Rep Earning-Potential-by-Level Calculator
A compensation ladder and formula that models OTE growth from SDR through Enterprise AE, showing that mastering the skills that shorten time-in-level compounds into six-figure differences in lifetime earnings.
How to use it
Replace the illustrative OTE bands with your own comp plan's levels, plug in trailing attainment and real median time-to-promotion, then run both the standard-pace and accelerated-pace scenarios to get your own compounding-gap number.
What's inside
- 6-level OTE ladder (SDR/BDR through Strategic/Named Account AE) with base, variable, and OTE bands plus typical time-in-level
- The Career Earning Value (CEV) formula
- A 6-year worked example comparing standard-pace vs. accelerated-pace career progression
- The compounding-gap number from the worked example (~$150,750 over six years)
- A blank fill-in table to run the model against your own company's comp bands
- Step-by-step instructions for sourcing your own attainment% and time-to-promotion data
What this shows: the compounding financial case for climbing the skill ladder. Earnings don't just increase step by step from level to level: they compound, because faster skill mastery shortens the years spent at every lower rung. This calculator gives you the ladder, the formula, and a worked example so you can plug in your own numbers.
The Ladder (illustrative U.S. SaaS bands, replace with your own comp plan)
| Level | Base | Variable | OTE | Typical time-in-level before promotion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. SDR / BDR | $50,000 | $15,000 | $65,000 | 12–18 months |
| 2. AE: SMB/Commercial | $65,000 | $65,000 | $130,000 | 18–24 months |
| 3. AE: Mid-Market | $85,000 | $85,000 | $170,000 | 18–24 months |
| 4. Senior AE: Mid-Market | $95,000 | $105,000 | $200,000 | 12–18 months |
| 5. Enterprise AE | $120,000 | $130,000 | $250,000 | ongoing |
| 6. Strategic / Named Account AE | $140,000 | $160,000 | $300,000 | ongoing |
The Formula
Career Earning Value (CEV) over a window of N years:
`` CEV = Σ (OTE at level × Attainment% at level × Years spent at level) ``
Where Attainment% is your realistic average against quota at that level (use 90% if you don't have your own data, roughly average for a competent rep).
The compounding case isn't the OTE table above, it's what happens to CEV when skill mastery shortens years-at-level. Two reps starting on the same day at SDR:
Worked Example, Standard Pace vs. Accelerated Pace (6-year horizon, 90% attainment throughout)
| Standard-Pace Rep | Accelerated Rep (faster skill mastery → faster promotion) | |
|---|---|---|
| SDR | Yrs 0–1.5: $65k × 90% × 1.5 = $87,750 | Yrs 0–1.0: $65k × 90% × 1.0 = $58,500 |
| AE SMB | Yrs 1.5–3.5: $130k × 90% × 2.0 = $234,000 | Yrs 1.0–2.5: $130k × 90% × 1.5 = $175,500 |
| AE Mid-Market | Yrs 3.5–5.5: $170k × 90% × 2.0 = $306,000 | Yrs 2.5–4.0: $170k × 90% × 1.5 = $229,500 |
| Senior AE | Yrs 5.5–6: $200k × 90% × 0.5 = $90,000 | Yrs 4.0–5.0: $200k × 90% × 1.0 = $180,000 |
| Enterprise AE | not reached in 6 years | Yrs 5.0–6.0: $250k × 90% × 1.0 = $225,000 |
| 6-year total | $717,750 | $868,500 |
Gap: ~$150,750 over the same six years, purely from mastering the skills that shorten time-in-level. This is the number to put in front of a rep who's asking "why does the certification/coaching/framework matter?" It's not about the deal in front of them. It's about how many years they spend at each rung.
Build Your Own, Blank Table
- Pull your real OTE bands from your comp plan for each level in your org's ladder (replace the rows above).
- Enter your own trailing attainment% (or use org average if you're new).
- Enter your actual average time-in-level from historical promotion data (ask RevOps/People Ops for the median tenure-to-promotion by level).
- Run the standard-pace scenario using those medians.
- Run an accelerated scenario shaving 25–35% off time-in-level at each rung below your target level (validate against your own top-quartile promotion data if available).
- Subtract accelerated total minus standard total = your compounding case number.
| Level | Your OTE | Your Attainment % | Standard Yrs-in-Level | Accelerated Yrs-in-Level | Standard $ | Accelerated $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||||
| 2 | ||||||
| 3 | ||||||
| 4 | ||||||
| 5 | ||||||
| 6 | ||||||
| Total |