Direct sales salaries in 2026: Market benchmarks and hiring trends

Sales compensation decisions are high stakes. 

Underpay and your best revenue generators leave for competitors. Overpay and you create budget strain and equity issues across the business.

And with sales hiring up (bucking the trend of declining hiring across other functions), understanding competitive salaries matters more than ever to support talent acquisition and retention. 

Let’s take a look at what Ravio's latest benchmarking data shows on Direct Sales compensation in the tech sector – including how salaries differ by location and funding stage, plus the hiring and compensation trends shaping commercial teams in 2026.

What is the average salary for a Sales Executive in 2026?

The average salary for a Sales Executive is £52,800 (Ravio 2026 Compensation Trends report).

Salaries, of course, vary depending on role, seniority level, and location. The above figure represents the median base salary from Ravio's salary benchmarking data for a UK-based P3 Established Professional in Direct Sales – a mid-level professional with in-depth knowledge of their discipline who works independently with minimal guidance and has a moderate impact on the success of their discipline.

The median salary for this P3 Sales Executive in the UK increased by 2.5% in 2025, up from £51,500 in 2024. This continues steady growth from 2023's £50,100.

• Sales Executive median salary in 2025: £52,800
• Sales Executive median salary in 2024: £51,500
• Sales Executive median salary in 2023: £50,100

What is the average salary for a Senior Sales Manager in 2026?

The average salary for a Senior Sales Manager is £90,700 (Ravio 2026 Compensation Trends report).

This figure represents the median base salary from Ravio's salary benchmarking data, for a UK-based M3 Senior Manager in Direct Sales – a role providing leadership to other managers, accountable for the results of a sales team.

Senior Sales Manager median salaries in the UK grew by 2.0% in 2025, up from £88,900 in 2024 – a slightly more modest growth in salary benchmark compared to the more junior Sales Executive role.

• Senior Sales Manager median salary in 2025: £90,700
• Senior Sales Manager median salary in 2024: £88,900
• Senior Sales Manager median salary in 2023: £88,400

How do Direct Sales salaries differ per country?

Direct Sales salaries vary considerably across European markets, with the UK maintaining the highest median salaries and Spain offering the lowest.

Sales Executive (P3) salaries per country

• UK average Sales Executive salary: £52,800 – up 2.5% from 2024
• Germany average Sales Executive salary: £50,300 (€57,800) – up 2.7% from 2024
• Netherlands average Sales Executive salary: £49,300 (€56,700) – up 0.8% from 2024
• Sweden average Sales Executive salary: £46,700 (€53,700) – up 5.9% from 2024
• France average Sales Executive salary: £44,100 (€50,700) – up 2.6% from 2024
• Spain average Sales Executive salary: £38,700 (€44,500) – up 2.4% from 2024

Ravio's 2026 Compensation Trends report shows that all European markets achieved positive growth for Sales Executive salary benchmarks in 2025, with most countries recording increases of 2-3%. This represents a recovery from 2024 when the Netherlands, France and Spain all saw declines in average salaries.

Sweden leads with the strongest growth at 5.9%, continuing its upward trajectory and mirroring the exceptional salary growth seen across other functions like Software Engineering and Product Management, as its tech ecosystem matures.

Sales Manager (M3) salaries per country

• UK average Sales Manager salary: £90,700 – up 2.0% from 2024
• Germany average Sales Manager salary: £78,500 (€90,200) – up 2.3% from 2024
• Netherlands average Sales Manager salary: £77,900 (€89,500) – up 3.3% from 2024
• Sweden average Sales Manager salary: £70,700 (€81,300) – up 7.8% from 2024
• France average Sales Manager salary: £66,500 (€76,400) – up 3.4% from 2024
• Spain average Sales Manager salary: £59,800 (€68,700) – up 3.3% from 2024

At the senior sales manager level, all markets recorded growth in median salaries of between 2-8% in 2025, a reversal from 2024 when four out of six countries saw declines in the median salary. 

This widespread recovery suggests the Direct Sales compensation market has stabilised after a period of correction.

How do startup salaries in Sales differ per funding stage?

Direct Sales salaries at startups increase consistently as the companies progress through funding stages, reflecting company maturity and the increasing complexity of sales operations at scale.

Late-stage companies (Series C+, IPO) pay approximately 18% more than early-stage companies (pre-seed, seed) for mid-level P3 Sales Executives, and 32% more for M3 Senior Sales Manager roles. 

Sales Executive (P3) salaries per funding stage

For mid-level P3 Sales Executives, median startup salaries are:

• Early-stage startup Sales Executive salary: £47,600 – up 2.1% from 2024
• Growth-stage startup Sales Executive salary: £53,200 – up 2.7% from 2024
• Late-stage startup Sales Executive salary: £56,400 – up 2.5% from 2024

Sales Executive salaries grew modestly but uniformly across all funding stages in 2025, with increases ranging from 2.1-2.7%. This consistent pattern maintains the established salary differential as companies mature through funding rounds.

