SDR vs BDR vs AE: Remote Sales Roles Explained (2026)

You're scrolling through remote sales job listings, and you see the same alphabet soup over and over: SDR, BDR, AE, CSM. One company calls it "Sales Development Representative." Another calls the exact same job "Business Development Representative." A third just says "Inside Sales."

It's confusing. And that confusion costs you time—applying to roles that aren't what you thought, or skipping past jobs that were actually perfect.

At Remote Job Assistant, we track thousands of remote sales job postings every month. Here's what we've learned: about 60% of companies use SDR and BDR interchangeably. The titles are inconsistent, but the actual work usually falls into clear categories once you know what to look for.

This guide breaks down every major remote sales role—what you'll actually do, what you'll earn, and which one fits your career goals.

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Remote Sales Roles at a Glance

Before diving into details, here's the quick reference. This table covers the most common remote sales roles you'll encounter:

Now let's break down each role in detail.

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What Is an SDR? (Sales Development Representative)

SDR stands for Sales Development Representative. An SDR's primary job is to qualify leads that come in from marketing efforts—people who downloaded an ebook, signed up for a webinar, or requested a demo.

Think of SDRs as the first filter in the sales process. When a potential customer raises their hand, the SDR reaches out to figure out if they're actually a good fit. If they are, the SDR books a meeting with an Account Executive who handles the rest.

What SDRs Do Day-to-Day

A typical remote SDR spends their day on activities like:

• Responding to inbound inquiries within minutes (speed matters)
• Making 50–80 calls or sending 100+ emails per day
• Qualifying leads using frameworks like BANT (Budget, Authority, Need, Timeline)
• Booking discovery calls or demos for Account Executives
• Logging everything in the CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach)

SDRs don't close deals. Their job is to fill the pipeline with qualified opportunities so the closers can focus on closing.

Remote SDR Salary

According to Glassdoor's 2025 salary data, remote SDRs in the US typically earn:

• Base salary: $45,000–$60,000
• On-target earnings (OTE): $55,000–$85,000
• Top performers: $100,000+ at competitive tech companies

Entry-level SDR roles at companies like Remote.com show total compensation ranging from $60K–$85K, with base salaries around $54K.

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What Is a BDR? (Business Development Representative)

BDR stands for Business Development Representative. While SDRs handle inbound interest, BDRs go hunting. They proactively reach out to potential customers who haven't heard of the company yet.

BDRs build prospect lists, research target accounts, and initiate contact through cold calls, cold emails, and LinkedIn outreach. Their goal is to create interest where none existed before.

The Real Difference: Inbound vs Outbound

Here's the textbook distinction:

The honest take: In practice, about 60% of companies use these titles interchangeably. You'll see job postings for "SDR" that describe pure outbound work, and "BDR" roles that are mostly inbound qualification.

The title matters less than the job description. When evaluating a role, ask: "Am I responding to people who already raised their hand, or am I reaching out cold?" That tells you more than the three letters in the title.

Why Companies Use Different Titles

There's no industry standard here. Companies define these roles differently based on:

• Company size: Startups often combine SDR/BDR into one hybrid role
• Sales model: Enterprise-focused companies tend to separate inbound and outbound
• Marketing maturity: Companies with strong inbound marketing need SDRs; those without need BDRs
• Historical preference: Some companies just picked one title years ago and stuck with it

When you're job hunting, ignore the title and focus on the actual responsibilities listed.

Remote BDR Salary

BDR salaries are typically similar to SDR salaries, sometimes slightly higher due to the difficulty of outbound prospecting:

• Base salary: $45,000–$65,000
• On-target earnings (OTE): $60,000–$90,000
• Top performers at tech companies: $100,000+

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SDR vs AE: The Career Path

The most important distinction isn't SDR vs BDR—it's SDR/BDR vs AE.

SDRs and BDRs don't close deals. They generate and qualify leads, then hand them off. Account Executives (AEs) close deals. They own the revenue number.

This is the fundamental divide in sales careers:

• Top of funnel (SDR/BDR): Find and qualify opportunities
• Bottom of funnel (AE): Close and win revenue

Most sales careers follow this progression:

SDR/BDR → AE → Senior AE → Sales Manager → Director → VP of Sales
   ↓
(12-24 months)   (2-4 years)    (4-7 years)

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What Is an AE? (Account Executive)

AE stands for Account Executive. AEs are the closers. They take qualified leads from SDRs/BDRs and guide them through demos, negotiations, and contract signing.

