtered accordingly.
That way you’re on the same page right with earnings from the start. And because of HireDNA’s rigorous science-based methodology for recruiting, you can be sure that any SaaS sales candidate that’s recommended is the cream of the crop.
In fact, 92% of candidates suggested by HireDNA go on to be top performers within their first year. Besides that, companies that use HireDNA have a lower turnover rate, this 83% of candidates still being employed after the first year.
So if you want to streamline and improve your recruiting while simultaneously addressing salary, this is a great tool to have.
Closing Thoughts
One of the most fundamental yet important factors to consider when assembling a SaaS sales team is salary. This heavily impacts the overall caliber of your team and how well you can keep up with competitors.
While data sources vary and there are numerous variables that affect pay, the average annual salary for most SaaS sales reps in 2023 is just under $100,000. So that’s about what you can expect to pay.
Note that salesperson salary is something we’re always keeping an eye on, so be sure to keep reading our blog as new trends emerge.
And if you’d like to learn more about HireDNA and see it in action, go ahead and schedule a live demo today. Just fill out the secure online form and a team member will be in touch with you shortly.