Sales representative job description template: SDR, account executive and field versions
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A sales representative job description is a pitch to people whose job is spotting a bad pitch. Experienced reps read three things first: the quota, the territory and how they get paid. If those are missing or vague, the best candidates assume the worst and the posting fills with people who did not check. Below is a copy-ready template with SDR, account executive and field variants, the pay and EEO wording, how each must-have turns into a screening question and scorecard row, and the mistakes that make sales postings attract the wrong reps. The general method is in how to write a job description that screens; the requisition is where the pay range should be approved first.
Name the motion before you write
| Role | What they are measured on | Must-have that separates it |
|---|---|---|
| Sales development rep (SDR/BDR) | Qualified meetings or opportunities booked | Has done high-volume outbound prospecting against a weekly target |
| Inside account executive | New bookings, closed by phone and video | Has carried and closed a quota on a cycle like yours |
| Field or outside rep | Revenue in a territory, sold in person | Has built and worked a territory face to face |
| Account manager | Renewal, retention and expansion of existing customers | Has grown revenue in a book of existing accounts |
Agree on deal size, sales cycle length, who generates pipeline (marketing, SDRs or the rep) and the ramp with the hiring manager before drafting. Those four facts decide which candidates are actually comparable.
The sales representative job description template
[Account Executive / Sales Development Representative / Territory
Sales Representative], [segment or product]
[Company], [city] — [On-site / Hybrid / Remote within: states]
[Field: territory covers [region]; about [N] days a week visiting
customers]
Pay: [$min]–[$max] base per year, plus commission: [how it is earned,
e.g. N% of first-year contract value; accelerators above quota].
[On-target earnings of $[X] assume [100%] attainment.]
[Benefits summary, if required.]
SUMMARY
You will sell [product] to [buyer title] at [segment: companies of
N–N employees / clinics / contractors] in [territory]. Typical deals
are [$ size] and close in [N weeks / months]. About [N]% of pipeline
comes from [marketing / SDRs]; the rest you generate.
WHAT YOU WILL DO
- Prospect and book first meetings with [buyer] by [phone, email,
LinkedIn, in person].
- Run discovery, demos and proposals through to signed contract.
- Forecast your pipeline accurately in [CRM] every week.
- [AE: carry an annual quota of [$X / N units], with a [N]-month ramp.]
- [SDR: book [N] qualified meetings a month for [N] account executives.]
- [Field: plan and work a territory, with [N] customer visits a week.]
YOU MUST HAVE
- Carried a quota or activity target and can show attainment for at
least [N] periods.
- Sold to [buyer type or a similar buyer] on a cycle of roughly
[length].
- Generated some of your own pipeline.
- [Field: a valid driver's license, because the role requires driving
to customer sites.]
NICE TO HAVE
- Experience in [industry].
- [CRM] use.
If you meet the must-haves and none of these, please apply.
FIXED CONDITIONS
- Travel: [none / N% / overnight trips N times a quarter].
- Territory: [assigned / shared; accounts are / are not protected].
- [Offers are subject to [checks] as permitted by law.]
[EEO STATEMENT]
If you need an adjustment to apply or interview, email [address].Pay, classification and EEO statement
Not legal advice. Checked against official sources as of October 2026. Confirm classification and posting rules for your locations with counsel.
Pay range and commission. Fill the placeholder only with the approved base range. Sales is where a base figure alone misleads most, and some states cover variable pay explicitly: Colorado's Equal Pay for Equal Work Act requires postings to include bonuses, commissions and other compensation offered for the job, plus a general description of benefits (Colorado CDLE). Rules for every state are in pay transparency laws by state. If you quote on-target earnings, state the attainment assumption so candidates can compare honestly. For an outside reference, BLS publishes wage estimates through its OEWS program under occupations such as Sales Representatives of Services (SOC 41-3091) and Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products (SOC 41-4012). Pick the one that matches what the rep sells; this page does not quote figures.
Classification. Decide whether the role is exempt from overtime before writing the pay line, because it changes whether you post a salary or an hourly rate. Under the federal outside sales exemption, the employee's primary duty must be making sales or obtaining orders, and they must be customarily and regularly engaged away from the employer's place of business; the salary requirements do not apply to this exemption (DOL Fact Sheet #17F). The same fact sheet says sales made by mail, phone or internet do not count as outside sales unless they support personal calls, so an inside rep is not covered by it. States can set their own tests.
