Sales Statistics 2026: Quota, Pay, Buyers, AI and Sales Jobs
48% of B2B account executives achieved their annual quota in 2026, down from 51% in 2024, according to The Bridge Group. Median on-target earnings reached $200,000 on a median quota of $960,000. Rep-level data from RepVue puts average attainment at cloud and software companies near 43% through 2025. Sellers spend 40% of their time actually selling, Salesforce found. In the wider US labour market, sales occupations had a median wage of $38,530 in May 2025, below the all-jobs median.
Key statistics
- 48% of B2B account executives achieved their annual quota in 2026, down from 51% in 2024, according to The Bridge Group.
- Average quota attainment for cloud and software sales reps was 43.24% in Q3 2025, the highest since Q2 2023, according to RepVue.
- Median on-target earnings for B2B account executives reached $200,000 in 2026, up from $190,000 in 2024 and $167,000 in 2022, according to The Bridge Group.
- Sales reps spent 40% of their time actually selling in 2025, and Gen Z reps 35%, according to Salesforce.
- The median annual wage for US sales occupations was $38,530 in May 2025, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Sales quota attainment statistics
Two sources measure quota attainment in different ways. The Bridge Group asks companies what share of their account executives hit annual quota. RepVue averages what reps themselves report about their attainment.
Fewer than half of B2B account executives hit quota. The Bridge Group's 2026 study of 158 companies found 48% at annual quota, down 3 points from 51% in 2024.
RepVue's rep-reported figures sit a little lower and barely move. Average attainment at cloud and software companies was 43.3%, 42.69% and 43.24% in the first three quarters of 2025, an average of 43.08%. In Q1 2025 RepVue described a ninth quarter of relatively flat results since the 2021 and 2022 peaks. Reps on deals over $200,000 did better, at 48.33% in Q3 2025.
The two numbers are not the same measure. The Bridge Group counts the share of reps who reach 100% of an annual target. RepVue reports a quarterly figure built from self-reported ratings at about 249 companies. Both point the same way. Most sellers miss their number.
Source: RepVue Cloud Sales Index, Q1, Q2 and Q3 2025.
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48% of B2B account executives achieved their annual quota in 2026, down from 51% in 2024, according to The Bridge Group.
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The share of B2B account executives hitting annual quota fell by 3 percentage points between 2024 and 2026, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from The Bridge Group data.
How we calculated it: 48% of AEs at quota in 2026 minus 51% in 2024 = -3 percentage points (The Bridge Group, 2026 AE Models, Motions and Metrics).
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Average quota attainment for cloud and software sales reps was 43.3% in Q1 2025, according to RepVue.
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Average quota attainment for cloud and software sales reps was 42.69% in Q2 2025, according to RepVue.
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Average quota attainment for cloud and software sales reps was 43.24% in Q3 2025, the highest since Q2 2023, according to RepVue.
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Cloud and software sales reps averaged 43.08% quota attainment across the first three quarters of 2025, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from RepVue data.
How we calculated it: (43.3% Q1 + 42.69% Q2 + 43.24% Q3) / 3 = 43.08% (RepVue Cloud Sales Index, 2025). Simple average of the three published quarterly figures, not weighted by ratings.
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Cloud sales reps working deals over $200,000 averaged 48.33% quota attainment in Q3 2025, according to RepVue.
| Source | Measure | Period | Figure |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Bridge Group | Share of AEs at annual quota | 2024 | 51% |
| The Bridge Group | Share of AEs at annual quota | 2026 | 48% |
| RepVue | Average rep quota attainment | Q1 2025 | 43.3% |
| RepVue | Average rep quota attainment | Q2 2025 | 42.69% |
| RepVue | Average rep quota attainment | Q3 2025 | 43.24% |
| RepVue | Average attainment, deals over $200K | Q3 2025 | 48.33% |
Sales rep compensation and OTE statistics
On-target earnings (OTE) are the base salary plus the commission a rep earns at 100% of quota.
