In 2026, early-stage SaaS AEs in the US typically earn $80K–$120K base with $160K–$240K OTE. VP Sales ranges from $140K–$220K base depending on stage. These ranges are drawn from placements and market conversations across early-stage SaaS companies, and are consistent with data tracked by RepVue and The Bridge Group.
See the full benchmarks| Company Size | Base Salary | OTE | Annual Quota |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5–25 employees | $55K–$70K | $110K–$130K | $600K–$900K |
| 25–50 employees | $65K–$80K | $120K–$150K | $800K–$1.2M |
| 50–100 employees | $70K–$90K | $130K–$170K | $1M–$1.5M |
| Funding Stage | Base Salary | OTE | Typical Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seed / Pre-Series A | $140K–$160K | $220K–$280K | 0.5%–1.5% |
| Series A | $160K–$190K | $280K–$360K | 0.25%–0.75% |
| Series B | $180K–$220K | $320K–$420K | 0.1%–0.4% |
| Company Size | Base Salary | OTE | Book of Business |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5–25 employees | $60K–$75K | $80K–$100K | $500K–$1M ARR |
| 25–1,000 employees | $75K–$95K | $100K–$130K | $1M–$3M ARR |
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The ranges above come from Beacon placements and market conversations. This section adds an independent check: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 reference period, pulled from the BLS public data API in November 2026. It covers every industry and employer size, so it does not isolate SaaS and it does not report on-target earnings. Treat it as the market’s pay floor for the same kind of work, not as a SaaS offer range.
| Occupation (BLS) | Employed | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales managers | 637,080 | $100,360 | $148,270 | $207,340 | $290,540 |
| Marketing managers | 395,240 | $123,020 | $166,790 | $216,410 | $293,610 |
| Sales representatives, technical and scientific products | 284,800 | $75,030 | $104,920 | $158,160 | $200,440 |
| Sales representatives of services | 1,256,010 | $47,670 | $69,990 | $100,480 | $148,840 |
Sales managers (BLS occupation 11-2022) are the closest public category to a first VP Sales or head of sales. Markets below are ranked by median annual wage, with the gap to the national median of $148,270.
| Market | Sales managers employed | Median | 75th pct | Median vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York State (statewide) | 38,510 | $217,640 | $316,030 | +47% |
| New York City | 44,870 | $215,150 | $310,750 | +45% |
| Boston | 11,540 | $206,610 | $253,490 | +39% |
| Massachusetts (statewide) | 15,010 | $191,200 | $235,420 | +29% |
| Seattle | 6,620 | $184,320 | $254,290 | +24% |
| Denver | 5,930 | $181,580 | $237,990 | +22% |
| Washington, DC | 8,780 | $175,820 | $232,760 | +19% |
| San Francisco Bay Area | 17,770 | $170,810 | $258,330 | +15% |
| Atlanta | 12,080 | $166,920 | $214,910 | +13% |
| Chicago | 25,390 | $158,690 | $212,000 | +7% |
| Austin | 9,880 | $151,760 | $205,460 | +2% |
| Texas (statewide) | 76,010 | $136,020 | $193,630 | -8% |
| California (statewide) | 112,440 | $134,910 | $206,710 | -9% |
| Los Angeles | 37,790 | $132,330 | $197,620 | -11% |
| Miami | 13,930 | $130,180 | $181,200 | -12% |
Use the BLS figures to sanity-check the SaaS ranges in the tables above for your own market, then open the page for your city to see the full local breakdown: sales managers, marketing managers and technical sales representatives, each with 25th, median and 75th percentile wages.
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