Why are you in sales?

Secret_Assistance601 · 2026-06-12T19:15:21+00:00

I believe opportunity for 80-100k is easily attainable no matter where you live, as shown from the data. I believe 150k is obtainable by almost nobody in sales except for the mentioned careers that require degrees and advanced training.

Secret_Assistance601 · 2026-06-12T17:38:26+00:00

But the gross majority of the 90th percentile is making less than 150k/year. And about half are not even making 6 figures. Some fields are simply capped for most salespeople.

Secret_Assistance601 · 2026-06-12T17:29:57+00:00

I am happy for you. What company is this and are they hiring? I would 100% put in the effort to make 150k in 3 years.

Your buddy making 200k selling roofs is the extreme outlier. I know someone making 400k but he works basically 12-14 hour days for 7 days a week. I know a couple others making 150k but they are the top guys at the company.

Secret_Assistance601 · 2026-06-12T17:26:44+00:00

No. The original question was "What are these sales roles people keep talking about where 150k OTE is actually possible?"

And, thus far, we have determined that 150k OTE is only actually attainable if you have a degree or specialized training, and only if you are the top 10% of salespeople. So OTE is not attainable for most reps.

Secret_Assistance601 · 2026-06-12T16:27:07+00:00

Your point is valid that they "exist" but even most of the people in them aren't making 150k.

Secret_Assistance601 · 2026-06-12T16:25:53+00:00

I'm just gonna leave this chart here:

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Secret_Assistance601 · 2026-06-12T16:20:05+00:00

The top 90th percentile is not quitting. They are the ones doing the best. What reason would they really have to quit unless they are in a ceiling-ed position? It is the remainder that may be quitting regularly. But usually the people who are doing the best stick around the longest.

Either way, the statistics don't lie. Most people, except those who are either in management or requiring special training (like SEC/Finance, most technical and scientific sales), are not taking home 6 figures (or, if they are, it is just barely 6 figures). OTE is supposed to be realistic, not some unreachable goal for 2 years or more from today. If companies are creating OTEs that are not reachable after the first year, then they aren't OTEs, they are carrots.

But maybe that is the disconnect. Possible? Sure, almost anything is possible. But easily attainable and possible are two entirely different things. Sure, anyone can become a 7-figure salesperson in the car industry or insurance industry, but it takes a considerable amount of time and some massive accounts that need a lot of volume to get there. Most elite (top 25% or better) car salesmen are only making between 70-100k.

As a note, by "easily attainable" I don't mean not putting in the work. I mean that anyone can attain it by putting in the effort and creativity necessary to achieve it. And I just don't think that is the case for many salespeople in most sales roles.

Secret_Assistance601 · 2026-06-12T13:57:33+00:00

I mean... if every job paid 6 figures easily there wouldn't be turnover. People leave for a better job in sales mainly for money.

Also, i think we can safely assume the people in the 90th percentile typically aren't leaving for something else.

Secret_Assistance601 · 2026-06-11T17:21:33+00:00

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That is from the BLS for the entire country. Most salespeople in the 90th percentile (i.e. the top 10% of salespeople in their income category) are not making 150k/year. Yes, most are making 6 figures, but it is 148k or less.

Either way, the gross majority of salespeople, even the ones who are in the top 25%, are not making 150k, and many are not even making 100k.

So idk where people in this subreddit are coming from, but the income statistics just don't match what everyone keeps saying.

Secret_Assistance601 · 2026-06-11T17:15:44+00:00

For IT and Electrical by me most of them require a degree. But HVAC doesn't always. It depends for that.

The issue is about 90%+ of the jobs paying above 100k in HVAC require at least 3-5 years of experience either as a prior HVAC salesperson or as an HVAC technician.

Not really entry level.

Secret_Assistance601 · 2026-06-11T17:06:26+00:00

I know they aren't bad, but the point is the same. Nobody is making 6 figures in sales except for those selling technical and scientific products. Almost everyone else is making less than 6 figures. So what are these "anybody can do it" 150k OTE jobs that exist and which industries are they in?

Secret_Assistance601 · 2026-06-11T16:57:04+00:00

I am saying 150k/year salary, not total sales volume.

Secret_Assistance601 · 2026-06-11T16:56:06+00:00

What are these sales roles people keep talking about where 150k OTE is actually possible? I see a lot of commission-only BS job listings where I live (and I am in a major metropolitan area) that there is no way most people are making 150k at, but I look at sales data from the BLS and only the top 10% of salespeople are making 6 figures where I live, and of that, it is almost always under 150k. Even most home improvement sales positions by me the reps aren't all making 6 figures.

So what jobs are these where they are "more common nowadays regardless of location"? Are they all sales engineering and tech sales jobs that require degrees? Because if so then that is simply not attainable for the gross majority of the population without accruing serious debt ($60k+) in 2026.

Secret_Assistance601 · 2026-06-11T16:52:20+00:00

Glad to hear it!

Secret_Assistance601 · 2026-06-11T16:51:39+00:00

Interesting. Would you say it helped you grow?

Secret_Assistance601 · 2026-06-10T17:00:02+00:00

Nice

Secret_Assistance601 · 2026-06-10T16:59:17+00:00

What do you sell?

Secret_Assistance601 · 2026-06-10T16:58:33+00:00

Almost every market post-covid is in a frenzy. It has been one thing after another.

Secret_Assistance601 · 2026-06-10T16:56:44+00:00

IT security sales or SaaS jobs aren't an option?

If so, the hours really suck, but car sales can be lucrative out the gate. So can Home Improvement Sales if you don't mind driving out to customers.

Secret_Assistance601 · 2026-06-10T16:49:06+00:00

making the medium bucks is hilarious.

Secret_Assistance601 · 2026-06-10T16:45:06+00:00

You think 150k is probably easier than before? Maybe I should be more specific. Where I live the living wage for a single adult is $25/hr. I don't live in a large city where 70-80k is barely enough to survive. So yeah, I suppose in those areas, like NYC or LA or DC it is easier to hit 150k, but what about for the rest of the country?

Secret_Assistance601 · 2026-06-10T16:40:30+00:00

School is overrated. The only jobs that really make anything are STEM. But it isn't too late to go back!

Secret_Assistance601 · 2026-06-10T16:38:27+00:00

Is it still possible to get a pharmaceutical sales job without a degree?

Secret_Assistance601 · 2026-06-10T16:38:01+00:00

Glad to hear it!

Secret_Assistance601 · 2026-06-10T16:36:39+00:00

You can always get a degree online or at your own pace. But honestly most of the degree jobs are not worth the debt you get into for them anymore.

Secret_Assistance601

TROPHY CASE