Median AE pay keeps rising. OTE went from $167,000 in 2022 to $190,000 in 2024 and $200,000 in 2026, a rise of 19.8% in four years. Quotas rose faster. The median quota-to-OTE ratio climbed from 4.2x to 4.6x, so each dollar of pay now carries more quota.
Dividing the two medians gives 4.8x, not 4.6x. That is expected. The Bridge Group reports the median of each company's ratio, which need not equal one median divided by another.
Ramp is expensive. A new AE took 6.2 months to reach full productivity in 2026. At median OTE, that is about $103,000 of pay before the rep is fully up to speed, before hiring and training costs. Companies also want more experience, 3.7 years at hire against 2.7 years in 2022.
Source: The Bridge Group, 2026 AE Models, Motions and Metrics.
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Median on-target earnings for B2B account executives reached $200,000 in 2026, up from $190,000 in 2024 and $167,000 in 2022, according to The Bridge Group.
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Median B2B account executive on-target earnings rose 19.8% from 2022 to 2026, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from The Bridge Group data.
How we calculated it: ($200,000 in 2026 / $167,000 in 2022) - 1 = 19.76%, rounded to 19.8%. From 2024 ($190,000) the rise was 5.3% (The Bridge Group).
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Median annual quota for B2B account executives was $960,000 in 2026, with a quota-to-OTE ratio of 4.6x, up from 4.2x in 2024, according to The Bridge Group.
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New B2B account executives took 6.2 months to ramp in 2026, according to The Bridge Group.
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A B2B account executive on median pay earned about $103,000 of on-target earnings during a typical ramp in 2026, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from The Bridge Group data.
How we calculated it: $200,000 median OTE x (6.2 months / 12) = $103,333. Assumes OTE is paid evenly through the ramp. Real ramp pay depends on guarantees and draws, and excludes hiring, benefits and manager time.
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B2B companies required an average of 3.7 years of experience to hire an account executive in 2026, up from 2.7 years in 2022, according to The Bridge Group.
| Metric | 2022 | 2024 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median OTE | $167K | $190K | $200K |
| Median quota | n/a | n/a | $960K |
| Quota-to-OTE ratio | n/a | 4.2x | 4.6x |
| Experience required at hire | 2.7 years | n/a | 3.7 years |
| Ramp time | n/a | n/a | 6.2 months |
How B2B buyers want to buy
Gartner's last two B2B buyer surveys ran in August and September of 2024 and 2025. They show buyers pulling further away from sales reps, while still wanting a person to check what AI tells them.
67% of B2B buyers said they prefer a rep-free experience in Gartner's 2025 survey, up 6 points from 61% a year earlier. 70% prefer a fully digital, self-service purchase.
Yet buyers have not given up on reps. 69% want to check AI-generated insights with a sales rep. And 51% say they are more likely to meet misleading information from GenAI, against 49% from a sales rep. Buyers used an average of seven information sources in a recent purchase.
Bad outreach costs deals. In the 2024 survey, 73% of buyers said they avoid suppliers that send irrelevant outreach. For how buyers use AI tools more widely, see our AI chatbot market share statistics.
Source: Gartner, surveys of 632 (2024) and 646 (2025) B2B buyers.
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67% of B2B buyers preferred a rep-free buying experience in 2025, according to Gartner.
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61% of B2B buyers preferred a rep-free buying experience in 2024, according to Gartner.
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The share of B2B buyers preferring a rep-free experience rose 6 percentage points between Gartner surveys in 2024 and 2025, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Gartner data.
How we calculated it: 67% (646 buyers, Aug-Sep 2025) minus 61% (632 buyers, Aug-Sep 2024) = 6 percentage points. Wording differs slightly between the two releases: "rep-free experience" in 2026, "overall rep-free buying experience" in 2025.
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69% of B2B buyers preferred to validate AI-generated insights with sales reps in 2025, according to Gartner.
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45% of B2B buyers used AI during a recent purchase in 2025, according to Gartner.
