Sales Development Representative salary in Johnson City, TN
Hiring a sales development representative costs less in Johnson City than in Tennessee or the country as a whole. The median is $46,320 a year1: 23.1% below the Tennessee statewide median of $60,230 and 33.8% below the US median of $69,990. Nationally that is #490 of 520 areas, in the bottom tenth. About 350 sales development representatives work here, 2% of the Tennessee total.
BLS occupation 41-3091, area Johnson City, TN. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Johnson City against Tennessee and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson City, TN | $26,380 | $46,320 | $97,640 | |
| Tennessee | $33,900 | $60,230 | $115,740 | |
| United States | $37,980 | $69,990 | $148,840 |
Sales development representatives at the 90th percentile earn $97,640, 3.7 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 3.9. The middle half of sales development representatives in Johnson City earns $35,880–$70,710. The mean ($56,150) is 21% over the median, so a group of high earners pulls the average up; price a typical hire from the median. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $34,830 wide, against $38,320 across Tennessee and $52,810 nationally: employers in Johnson City pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for a sales development representative here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $26,380 | $2,198 | $12.68 | $34,039 |
| 25th percentile | $35,880 | $2,990 | $17.25 | $46,297 |
| Median | $46,320 | $3,860 | $22.27 | $59,768 |
| 75th percentile | $70,710 | $5,892 | $34.00 | $91,239 |
| 90th percentile | $97,640 | $8,137 | $46.94 | $125,987 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $24,390 over the median, the 25th only $10,440 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $31,471 a year in employer cost. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $69,990 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Johnson City, and the Tennessee statewide median of $60,230 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Johnson City
At the $46,320 median, a local hire costs about $59,768 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $13,448 here. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. 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 fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in Johnson City
Of the 17 roles we track in Johnson City, this one ranks #9 by median pay, between HR assistants ($46,760) and payroll specialists ($46,150). Project Coordinator is the highest at $78,100.
| Role | Median | vs sales development representative | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paralegal | +8.9% | 120 | |
| HR Assistant | +0.9% | 100 | |
| Sales Development Representative | this role | 350 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -0.4% | 90 | |
| Bookkeeper | -12.1% | 870 |
Measured against the US median, this job is the lowest paid of the 17 roles we track in Johnson City (-33.8%); HR assistants come first (-7.6%). The typical role here is at -19.8%, so, measured against the US, sales development representatives cost less in Johnson City than the area's general pay level would suggest. Sales development representatives hold 3.7% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Johnson City, 6.0% across Tennessee and 7.9% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Tennessee
Across the 14 areas of Tennessee with data for this job, the median runs from $37,870 in the East Tennessee nonmetro area to $62,930 in Nashville-Murfreesboro, a gap of $25,060 a year. Of the 10 areas in Tennessee with more sales development representatives than Johnson City, 2 pay less: the East Tennessee nonmetro area ($37,870) and the North Central Tennessee nonmetro area ($44,880).
| Area | Median | vs Johnson City | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson, TN | +11.3% | 360 | |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | +4.0% | 500 | |
| West Tennessee (Nonmetro) | +3.6% | 400 | |
| South Central Tennessee (Nonmetro) | +1.9% | 340 | |
| Johnson City, TN | this area | 350 | |
| North Central Tennessee (Nonmetro) | -3.1% | 370 | |
| East Tennessee (Nonmetro) | -18.2% | 590 |
Johnson City against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Johnson City is #320 of 518 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Tennessee, Hammond and Mansfield pay just above Johnson City and Columbia and Lakeland-Winter Haven just below. All four are within $250 a year of the median in Johnson City. Of the three markets with about as many sales development representatives, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Johnson City | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsfield, MA | +71.7% | 350 | jobs | |
| Jackson, MI | +26.4% | 350 | jobs | |
| Coeur d'Alene, ID | +14.5% | 350 | jobs | |
| Mansfield, OH | +0.1% | 190 | pay | |
| Hammond, LA | +0.0% | 160 | pay | |
| Johnson City, TN | this area | 350 | ||
| Columbia, MO | -0.4% | 400 | pay | |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | -0.5% | 2,250 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a sales development representative in Johnson City, TN?
About $59,768 a year at the median, or $4,981 a month: $46,320 in pay plus about $13,448 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for sales development representatives in Johnson City?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $46,320 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $26,380, the 90th $97,640, and the middle half earned $35,880 to $70,710.
Is Johnson City cheaper than the rest of Tennessee for sales development representatives?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $46,320 against $60,230 statewide. The next area up in Tennessee is the South Central Tennessee nonmetro area at $47,200, the next down the North Central Tennessee nonmetro area at $44,880.
How many sales development representatives work in Johnson City?
BLS counts about 350 in the May 2025 survey. That is 2% of the Tennessee total of 21,600. 10 areas in Tennessee have more; the closest in size is Jackson, with about 360.
Does a sales development representative cost more than a payroll specialist in Johnson City?
Yes: $170 a year more at the median. The medians are $46,320 and $46,150.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 41-3091: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.