In what scenario is management making more than AEs?

If you're just hitting your quota as an AE, making 300K OTE, would you consider another company with similar OTE, or what's the move in order to make more dough?

Do you go to management? If not, what would be a good title, or OTE to go for?

Assuming 50/50 and reasonable quota. 3yr startup experience

🚀 Career Goals

📉 Equity

6 comments

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Diablo

Politicker

Sr. AE

Man depends upon your goal in life - is it to just mint money, then I would stick my ass where I am making money now. Do I want to switch company? No if i am happy with my existing company, yes if I have some issues there (management, team, quota, training, Tom-dick-harry.....)

Do I need to take a leadership role where I can manage people? If yes, I would look if there is an opportunity in my company or I'll hunt for my next dream role.

FamilyTruckster

Politicker

Exec Director, Major Accounts

What do you want to do? IC or management. Go from there.

MediocreSalesGuy

Valued Contributor

AE (Account Executive)

I would only make move to another company at similar OTE if I were unhappy with current gig (boss, company direction, products, etc.) OR I’m beefing up my resume with a different role (possibly management). If you’re moving to management though, I’d be looking for at least a 20% bump (depending on what role within management) but it is going to entirely depend on industry, company and all that jazz.

Flippinghubs

Opinionated

Account Executive

^ Agreed

hh456

Celebrated Contributor

sales

I think a stigma I learned is management doesn’t always make more.
I’m c-suite and I make less than my BDR’s who hit OTE. But I have equity, so when we exercise it or go public, I’ll make 100,000x more than they’d ever make in a lifetime.
For established companies, management is probably making more than sales people but that’s because equity is too expensive to give out and they need to get great talent, so they put it in their paychecks.

WilliamH

Fire Starter

Sales Leader

Management isn't W2'ing more than the top rep. If they can hang on long enough for an exit, they make more than the top rep over the same total period.

As someone who has been a VP/SVP/C level and recently went back to an AE, the headaches, hours and pressure outweigh the gain of playing the lottery that your startup hits it big.

At a really good firm in enterprise an AE can make 7 figures. I never found a firm that would pay more than $400k OTE and it's hard as hell to hit your number with 8 (or 80) reps.

Being a VPS is super fun for about a quarter or two when you make changes and bring in your people. Then it gets shittier by the month. Conversely, being an AE gets better as you learn your buyer personas, stories and hopefully can upsell the same accounts.