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Sales Development Representative salary and cost of hiring in California

The median sales development representative in California earned $80,850 a year in May 2025[1], 15.5% above the US median of $69,990. That puts California at #4 of 51 states for this job.

$80,850median annual wage
$115,500employer cost with benefits
$38.87median per hour
156,110people in this job in California

BLS occupation 41-3091. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-16.

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Salary range

Range10thMedian90th
California$43,240$80,850$168,720
United States$37,980$69,990$148,840
10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

The middle half of sales development representatives in California earns $53,800–$121,590; the top tenth earns $168,720 or more, 3.9 times the bottom tenth.

What a hire really costs

Benefits and payroll taxes are 30.0% of total compensation in US private industry[2]. At the California median that makes about $115,500 a year before recruiting, equipment and office space. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.

We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for sales development representatives we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee[3]; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool[4].

$115,500local hire, first year incl. benefits
-remote hire, first year incl. fee
-difference in year one
-of the local cost saved

Pay by metro area in California

AreaMedian75th percentileJobs
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
$116,510
$169,41013,390
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$96,960
$139,26029,980
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$79,450
$104,23050,470
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
$74,610
$104,41011,730
Napa, CA
$73,470
$100,970370
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
$72,800
$102,3101,470
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA
$71,910
$98,5806,920
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area
$71,200
$95,410350
Stockton-Lodi, CA
$66,910
$95,4701,240
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
$66,890
$97,2201,330
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA
$66,770
$96,990650
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
$65,600
$96,670550
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA
$64,670
$96,4301,890
Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area
$63,790
$89,160240
Bakersfield-Delano, CA
$62,620
$89,4601,540
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
$62,230
$91,5109,270
Vallejo, CA
$61,900
$95,100780
Fresno, CA
$61,820
$87,7102,170
Modesto, CA
$60,930
$86,170840
Redding, CA
$56,350
$83,170370
Visalia, CA
$53,990
$81,210610
El Centro, CA
$53,240
$80,010200
Salinas, CA
$53,140
$81,040830
Yuba City, CA
$52,140
$83,410220
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area
$50,720
$79,990390
Chico, CA
$49,670
$78,070360
Merced, CA
$49,000
$74,790330
Hanford-Corcoran, CA
$46,050
$81,090130

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA pays the most ($116,510) and Hanford-Corcoran, CA the least ($46,050): $70,460 a year apart for the same job.

What a sales development representative does

A sales development representative (SDR) books meetings for the sales team: researches prospects, writes outreach, makes calls and qualifies leads.

Neighbours in the ranking

StateMedianvs California
Massachusetts
$83,760
+3.6%
Rhode Island
$81,450
+0.7%
California
$80,850
+0.0%
Washington
$79,920
-1.2%
Colorado
$79,810
-1.3%

Questions

How much does a sales development representative earn in California?

The median was $80,850 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey; the middle half earned $53,800 to $121,590.

What does it cost to employ a sales development representative in California?

About $115,500 a year at the median wage once benefits are added, using the 30% benefits share of US private industry (June 2026).

Where in California do sales development representatives earn the most?

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, with a median of $116,510 a year.

Other roles in California

Hire sales development representatives remotely

Sources

  1. BLS OEWS May 2025, 41-3091: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes413091.htm
  2. BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm
  3. Silkstaff pricing: https://silkstaff.com/#pricing
  4. Deel pricing, contractor management: https://www.deel.com/pricing/

How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Data checked 2026-10-16.