SDR compensation plan template
Most SDR plans pay per meeting booked, and within a quarter the calendar fills with meetings AEs did not want and prospects who never show. Paying on activity buys activity. This template pays on opportunities the AE accepts against written criteria and on pipeline that reaches a real stage, with a quality gate the SDR can see and a payout example that adds up to the cent.
Download it
What you get
- Plan basics for a monthly SDR plan: OTE, pay mix, measures, and payout timing
- Written acceptance criteria that decide whether a meeting counts
- A rate table derived from target incentive and quota, with an accelerator above 100%
- A worked monthly payout from meetings held to dollars paid
- A three-month ramp with guarantees and a pre-launch checklist
Who it's for
- VPs of Sales and SDR managers designing or fixing an SDR plan
- Comp admins who need the plan math to reconcile to payroll
- RevOps leads defining what counts as an accepted opportunity
What's inside
7 sections, each listed with its own size. The first is previewed below; the remaining 6 come with the download, with blank rows ready to fill in.
| Section | Size | Previewed |
|---|---|---|
| Plan basics | 7 fields to complete | Below |
| Quality gates: when an opportunity counts | 8-point checklist | In the download |
| Rates and accelerator | 6 columns, 3 worked example rows | In the download |
| Worked monthly payout | 5 columns, 6 worked example rows | In the download |
| Ramp schedule | 5 columns, 3 worked example rows | In the download |
| Checking the math and the design | Guidance notes | In the download |
| Before the plan goes out | 8-point checklist | In the download |
Preview of section 1
Plan basics
- Plan name and role
- e.g. FY2027 Sales Development Representative Plan
- Plan period and payout frequency
- e.g. Feb 1, 2027 to Jan 31, 2028; measured and paid monthly
- OTE
- e.g. $90,000
How to use it
1. Write the acceptance criteria before the rates
Agree with AE leadership on what makes an opportunity acceptable: ICP fit, a confirmed problem, the right persona, and a held meeting. If the criteria are vague, every rate you set afterwards pays for arguments.
2. Pay monthly, measure monthly
SDRs work short cycles and turn over quickly. A quarterly plan asks a 22-year-old to wait three months to find out whether their work counted. Monthly quotas and monthly payouts keep the feedback loop as short as the job.
3. Give the AE a deadline to accept or reject
Set a window, such as 5 business days after the meeting, after which the opportunity is accepted by default. Without it, AEs sit on meetings and SDR pay depends on how organized someone else is.
4. Cap the pipeline measure, not the opportunity measure
Pipeline dollars are easy to inflate at stage 2. Cap that measure (the example uses 150%) and let the opportunity measure accelerate, because an extra accepted opportunity is harder to fake than an extra zero on an amount field.
5. Run last quarter's data through the plan
Before launch, pay last quarter's SDRs on paper under the new plan. If your best SDR would have earned less than an average one, the weights or the gates are wrong.
Frequently asked questions
How are SDRs typically compensated?
A base salary plus monthly variable pay tied to qualified meetings or accepted opportunities, often with a pipeline or closed-won component. Pay mixes around 60 / 40 or 70 / 30 base to variable are common starting points; set yours from the role's influence and your own data.
Should SDRs be paid on meetings booked or meetings held?
Neither on its own. Pay on opportunities that the AE accepts against written criteria after the meeting is held. Booked meetings reward calendar filling, and held meetings still include poor-fit prospects.
Should SDRs get commission on closed-won deals?
A small closed-won kicker helps SDRs care about quality, but it should not be the main measure. Deals close months after the SDR's work, often after the SDR has been promoted, and the outcome depends mostly on the AE.
How long should an SDR ramp be?
Two to three months is a common range for SDR ramp, with quota rising each month and a guarantee that shrinks. Measure your own time to first accepted opportunity and set the ramp from that.