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73% of B2B buyers avoided suppliers that sent irrelevant outreach in 2024, according to Gartner.
| Measure | 2024 survey (632 buyers) | 2025 survey (645 to 646 buyers) |
|---|---|---|
| Prefer a rep-free buying experience | 61% | 67% |
| Used AI or GenAI during a recent purchase | n/a | 45% |
| Prefer to validate AI insights with a sales rep | n/a | 69% |
| Prefer a completely digital, self-service experience | n/a | 70% |
| Avoid suppliers that send irrelevant outreach | 73% | n/a |
How much time sales reps spend selling, and AI use in sales
Salesforce's seventh State of Sales survey covers 4,050 sales professionals in 22 countries, fielded in August and September 2025.
The average seller spends 40% of their time selling. On a 40-hour week that leaves about 24 hours for admin, data entry, research and internal work. Salesforce says reps lose about two hours a week to manual data entry alone. Gen Z reps sell for just 35% of their time.
Prospecting is the pinch point. 48% of reps say they lack the bandwidth for proper cold outreach. 46% rarely get feedback on their calls.
AI is now standard. 87% of sales organisations use some form of it and 54% of sellers have used AI agents. In The Bridge Group's data, companies in the top AI engagement tercile had 57% of reps at quota against 39% in the bottom tercile. The Bridge Group stresses that this is a correlation, not proof that AI caused the gap. Salesforce sells AI sales tools, so read its survey with that in mind.
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Sales reps spent 40% of their time actually selling in 2025, and Gen Z reps 35%, according to Salesforce.
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A sales rep on a 40-hour week spent about 24 hours on tasks other than selling in 2025, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Salesforce data.
How we calculated it: 40 hours x (100% - 40% of time spent selling) = 24 hours. The 40-hour week is our assumption. Salesforce reports the 40% share, not hours.
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48% of sales reps said they lacked bandwidth for adequate cold outreach in 2025, according to Salesforce.
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46% of sales reps rarely got feedback on their sales conversations in 2025, according to Salesforce.
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87% of sales organisations used some form of AI in 2025, according to Salesforce.
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54% of sellers had used AI agents in 2025, according to Salesforce.
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Top-performing sellers were 1.7 times more likely than underperformers to use prospecting AI agents in 2025, according to Salesforce.
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B2B companies most engaged with AI had 18 points more account executives at quota than the least engaged in 2026, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from The Bridge Group data.
How we calculated it: 57% of reps at quota in the highest AI Engagement Score tercile minus 39% in the lowest tercile = 18 percentage points (The Bridge Group, 2026). The Bridge Group calls this observational, not causal.
| Measure | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Share of time spent actually selling | 40% (Gen Z reps 35%) | Salesforce |
| Lack bandwidth for adequate cold outreach | 48% | Salesforce |
| Rarely get feedback on sales conversations | 46% | Salesforce |
| Sales organisations using some form of AI | 87% | Salesforce |
| Sellers who have used AI agents | 54% | Salesforce |
| Reps at quota, highest vs lowest AI engagement tercile | 57% vs 39% | The Bridge Group |
Sales jobs and salary statistics (US)
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes official pay and job projections for sales occupations. Wages are May 2025 medians. Projections run from 2025 to 2035.
Sales is one of the widest pay ranges in the US labour market. The group's median wage was $38,530 in May 2025, 75.6% of the $50,980 median for all jobs. That is because the biggest sales jobs, retail sales workers and cashiers, are among the lowest paid. Together they held about 7.4 million jobs.
B2B and technical selling pays far more. Sales engineers earned a median $124,900, 3.5 times a retail sales worker. Wholesale reps selling technical and scientific products earned $104,920, $32,840 more than reps selling other products. Sales managers earned $148,270, and $174,440 in finance and insurance against $100,000 in retail trade.
BLS projects overall sales employment to decline from 2025 to 2035, led by cashiers, down 6% as self-checkout and online sales grow. Even so, about 1.7 million sales openings are projected each year, mostly to replace people who leave.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook.
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The median annual wage for US sales occupations was $38,530 in May 2025, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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US sales occupations earned 75.6% of the all-occupation median wage in May 2025, a gap of $12,450, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from US Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
How we calculated it: $38,530 sales occupations median / $50,980 all occupations median = 75.6%. $50,980 - $38,530 = $12,450 (BLS, May 2025).