AEs are quota-carrying, meaning they have a specific revenue target they're responsible for hitting. This is the key difference from SDR/BDR roles—AEs own a number.

What "Quota-Carrying" Means

When a job description says "quota-carrying role," it means you'll have a revenue target. For example:

• Annual quota: $500,000 in new business
• Quarterly quota: $125,000 per quarter
• Monthly quota: ~$42,000 per month

Your commission is directly tied to hitting (or exceeding) this number. Miss quota consistently, and you'll be managed out. Crush quota, and you can earn well above your OTE.

AE Segments: SMB, Mid-Market, Enterprise

Account Executive roles are often segmented by deal size and customer type:

SMB AEs handle higher volume with shorter cycles. Enterprise AEs work fewer deals but with longer, more complex sales processes.

Remote AE Salary

AE compensation is heavily weighted toward commission. According to Glassdoor and industry benchmarks:

• Base salary: $60,000–$120,000 (varies by segment)
• On-target earnings (OTE): $100,000–$300,000+
• Pay mix: Typically 50/50 (50% base, 50% commission)

A job posting showing "$80K base, $160K OTE" means half your pay is guaranteed, half depends on performance.

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What Is a Closer? (High-Ticket Sales)

A closer is a salesperson who specializes in closing deals—typically high-ticket offers ranging from $3,000 to $50,000+.

Closer roles are common in the online business world: coaching programs, consulting services, info products, and high-ticket agencies. They're less common in traditional B2B SaaS.

How Closers Differ from AEs

Remote Closer Salary

Closer compensation is highly variable because it's commission-heavy:

• Base salary: $0–$50,000 (many are commission-only)
• Commission: 10–20% of deal value
• Total earnings potential: $100,000–$400,000+

If you're interested in quota-carrying roles but want the stability of a traditional employer, browse remote sales jobs to find AE positions with base salary plus commission.

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Inside Sales vs Outside Sales

You'll often see "inside sales" in remote job postings. Here's the distinction:

Most remote sales jobs are inside sales. You're selling from your home office using digital tools.

However, some "outside sales" roles are now remote-based with occasional travel. These are sometimes called "field sales with a home office"—you work remotely most days but travel for key meetings, trade shows, or customer visits.

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Understanding Sales Compensation: OTE, Base, and Commission

Sales compensation has its own vocabulary. Here's what each term means:

Draw vs Commission: What's the Difference?

A draw is an advance on future earnings, not free money. There are two types:

• Recoverable draw: You must "pay back" the draw from future commissions. If you don't earn enough commission, you owe the company.
• Non-recoverable draw: You keep the draw regardless of performance. This is essentially a guaranteed minimum.

For remote sales roles at established companies, base salary plus commission is standard. Be cautious with draw-based or commission-only structures unless you have experience and confidence in your ability to close.

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Sales Ops, RevOps, and Enablement: Non-Quota Roles

Not everyone in a sales organization carries a quota. These roles support the sales team without directly closing deals:

These are excellent paths for people who want to work in sales without carrying a number. They're analytical, strategic, and often pay well without the pressure of individual quota.

According to Glassdoor, remote Sales Operations roles typically pay $70,000–$120,000, with senior positions reaching $150,000+.

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Remote Sales Salary Guide (2026)

Based on Glassdoor salary data and industry benchmarks, here are typical remote sales compensation ranges for 2026:

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Which Remote Sales Role Is Right for You?

Here's a decision framework to help you choose:

Breaking Into Remote Sales

If you're new to sales, SDR is the typical entry point. You don't need prior sales experience—companies hire based on communication skills, coachability, and work ethic.

Transferable backgrounds that translate well to SDR roles:

• Teachers: Presentation skills, patience, explaining complex concepts
• Customer service: Objection handling, product knowledge, empathy
• Retail: Closing, upselling, customer interaction
• Recruiters: Outreach, relationship building, qualifying candidates

Check out our guide on remote jobs for former teachers if you're considering a career change into sales.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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Start Your Remote Sales Career

Understanding these roles is the first step. The next step is finding the right opportunity.

If you're ready to explore, browse remote sales positions to see what's available. You can filter by role type, experience level, and salary range to find roles that match your goals.

For SDR and BDR roles specifically, check out our dedicated pages for Sales Development Representative jobs and Account Executive positions.

And if applying to dozens of sales roles sounds exhausting—it is. That's why we built an auto-apply service that submits applications on your behalf while you sleep. Sales is a numbers game, and that applies to your job search too.