EEO statement. A closing statement many employers use:
[Company] is an equal opportunity employer. We consider qualified
applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including
pregnancy, sexual orientation and gender identity), national origin,
age, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, or
any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.The EEOC lists the federal protected characteristics and warns against ads that discourage applicants because of them (EEOC). Federal contractors have additional wording duties, covered in job posting requirements for federal contractors.
From must-haves to screening questions and scorecard rows
Every sales must-have is a claim with a number behind it. The screen's job is to get the number and the context that makes it comparable.
| Must-have | Screening question | Scorecard competency | Evidence of a strong answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carried a quota and can show attainment | "What was your quota in each of the last two years, and what did you close against it?" | Quota attainment | Numbers for each period, plus how many reps on the team hit theirs |
| Sold to a similar buyer on a similar cycle | "Walk me through your last closed deal: who signed, how big, how long from first meeting?" | Sales process | Names the buyer's title, the steps and the stall point |
| Generated own pipeline | "What share of your closed revenue came from meetings you booked yourself?" | Prospecting | A share, a channel and a typical week of activity |
| SDR: hit an activity target | "What was your monthly meeting target, and how many of those meetings turned into opportunities?" | Pipeline quality | Knows the conversion, not just the meetings booked |
| Field: works a territory in person | "How did you plan a week in your territory, and how did you decide which accounts to visit?" | Territory management | A system for prioritizing accounts, not "I go where the leads are" |
The detailed verification questions, including pipeline math and how sales candidates overstate results, are in sales rep phone screen questions, with an SDR-specific set in SDR screening questions. The interview scorecard for sales roles has anchors for the competencies above.
Common mistakes in sales job descriptions
"Uncapped commission" with no structure
Every rep has seen it and few believe it. Without the base, the rate and the quota, it reads as a warning that base pay is low and the plan is unclear. Describe how commission is earned; let the candidate do the math.
Requiring industry experience you can teach
"Five years selling SaaS to healthcare CFOs" narrows the pool to a handful of people already earning well elsewhere. Usually the transferable must-haves are the buyer level, deal size and cycle length. Put the specific industry under nice-to-have.
Personality adjectives instead of facts
"Hunter", "closer", "competitive", "hungry" and "work hard, play hard" attract people who describe themselves that way, not people who sell well, and phrases like "young, energetic team" are the kind of age signal the EEOC warns about. Replace them with activity volume and deal facts.
Hiding the ramp and territory
A rep moving jobs is betting their income on your territory. Say whether accounts are protected, how big the territory is and how long the ramp lasts. Candidates who ask about these on the screen are the ones you want.
Blurring SDR and AE
Posting an "account executive" role that is mostly cold calling for others, or an SDR role with a closing quota, produces early turnover. Title the role by what the person is measured on.
Before you publish
- The motion, buyer, deal size and cycle are in the summary.
- Quota basis and ramp are stated, along with how commission is earned.
- Classification is settled and the pay line matches it.
- Driving and travel requirements appear only where the job needs them.
- The EEO statement and an accommodation contact close the posting.
If you use Interview Signal, paste the finished description to build the screen's question guide; the quota and attainment questions then sit on screen during the call, and the scorecard quotes the numbers the candidate gave.
Questions people ask
Should a sales job description include the quota?
Include the quota or at least its basis, such as annual new bookings for a territory, and the ramp period. Experienced reps judge a role by quota, territory and attainment history, and a posting that hides them attracts people who have not asked the right questions.
How do I show on-target earnings in a posting?
Show the base range and describe how commission is earned, and if you quote on-target earnings, say what attainment it assumes. Colorado requires postings to include commissions and bonuses offered for the job, and several other states have similar rules, so check the state guides before you post.
Are sales representatives exempt from overtime?
It depends on the job, not the title. The federal outside sales exemption covers employees whose primary duty is making sales and who are customarily and regularly engaged away from the employer's place of business. Reps who sell mainly by phone or online from an office are generally not outside sales employees, so confirm classification with counsel before writing the pay line.
Should a sales posting require a driver's license?
Only if driving is part of the job, such as visiting customers in a territory, and then say so in the duties. For inside or remote roles the requirement screens out candidates for a reason unrelated to the work.