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US sales occupations are projected to have about 1.7 million openings a year from 2025 to 2035, even as employment declines, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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US sales managers earned a median $148,270 a year in May 2025 and held 650,100 jobs, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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US sales engineers earned a median $124,900 a year in May 2025, the highest in its sales occupations group, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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US wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives earned a median $76,460 in May 2025 and held 1,571,400 jobs, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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US sales engineers earned 3.5 times the median pay of retail sales workers in May 2025, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from US Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
How we calculated it: $124,900 sales engineers median / $35,560 retail sales workers median = 3.51 (BLS, May 2025).
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US retail sales workers held 4,271,400 jobs in 2025 and earned a median $35,560 a year, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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US cashier jobs are projected to fall 6%, or 200,600 jobs, from 2025 to 2035, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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US insurance sales agents earned a median $62,280 in May 2025 and held 572,600 jobs, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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US sales managers in finance and insurance earned a median $74,440 more than those in retail trade in May 2025, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from US Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
How we calculated it: $174,440 finance and insurance median - $100,000 retail trade median = $74,440 (BLS, sales managers, May 2025).
| Occupation | Median pay, May 2025 | Jobs, 2025 | Outlook 2025 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales managers | $148,270 | 650,100 | +4% |
| Sales engineers | $124,900 | 51,600 | +3% |
| Securities, commodities and financial services sales agents | $78,660 | n/a | n/a |
| Wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives | $76,460 | 1,571,400 | 0% |
| Advertising sales agents | $64,820 | n/a | n/a |
| Insurance sales agents | $62,280 | 572,600 | +3% |
| Real estate brokers and sales agents | $57,400 | n/a | n/a |
| Travel agents | $50,160 | n/a | n/a |
| Retail sales workers | $35,560 | 4,271,400 | 0% |
| Cashiers | $32,880 | 3,106,300 | -6% |
US retail sales statistics
Many searches for sales statistics are about retail sales, not sales teams. The US Census Bureau publishes the official quarterly totals.
US retail sales were $1,986.5 billion in Q2 2026, up 6.7% on a year earlier. E-commerce sales were $340.2 billion, up 12.2%, so online sales grew about 1.8 times as fast as retail overall.
The online share rose every quarter in the past year, from 16.3% to 17.1%. The Census Bureau later revised its series, so check the latest release before quoting these figures. For peak season trading, see our Black Friday statistics.
Source: US Census Bureau, Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales.
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US retail sales were $1,986.5 billion in Q2 2026, up 6.7% from a year earlier, according to the US Census Bureau.
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US retail e-commerce sales grew 1.8 times as fast as total retail sales in the year to Q2 2026, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from US Census Bureau data.
How we calculated it: 12.2% year-on-year e-commerce growth / 6.7% total retail growth = 1.82 (Census Bureau, Q2 2026 vs Q2 2025, seasonally adjusted, preliminary).
| Quarter | E-commerce share of total retail sales |
|---|---|
| Q2 2025 | 16.3% |
| Q3 2025 | 16.4% |
| Q4 2025 | 16.7% |
| Q1 2026 | 17.0% |
| Q2 2026 (preliminary) | 17.1% |
How these sources measure sales performance
The sales team numbers on this page come from research firms and vendors with different samples and definitions. The jobs and retail figures are official statistics.
The Bridge Group surveyed 158 B2B companies for its 2026 study. Figures are company-reported medians. The free summary does not give fieldwork dates or the country mix.
RepVue's Cloud Sales Index is built from ratings that quota-carrying reps post about their own employers, about 49,720 ratings from 249 companies in Q3 2025. Reps choose to post, so the sample is self-selected. It covers cloud and software firms only.
Salesforce surveyed 4,050 sales professionals in 22 countries. Gartner surveyed 645 to 646 B2B buyers in 2025 and 632 in 2024, but does not publish the country mix in its press releases. Salesforce and Gartner both sell products and advice to sales teams.
