Head of Sales Salary Overview
Heads of Sales at SaaS companies own the entire sales function, from strategy to execution. They manage Directors of Sales, Sales Managers, and cross-functional partnerships with Account Management. The role typically reports to the CRO or CEO.
Head of Sales compensation combines a strong base with significant variable pay tied to company-level revenue targets. The role is a direct path to VP of Sales or CRO. View all SaaS salary benchmarks.
Detailed Head of Sales Compensation Breakdown
Percentile Band | Average Base Salary | # of salaries |
|---|---|---|
| Top 25% | $189,480 | 25 salaries |
| Middle 50% | $147,326 | 43 salaries |
| Bottom 25% | $91,029 | 17 salaries |
What Drives Higher Head of Sales Pay?
Total revenue responsibility and quota ownership
Organization size and number of direct/indirect reports
Company stage — growth-stage values sales leadership most
Enterprise sales track record and deal complexity
Head of Sales Compensation Structure
Base salary is 50–60% of OTE (on-target earnings)
Variable pay tied to company revenue and growth targets
Equity grants significant at growth-stage (0.1–0.5%)
Accelerators for exceeding annual revenue targets
