Sales salaries
VP of Sales Salary in 2026
The short answer
US VPs of sales in tech earn a median base of $200,000 and median OTE of $375,000, according to RepVue's trailing-year salary reports (October 2026).
Built In is closely aligned: an average base of $207,248 and average total cash of $350,465. Base agreement within 4% between two independent sources is the strongest cross-source signal on any leadership role we track.
Neither figure includes equity, which at VP level is often the largest component of total compensation at venture-backed companies. Treat these as cash benchmarks, not complete packages.
Company stage moves VP pay more than any other factor: a first VP at a seed-stage company and a VP at a public company both carry the title, at very different cash and equity mixes.
Reported salary figures, by source
Every figure links to the source that published it. Sources differ in population, geography, date and whether variable pay is included, so the “What it measures” column matters as much as the figure. We do not blend these into an average of averages.
| Source | Reported figure | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| RepVue | $200,000 base / $375,000 OTE | Median base and median on-target earnings, tech-sales oriented, trailing-year salary reports · as of 25 Oct 2026 |
| Built In | $207,248 base / $350,465 total | Average base and average total cash compensation, US tech employers · as of 2026 |
Why VP-level sources mostly agree — and what they both miss
RepVue and Built In land within 4% on base and 7% on total cash. That agreement is real, but both sources share the same blind spot.
- Equity is the missing component. VP-level equity grants at venture-backed companies routinely exceed annual cash compensation over a vesting period. Neither source measures it, so both understate total package value.
- Company stage is invisible in a median. A $375,000 median blends seed-stage VPs on below-market cash with public-company VPs on multiples of it. The median is a useful anchor, not a quote for your situation.
The VP's budget includes pre-sales
A VP of sales owns the whole go-to-market budget, and pre-sales headcount is one of the largest line items after AE headcount itself. Our VP comp and the SE budget page models how VP-level pay interacts with the sales engineering organisation, and the SE-to-AE ratio benchmarks cover how much pre-sales coverage the team needs.
VP of sales versus chief revenue officer
Where both roles exist, the CRO owns marketing and customer success revenue as well as sales, and is paid accordingly — see the chief revenue officer salary page for the sourced figures. Where only one exists, the titles are often interchangeable and the pay follows the scope, not the words.
Related salary data
- Chief revenue officer salary
The wider revenue mandate
- Director of sales salary
The level below
- VP comp and the SE budget
How VP pay interacts with pre-sales headcount
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Frequently asked questions
How much does a VP of sales make in the US?
RepVue reports a median base of $200,000 and median OTE of $375,000 for tech VPs of sales (October 2026). Built In reports an average base of $207,248 and average total cash of $350,465. Neither includes equity, which is often the largest component at this level.
How much equity does a VP of sales get?
Neither RepVue nor Built In measures equity, and there is no reliable public benchmark we can cite. Equity varies enormously by company stage — that is why this page benchmarks cash only.
What is the difference between a VP of sales and a CRO?
Scope. A VP of sales owns the sales organisation; a CRO owns all revenue functions, typically including marketing and customer success. Built In reports a $239,166 average base and $416,766 average total cash for CROs.