BLS wages come from the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey of employers and count wage and salary workers. The survey does not cover the self-employed, who are common in real estate and insurance. Census retail figures are seasonally adjusted survey estimates with confidence intervals, and recent quarters are revised.
Frequently asked questions
What percentage of sales reps hit quota?
48% of B2B account executives achieved annual quota in 2026, according to The Bridge Group. RepVue's rep-reported average attainment at cloud and software companies was 43.24% in Q3 2025.
Is quota attainment getting worse?
Yes, slightly. The Bridge Group's share of AEs at quota fell from 51% in 2024 to 48% in 2026. RepVue's quarterly average has stayed close to 43% through 2025.
How much do sales reps earn in the US?
Median on-target earnings for B2B account executives were $200,000 in 2026, according to The Bridge Group. Across all US sales occupations, BLS puts the May 2025 median wage at $38,530, because retail jobs dominate the group.
How much time do sales reps spend selling?
Sales reps spend 40% of their time actually selling, according to Salesforce's 2025 survey of 4,050 sales professionals. Gen Z reps spend 35%.
Do B2B buyers still want to talk to sales reps?
67% of B2B buyers preferred a rep-free experience in Gartner's 2025 survey, up from 61% a year earlier. But 69% want to validate AI-generated insights with a sales rep.
Are sales jobs growing or declining?
BLS projects overall US sales employment to decline from 2025 to 2035, led by a 6% fall in cashier jobs. Sales managers are projected to grow 4% and sales engineers 3%. About 1.7 million sales openings are expected each year.
Sources
- The Bridge Group, State of Sales: 2026 AE Models, Motions and Metrics Research, 23 June 2026, accessed 25 October 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- RepVue, Cloud Sales Index Q3 2025, Q3 2025 edition, accessed 25 October 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- Salesforce, State of Sales report, 7th edition (announcement), 3 February 2026, accessed 25 October 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Sales Occupations, last modified 27 August 2026, accessed 25 October 2026. Link · Saved data copy · Licence: Public domain (US government work)
- RepVue, Cloud Sales Index Q1 2025, Q1 2025 edition, accessed 25 October 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- RepVue, Cloud Sales Index Q2 2025, Q2 2025 edition, accessed 25 October 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- Gartner, Gartner Sales Survey Finds 67% of B2B Buyers Prefer a Rep-Free Experience, 9 March 2026, accessed 25 October 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- Gartner, Gartner Sales Survey Finds 61% of B2B Buyers Prefer a Rep-Free Buying Experience, 25 June 2025, accessed 25 October 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- Gartner, Gartner Survey Finds 69% of B2B Buyers Turn to Sales Reps to Validate AI-Generated Insights, 20 May 2026, accessed 25 October 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Sales Managers, 2026 edition, accessed 25 October 2026. Link · Saved data copy · Licence: Public domain (US government work)
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Sales Engineers, 2026 edition, accessed 25 October 2026. Link · Saved data copy · Licence: Public domain (US government work)
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Wholesale and Manufacturing Sales Representatives, 2026 edition, accessed 25 October 2026. Link · Saved data copy · Licence: Public domain (US government work)
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Retail Sales Workers, 2026 edition, accessed 25 October 2026. Link · Saved data copy · Licence: Public domain (US government work)
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Cashiers, 2026 edition, accessed 25 October 2026. Link · Saved data copy · Licence: Public domain (US government work)
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Insurance Sales Agents, 2026 edition, accessed 25 October 2026. Link · Saved data copy · Licence: Public domain (US government work)
- US Census Bureau, Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales, 2nd Quarter 2026, 18 August 2026, accessed 25 October 2026. Link · Saved data copy · Licence: Public domain (US government work)
Changes to this page
- : Page published with The Bridge Group 2026 AE study, RepVue Cloud Sales Index Q1 to Q3 2025, Salesforce State of Sales 7th edition, three Gartner B2B buyer surveys, BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook 2026 and the Census Bureau Q2 2026 e-commerce release.