Sales recruitment in Australia: how to hire salespeople who perform
Sales development representative salary and job description in Australia (2026)
Updated October 2026.
A sales development representative (SDR) in Australia typically earns OTE of around $85,000 to $110,000, on a base salary of about $65,000 to $80,000, according to 2026 sales salary benchmarks. In technology and software sales, RepVue’s Australian data puts the median SDR at about $75,000 base and $112,000 OTE, with top performers earning around $159,000. An SDR’s job is to create qualified opportunities for others to close: researching prospects, starting conversations and booking meetings. The best SDRs combine persistence, pace and coachability, because they’re often early in their career and improve fast with the right feedback.
How much does a sales development representative earn in Australia?
| Measure | Base salary | OTE | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| SDR / business development representative, general industries | About $65,000 to $80,000 | About $85,000 to $110,000 | Sales Channel Solutions, NSW Sales Salary Guide 2026 |
| SDR, mainly technology sales | Median about $75,000 | Median about $112,000; top performers about $159,000 | RepVue, Australia, 2026 |
SDR packages are commonly split around 70% base and 30% variable at target, with commission tied to meetings booked or pipeline created. Pay rises significantly on promotion to a closing role such as account executive or BDM.
What does a sales development representative do?
An SDR creates the pipeline that account executives or business development managers then close. In practice, that means:
- researching target companies and decision-makers,
- reaching out by phone, email and LinkedIn,
- qualifying interest and booking meetings,
- following up consistently with prospects who aren’t ready yet,
- handing qualified opportunities to the closing team,
- recording activity and results in the CRM.
SDR or BDR? The titles are often used interchangeably. Where a business uses both, SDRs usually follow up inbound interest and BDRs focus on outbound prospecting.
SDR or business development manager? An SDR creates opportunities. A BDM, or account executive, usually closes them. Many SDRs progress into closing roles. See our business development manager guide.
Sales development representative job description template
About the role: You’ll create new opportunities for [business], reaching out to [target market] and booking qualified meetings for our sales team.
What you’ll do:
- Research target companies and identify the right decision-makers
- Reach out by phone, email and LinkedIn to start conversations
- Qualify interest and book meetings for the sales team
- Follow up consistently with prospects over time
- Hit weekly activity and monthly meeting targets
- Keep the CRM accurate and up to date
What you’ll bring:
- [0 to 2] years in sales, customer service or a similar role
- Comfort with high activity and regular rejection
- Clear, confident written and spoken communication
- An appetite for feedback and a desire to progress in sales
Nice to have:
- Experience with [CRM or sales tools]
- Interest in [industry]
What separates the best sales development representatives?
- Persistence. Most outreach goes unanswered. Strong SDRs keep going without losing energy or quality.
- Pace. The role rewards high, consistent activity. The best SDRs build habits that keep it up every day.
- Coachability. SDRs are often early in their career. The ones who act on feedback quickly improve fastest, and often progress into closing roles.
Because many SDRs have little sales history, the CV says even less here than for other sales roles. How someone works and what drives them matters more. Our sales recruitment guide covers the research.
How to hire a sales development representative
- Define success first. Activity, meetings booked and pipeline created at 30, 60 and 90 days.
- Don’t over-weight the CV. Many strong SDRs come from customer service, hospitality or other client-facing work. Assess how they work and what drives them rather than relying on sales experience.
- Test the real work. A short task: research one target company and write the first outreach message, or a quick cold-call role play.
- Look for coachability in the process. Give feedback during the role play and see how they respond on the second attempt.
- Plan ramp time. The Bridge Group’s research puts average SDR ramp time at about three months.
Interview questions worth asking:
- Tell me about a time you kept going on something after repeated rejection.
- How would you research a company before contacting them?
- What’s the most useful feedback you’ve had, and what did you change?
- Where do you want to be in sales in two years?
Frequently asked questions
What does an SDR earn in Australia?
Typical OTE is around $85,000 to $110,000, on a base of about $65,000 to $80,000. In technology sales, the median is around $112,000 OTE.
What’s the difference between an SDR and a BDR?
They’re often the same role. Where both exist, SDRs usually handle inbound interest and BDRs focus on outbound prospecting.
What’s the career path for an SDR?
Many SDRs progress into closing roles, such as account executive or business development manager.
How long does a new SDR take to ramp?
The Bridge Group’s research puts average SDR ramp time at about three months.
Hiring for a role now? Tell us about it, and we’ll tell you what the market looks like for it and when you could expect a shortlist, before you commit to anything.
Working in sales? Build your Ploomo profile, see how you work, and choose whether to be considered for roles that fit. Sign up