Sales Manager (M3) salaries per funding stage

For senior sales leadership, median startup salaries are:

• Early-stage Senior Sales Manager salary: £73,600 – up 2.5% from 2024
• Growth-stage Senior Sales Manager salary: £84,900 – up 2.4% from 2024
• Late-stage Senior Sales Manager salary: £97,100 – up 2.9% from 2024

Sales Manager salaries showed similarly uniform growth across all stages (2.4-2.9% in 2025).

What are the biggest hiring and salary trends in Sales in 2026?

The sales and commercial function is the only function where companies are actively expanding hiring whilst simultaneously improving retention in 2025. This dual trend signals the strategic importance of revenue-generating teams in the current market environment.

Trend 1: Sales hiring is up, bucking the market trend

For the Commercial function, hiring rates are up 5.2% in 2025 to 34.7% – now the highest hiring rate across all functions by far. It’s the only function with increased hiring in 2025 compared to 2024, with all other functions seeing hiring decline by 1-21%

Whilst companies are constraining hiring elsewhere – whether due to economic uncertainty or AI enabling leaner teams  – the continued investment in commercial functions makes clear that revenue generation is the top strategic priority. 

Companies are betting on their sales teams to drive results and protect revenue in a cautious growth environment.

Trend 2: Strong retention despite abundant job opportunities

Attrition rates in the Commercial function sit at 18.4% in 2025, slightly above the overall average of 17.4%. 

However, this is a 3.2% decrease in attrition in Commercial compared to last year, and the average employee tenure in Commercial is also up 7.9% to 2 years and 3 months. 

Commercial is also the only function where hiring rates are up and attrition rates are down in 2025. 

This creates an interesting dynamic: with sales hiring rates at 34.7%, there are abundant external opportunities available for sales professionals this year. Yet, retention is improving and tenure is lengthening. 

This suggests either that companies are successfully investing in retention initiatives for their commercial teams, or that sales professionals are prioritising stability and job security after years of economic volatility and widespread tech layoffs.

Trend 3: Sales pay progression lags other functions

In the Commercial function, salary increase eligibility (the number of employees who received a pay increase) sits at 21% in 2025, below the overall average of 23%.

The median salary increase for Commercial is 4.7%, also below the market average of 5.0% (though up from 4.5% last year). 

Furthermore, the promotion rate for Commercial in 2025 is 3.8%, down 19.1% – one of the steepest declines across all functions.

So, despite strong retention metrics, the data suggests companies may not be investing heavily in career and pay progression for sales teams, with fewer sales professionals receiving salary increases or promotions compared to other functions. 

This could present retention risks if external opportunities remain plentiful and career progression continues to stagnate.

FAQs

What is sales compensation?

Sales compensation is the total rewards package for sales roles, typically consisting of base salary plus variable compensation tied to sales targets – often commission or bonuses based on revenue targets, quota attainment, or deals closed. Many companies also offer equity as part of total compensation.

How do you build a sales compensation plan?

Building a sales compensation plan starts with defining your compensation strategy – what goals the business has, what targets or behaviours you want to incentivise, what different types of sales roles exist within the organisation, and so on. This should be used to determine what base-to-variable split, and what type of variable compensation makes sense to offer for each role, in line with business objectives. 

Always use reliable benchmarking data like Ravio's to ensure your base salaries and total compensation are fair and competitive to ensure you’re able to hire and retain the talent you need.

What is OTE in sales compensation?

OTE (on-target earnings) is the total cash compensation a sales professional could earn when achieving 100% of their quota or performance targets. OTE combines base salary plus the expected variable compensation (commission/bonus) at target performance. For example, if a Sales Executive has a base salary of £50,000 and expected commission of £30,000 at quota, their OTE is £80,000.

How do you use data in sales compensation?

Data is essential for building competitive and equitable sales compensation:

• Use internal sales data – quota attainment rates, win rates, deal sizes – to set realistic but ambitious targets and sales incentives.
• Use compensation benchmarking data from platforms like Ravio to establish market-competitive base salaries and OTE levels across different sales roles and seniority levels, ensuring you can attract and retain top talent with fair compensation packages.

How much do sales executives make in the UK?

Sales Executives in the UK earn £52,800 in base salary on average (Ravio Compensation Trends report, October 2025). This is the median salary for a P3 mid-level sales executive in the UK, and does not include variable compensation (commission/bonus/OTE) or equity.

Where can I get reliable salary benchmarking data for sales compensation?

Reliable salary benchmarking data comes from real-time compensation platforms like Ravio, providing sales salary data across all job specialisms, seniority levels, and company sizes. 

Ravio’s benchmarks are compiled using data drawn directly from company HRIS systems and are updated continuously, rather than relying on point-in-time salary surveys.