Hiring the right salesperson takes more than finding someone with a strong resume and a history of hitting quota. Sales performance depends on the role, sales cycle, territory, compensation, and support a rep receives after joining.
These 25 sales recruiting statistics offer benchmarks for hiring and evaluating sales talent, with context on what each figure measures.
Key Takeaways
- Just 48% of account executives reached quota in The Bridge Group’s 2026 research.
- Only 20% of organizations track the quality of hire, according to SHRZM’s 2025 research.
- 91% of companies don’t expect their AEs to reach quota, according to Xactly research.
- SalesFuel estimates that a bad B2B sales hire costs an average of $177,171.
Sales Performance and Ramp Time
Sales performance benchmarks help hiring teams assess candidates in context. A rep’s past quota attainment matters, but so do their previous targets, selling environment, and time to productivity.
- 48% of account executives reached quota in 2026. The Bridge Group’s study of 158 B2B companies found that share fell from 51% in 2024.
- Median AE on-target earnings reached $200,000. That compares with $190,000 in 2024 and $167,000 in 2022. OTE is the expected total compensation when a rep achieves quota, not guaranteed pay. Source: The Bridge Group
- The median annual AE quota was $960,000. The Bridge Group reported a median quota-to-OTE ratio of 4.6x. Hiring teams should compare these figures with the role’s deal size and sales cycle before using them to evaluate candidates. Source: The Bridge Group
- AE ramp time averaged 6.2 months. The Bridge Group reported its longest ramp time in the study’s history. A new hire may need several months to build pipeline and close enough business to reach full productivity. Source: The Bridge Group
- Companies required an average of 3.7 years of prior AE experience. That was up from 2.7 years in 2022. The finding suggests companies want more experienced sellers, particularly for roles involving larger deals. Source: The Bridge Group
- 57% of reps at companies with the highest AI engagement reached quota, compared with 39% at companies with the lowest engagement. These are observational findings, not proof that AI caused higher attainment. Source: The Bridge Group
SDR Hiring, Compensation, and Retention
Sales development roles have different performance expectations from closing roles. These benchmarks can help companies set realistic targets and understand the conditions SDRs are working in.
- 60% of SDRs were at quota. The Bridge Group’s 2025 report, based on research involving 351 B2B companies, described this as the lowest share in the history of its study.
- Median SDR on-target earnings were $80,000. The Bridge Group reported a typical split of $55,000 in base salary and $25,000 in variable compensation. Compensation will vary by market, experience, and sales motion. Source: The Bridge Group 2025
- SDR ramp time averaged three months. This was the shortest ramp time in The Bridge Group’s SDR study since 2010. This figure averages across the surveyed companies, not a recommended deadline for every new hire. Source: The Bridge Group 2025
- Median annual SDR attrition was 40%. The figure includes voluntary departures, involuntary exits, and promotions. Companies should distinguish among those outcomes before deciding whether attrition reflects a hiring or retention problem. Source: The Bridge Group 2025
- 82% of companies aligned SDRs with AE territories. The Bridge Group reported an increase from 56% in 2018. Coordination between prospecting and closing teams can affect how leads are assigned and how SDR performance is evaluated. Source: The Bridge Group 2025
Buyer Behavior and Sales Skills
Recruiters must also keep in mind how buyers prefer to engage with sellers. This helps to account for why recruitment teams should examine research, decision-making, and communication abilities and not just activity-based measures.
- 61% of B2B buyers prefer an overall rep-free buying experience. Gartner surveyed 632 B2B buyers in August and September 2024. Buyers still value seller input for tasks that require contextual guidance.
- 73% of B2B buyers actively avoid suppliers that send irrelevant outreach. This makes account research and relevant prospecting an important skill to test during interviews. Source: Gartner
- 69% of B2B buyers report inconsistencies between a company’s website and its sales representatives. Hiring teams should assess whether candidates can communicate a clear, accurate value proposition. Source: Gartner
- Sales reps spend 40% of their time actually selling. Salesforce’s 2026 State of Sales research highlights how much time they spend on activities outside direct selling.
- 75% of sales reps say they are more likely to hit their targets with a coach or mentor. The finding highlights the importance of management support after a hire joins the team. Source: Salesforce
- 46% of sales reps say they rarely receive feedback on their sales conversations. Hiring managers should consider whether their onboarding and coaching plans give new employees enough feedback to improve. Source: Salesforce
- 47% of sales reps say they don’t get enough opportunities to role-play before customer calls. Practical interview exercises can assess skills, but that practice should continue after hiring. Source: Salesforce
Recruiting Efficiency and the Cost of Hiring
Recruiting metrics can provide information about whether hiring is done efficiently and whether the hired personnel will work well once recruited. Generally speaking, recruiting standards are very valuable to know but not necessarily sales-specific.
- Median time to fill a nonexecutive position was 39 calendar days. SHRM’s 2026 recruiting benchmark measures the time from opening a requisition to the accepted offer. Sales searches may take longer depending on seniority and specialization.
- Average cost per non-executive hire was $5,475. SHRM’s 2025 benchmarking report measured recruiting costs across industries. Specialized sales searches can vary in cost depending on whether they use external recruiters and the role’s complexity.
- Only 20% of organizations track the quality of hire. SHRM’s 2025 survey found that relatively few organizations measure this outcome. Sales teams can start by tracking new-hire performance at 90 and 180 days, alongside retention. Source: SHRM 2025 Benchmark
- SalesFuel estimated the average cost of a bad B2B sales hire at $177,171. The estimate comes from its 2026 research on the cost of an unsuccessful hire. Treat it as an estimate, not a fixed cost for every company.
- 45% of sales managers use sales-skills assessment tests to evaluate candidates. SalesFuel’s Voice of the Sales Manager research reports this figure. It points to an opportunity for hiring teams to assess candidates through relevant exercises in addition to interviews.
- 47% of companies expected at least 10% of new AE hires not to make it through the ramp period. Xactly’s 2024 Sales Compensation Report surveyed sales, finance, and revenue operations leaders. The figure describes companies’ expectations for new hires, not the percentage of all new AEs who fail.
Using Sales Recruiting Statistics to Make Better Hiring Decisions
- 91% of companies did not expect their AEs to meet or exceed quota. The survey of 230 B2B technology and service leaders found low confidence in quota attainment. The finding reinforces the need to examine quota design and sales conditions alongside individual performance. Source: Xactly
These sales recruiting statistics are most helpful when combined with your own data. Measure time-to-fill, offer acceptance, ramp-up, quota achievement, and retention for each job. Use this information to update your candidate profile and interview process.
RevPilots helps companies find and evaluate B2B sales talent based on their sales process, target market, and hiring needs. Talk to RevPilots about finding salespeople whose experience fits your team.
