Role benchmark · 2026
Solutions consultant salary guide
Solutions consultant is the most ambiguous title in technical go-to-market. Three very different jobs share it, and they are not paid the same.
Updated July 2026
Median base
$120k
Range $96k–$155k
Median OTE
$165k
Range $128k–$220k
Typical split
72/28
Base / variable at 100% attainment
Top decile OTE
$225k+
90th percentile
Before you set a band, decide which job you're actually advertising. A pre-sales SC attached to an AE is priced like a sales engineer. A delivery SC billing hours against a statement of work is priced like a consultant — roughly $40k lower on OTE.
Pay by seniority
Bars show OTE at 100% attainment; the thinner bar beneath is fixed base.
- Associate / Junior SE$118k / $88k base
Owning technical deals solo without oversight. Typically 0–2 years of experience.
- Sales Engineer (mid)$170k / $122k base
Consistent technical wins on larger, complex deals. Typically 3–5 years of experience.
- Senior SE$205k / $148k base
Strategic accounts, mentoring, leading multi-week PoCs. Typically 6–9 years of experience.
- Principal / Staff SE$245k / $172k base
Org-wide technical influence (IC leadership track). Typically 10+ years of experience.
- SE Manager$270k / $185k base
People leadership + team quota ownership. Typically 8+ years of experience.
By location
Median OTE by metro market.
- SF Bay Area$215k
- New York$198k
- Seattle$195k
- Austin$178k
- Remote (US)$175k
- National$182k
By industry
Median OTE by sector.
- Cybersecurity$210k
- AI / ML$205k
- Cloud / DevOps$190k
- Enterprise SaaS$178k
- Hardware / Networking$165k
Compensation split
How the package is typically constructed at this level.
On a $165k package that's roughly $119k fixed and $46k variable.
Based on our placement data
Title mapping: three jobs, one job title
Mapping placements by what the role actually did — rather than what the job ad called it — produces a clean three-way split in pay.
| What the role really is | Median OTE | Signals in the job spec |
|---|---|---|
| True pre-sales SC | $165k | Owns demo and PoC alongside an AE. |
| Delivery / consulting SC | $135k | Post-sale implementation, utilisation-based. |
| Platform ecosystem (e.g. Salesforce) | $175k | Certification-driven premium. |
Platform-ecosystem SCs (Salesforce, ServiceNow, Workday) command a certification-driven premium and behave like a separate market — expect to pay pre-sales rates or higher.
Based on our placement data — illustrative placeholder figures.
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Methodology
Figures are medians drawn from placement records, offer letters and employer briefs across the last 12 months, expressed as 25th–75th percentile ranges. Base is fixed cash; OTE is base plus variable at 100% attainment, excluding equity. All numbers currently shown are illustrative placeholders. Read the full methodology.