SDR or AE? It's the fork in the road every sales professional faces. Both can be lucrative. Both can be miserable. Let me break down the real differences.
The Day-to-Day Reality
SDR / BDR Life
- 50-100+ activities per day (calls, emails, LinkedIn)
- Heavy focus on prospecting and qualifying
- Metric-driven: meetings booked, SQLs generated
- Short feedback loops - know quickly if you're hitting numbers
- More structured, predictable schedule
- Team-oriented environment
AE Life
- Fewer but longer activities (demos, negotiations, proposals)
- Own the full sales cycle from qualified lead to close
- Revenue-focused: deals closed, ARR booked
- Longer feedback loops - deals can take weeks or months
- More autonomy, less predictable schedule
- More individual contributor feel
Compensation Comparison
| Factor | SDR | AE |
|---|---|---|
| Base Salary | $45-75K | $60-150K |
| OTE | $65-110K | $100-350K+ |
| Variable % | 30-40% | 40-50% |
| Upside | Limited | Uncapped potential |
Stress Levels
SDR stress: High volume, constant rejection, activity metrics. It's a grind, but the stress is predictable. You know what you need to do each day.
AE stress: Deal slippage, forecast pressure, quota attainment. The stress is less constant but higher stakes. One bad quarter can be devastating.
🎯 My take
SDR is a sprint every day. AE is a marathon every quarter. Neither is "easier" - they're different kinds of hard.
Career Trajectory
SDR path: SDR → Senior SDR → AE (or SDR Manager)
AE path: AE → Senior AE → Enterprise AE → Sales Director → VP Sales
Most SDRs aim to become AEs within 12-24 months. The SDR role is explicitly designed as a stepping stone.
Who Should Be an SDR?
- New to sales and want to learn fundamentals
- Comfortable with high volume, repetitive work
- Need predictable income while building skills
- Want clear metrics and structured environment
Who Should Be an AE?
- Comfortable with ambiguity and longer timelines
- Want higher income ceiling
- Enjoy building relationships over transactional interactions
- Can handle the pressure of quota and forecasting
Track your commission, whatever your role
Whether you're paid per meeting or per deal, know exactly what you're earning.
Try Comish Free →Bottom Line
Start as an SDR if you're new to sales. It's the best training ground. But don't stay too long - 18-24 months max. The real money and career growth happens in AE and beyond.