What's impacting sales salaries in digital transformation?
So you're looking to hire a sales team this year.
You know you need to get their salary, bonus, and benefits right to make sure you get the very best people for your team. The question is, where do you start?
Luckily for you we're here to help you answer that exact question. We're having conversations in the digital transformation space day in, day out.
A large proportion of these conversations, naturally, end up on the topic of salary packages, and it's safe to say we've noticed a few trends as 2025 has got into full swing. Here's a rundown of what we're noticing cropping up time and time again when we're talking about salaries…
Emerging skills are commanding higher salaries
You can't move for hearing the term 'AI' right now. And whilst it might feel like a buzzword, the reality is that it is having a material impact on the digital transformation industry.
This is because it's an emerging technology. As with any tech that's new on the scene, candidates who have skills that are focused on the latest developments are a hot commodity, and with that can command a higher salary. This is due to the supply and demand dynamics in the market when it comes to emerging skillsets - the fewer candidates that have the skills companies are looking for, the more they have to pay to secure these skills when hiring into their teams.
So what are your options? Well, you've got two really. The first is to accept the situation and offer candidates with these skills the money they need to join your team over a competitor. The other is to consider whether you can upskill your existing team. Are there any courses you can put them through to help them become experts themselves in emerging tech? This can be a great way to get the skills you need, whilst also promoting employee happiness and engagement. After all, professional development is a major motivator for lots of people.
Balancing basic, bonus and equity
Companies at all sizes - whether they're a start-up or a large enterprise vendor - have to strike the right balance between basic and bonus, and sometimes equity too.
Typically we see earlier stage companies offering lower basic salaries (around 10% lower than the market average) but with a heavier weighting towards other package elements, like equity or stock options. By the time you get to an enterprise sized organisation, you're almost looking at the opposite. We often see salaries up to 15% higher than the market average and more structured bonuses, but stock options become less accessible.
What your balance looks like will be different for every company. If your financial position means you're able to flex on this, a good approach is to consider the type of profile you're adding to your team and what they'll likely be used to or expect. If you're looking to hire people with emerging skills, you may want your compensation set-up to look a little more like that of a start-up, but if you're wanting established sales people with 'a little black book' then those higher basics typically favoured by enterprise organisations might be the way to go.
Understanding your own sales strategy, who you need to execute it, and comparing what you can offer to industry or competitor standards (check out our salary reports to help you do that) can help make sure you put your best foot forward for the types of candidates you need to hire.
Heavier on the variable?
We've noticed in the last few years less willingness to increase basic salary across the board. This appears to be a direct result of the economic instability we've seen around the globe and is particularly noticeable in comparison to 2022 and 2023, where companies were often offering over-inflated basic salaries.
Instead we're now seeing the weighting lean more heavily towards the variable element. This means that top performers who are regularly able to exceed quota are reaping the rewards financially, but it also protects companies from their bottom line being impacted by people who perform less well. You may find that the ultra-competitive, heavy hitting revenue generators are particularly attracted to this kind of package set up.
When you're thinking about how to weight your overall compensation package there's truly no right or wrong answer. But what you choose to do will have an impact on the kinds of people you attract, as different candidates will have a different risk/reward appetite. Our best advice is that it pays to think about who you need to add to your team and what their preference may be before you lurch to one option over another.
Want to know more about what's going on with sales salaries in the digital transformation space?
Want data to benchmark what you're thinking of offering? Check out our salary reports (handily split by location!) here: