In most companies, SDR (Sales Development Representative) and BDR (Business Development Representative) mean the same thing, a junior sales role focused on outbound prospecting and booking meetings for Account Executives. The titles are used interchangeably across the industry.
See what to payIn most companies, SDR (Sales Development Representative) and BDR (Business Development Representative) mean the same thing, a junior sales role focused on outbound prospecting and booking meetings for Account Executives. The titles are used interchangeably across the industry.
At some companies, especially larger ones, the titles are used to distinguish between inbound and outbound functions. In this model:
Handles inbound leads, people who have already expressed interest by filling out a form, requesting a demo, or signing up for a trial.
Does cold outbound, identifying target accounts, writing sequences, making cold calls, and booking meetings with people who have never heard of you.
This distinction matters at scale. At a startup with limited inbound volume, it rarely does.
Beacon's view, from reading postings rather than from a published standard: there are three conventions, and the title alone does not tell you which one you are looking at. The duties list does.
| If the posting says | The title usually means |
|---|---|
| "Respond to demo requests and trial sign-ups within minutes" | Inbound role. Often titled SDR, sometimes BDR. |
| "Own a named account list; cold calls, email and LinkedIn sequences" | Outbound role. Often titled BDR, sometimes SDR. |
| "Support one or two Account Executives; book their calendar" | Pod model. Either title; the AE sets the targets. |
| "Source partners, channel and strategic accounts" | Senior outbound, closer to business development in the older sense. Usually BDR. |
A fourth pattern exists inside some companies: SDR as the entry level and BDR as the next step up, with larger accounts. If a candidate asks "which kind is this?", they are asking a fair question, and a posting that answers it up front gets better applicants.
For most startups, outbound is the priority, you do not have enough inbound volume to justify a dedicated inbound SDR. Hire a BDR (or call them an SDR, the title does not matter) who is comfortable with cold outreach, can build sequences, and is motivated by the hunt.
The key question is not what the title is, it is what they will spend 80% of their time doing. In cities like Austin, Chicago, and San Francisco where startup competition for attention is high, you need someone who can cut through the noise with genuine cold outreach, not just respond to warm inbounds.
According to The Bridge Group, whose annual SDR benchmarking surveys are the industry standard, SDR/BDR at a startup runs $45K–$60K base, $65K–$85K OTE. The variable is typically tied to meetings booked and pipeline generated.
| Component | Startup Range |
|---|---|
| Base | $45K–$60K |
| OTE | $65K–$85K |
Do not tie variable comp to revenue closed, that is an AE metric, not an SDR metric. Pay monthly or quarterly. Annual variable comp creates too much uncertainty for a junior role.
The pay range above is the same for either title at a startup. What changes is what the variable portion rewards, and that follows the work.
Outbound quota. Take a $75K OTE at a 70/30 split: $52,500 base and $22,500 variable, inside the base range above. If the quota is 12 held meetings a month, the variable works out to $1,875 a month, or about $156 per held meeting at 100% attainment. Count held meetings, not booked ones, or you pay for no-shows.
Inbound quota. A flat meeting count is unfair here because the inbound volume belongs to marketing, not to the rep. If a rep converts 25% of leads to meetings, then 40 leads one month gives 10 meetings and 80 leads the next gives 20. A flat target of 15 would underpay in the first month and overpay in the second. For inbound seats, set the quota on conversion rate and speed to respond, and treat lead volume as a given.
In both versions, pay the variable monthly or quarterly, as noted above, and keep revenue closed out of it.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has no SDR or BDR occupation, so no government figure measures this job directly. The nearest categories are sales representatives of services, which had a May 2025 national median of $69,990 (25th percentile $47,670, 75th percentile $100,480, 1,256,010 employed), and wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives for technical and scientific products, with a median of $104,920 (284,800 employed). Both are all-industry and cover many selling jobs that are not entry-level pipeline roles. They are also not on-target earnings. Use them only as a loose reality check: the $65K–$85K startup OTE range quoted above straddles the services median, and nothing more should be read into that. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025, all industries.
Coachability over experience. Work ethic over polish. Genuine curiosity about your product and buyer. The ability to handle rejection without losing momentum. Most great SDRs are 1–3 years into their career.
Avoid hiring someone who has been an SDR for 5+ years, they should have moved up by now, and if they have not, there is a reason. The best SDRs treat the role as a launchpad, not a destination. That hunger is exactly what you need.
Do not overthink the SDR vs BDR title debate. Define the role, inbound, outbound, or both, and hire for the skills that role requires. The title is a detail.
Both titles lead to the same ladder: SDR or BDR, then Account Executive, then senior AE or sales manager. A commonly seen variation is that outbound experience tends to feed enterprise AE roles, while inbound experience feeds mid-market and transactional AE roles, because outbound reps practise the harder skill of starting a conversation with a stranger. That is a pattern Beacon sees, not a rule. Other exits are Sales Development manager, customer success, marketing and revenue operations.
For the employer, the practical point is to tell candidates which path the seat leads to and when it can start. The promotion mechanics are in the SDR to AE promotion guide.
Count monthly inbound leads and estimate the hours to follow them up well. If that is less than half of a full-time job, do not hire a dedicated inbound seat. Hire one rep for both and pick one title.
If the work is mostly cold outreach, call it BDR, or SDR if your team already uses that title. Consistency with your own org chart matters more than the label.
Only use both titles when inbound and outbound are separate teams with separate quotas and managers.
Whatever you choose, put the split of inbound and outbound work in the first three duties, state the quota metric and give the pay range. Mention both terms once in the body so candidates searching either one find the posting.
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