Sales Development Representative Job Description Templates
6 free SDR templates: standard, inbound, outbound/BDR, junior, senior, and first-hire startup, with the quota, 30-60-90 ramp, outreach stack, and FLSA guidance generic templates skip. Download as DOCX.
Hiring a sales development representative comes with two things the generic templates get wrong. First, they fill the posting with useless adjectives, great communicator, self-starter, resilient, instead of the metrics and ramp that actually tell a candidate what the job is. Second, they all miss that an SDR is almost always non-exempt inside sales, so the role is owed overtime, a classification startups routinely get wrong. Fix both, and the posting attracts the right reps and keeps you compliant.
At FirstHR, we build templates for the companies that make this hire, the seed and early-stage startups bringing on their first or second SDR, often without a dedicated HR person. The six templates below cover the role by type and level, standard, inbound, outbound/BDR, junior, senior, and first-hire startup, each with concrete quota, ramp, and the FLSA reality built in. For the fundamentals behind any posting, the guide to writing a job description is a useful companion.
TL;DR
Six free SDR job description templates: Standard, Inbound, Outbound / BDR, Junior, Senior, and First SDR Hire (startup). An SDR generates and qualifies pipeline and books meetings for account executives. The role is non-exempt inside sales, with a median base around $60,000 and median OTE near $85,000. Unlike generic templates, these include quota, a 30-60-90 ramp, and FLSA guidance. Download all six as a DOCX.
What Is a Sales Development Representative?
A sales development representative (SDR) generates and qualifies sales pipeline and hands it to the account executives who close. The SDR sits at the front of the sales engine: prospecting target accounts, running multi-channel outreach, qualifying leads against the company's criteria, and booking qualified meetings. The role does not close deals; it creates and qualifies the opportunities that closers turn into revenue, and it is the most common entry point into technology sales.
For the employer writing the posting, two things matter up front. First, the role splits by lead source, inbound, working marketing-sourced leads, and outbound, cold prospecting, and by level, which is why the templates below are split that way. Second, and unlike how sales roles are often assumed to work, an SDR is inside sales and almost always non-exempt, so the posting and the pay practice need to treat it as overtime-eligible. There is no single federal occupation code for the SDR; the closest BLS context is wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives, used here for adjacent salary reference only.
SDR vs BDR vs Account Executive
These three titles get mixed up constantly, and hiring the wrong one is expensive. Here is how they relate.
SDR
BDR
Account Executive
Core job
Generate and qualify pipeline
Generate and qualify pipeline
Close deals
Typical lead source
Often inbound
Often outbound
Qualified meetings from SDR/BDR
Quota on
Meetings booked
Meetings booked
Closed revenue
Level
Entry to mid
Entry to mid
More senior, higher pay
SDR and BDR are usually the same job; where split, SDR tends to mean inbound and BDR outbound, but companies vary, so state which you mean. The account executive is the closer, a separate and more senior hire. Decide whether you need pipeline created or deals closed, and name the role accordingly.
SDR Duties and Responsibilities
SDR duties cluster into four areas: prospecting, outreach, qualification, and handoff and hygiene. A strong posting describes the real activity in each area, with concrete targets, rather than listing generic adjectives that do nothing to filter candidates.
Prospecting
Research target accounts and contacts
Build and prioritize prospect lists
Personalize messaging to the segment
Outreach
Run multi-channel cadences (call, email, social)
Open conversations and handle early objections
Maintain consistent daily activity
Qualification
Qualify leads against ideal-customer criteria
Assess fit, need, and timing
Disqualify poor-fit leads early
Handoff & hygiene
Book qualified meetings for account executives
Hand off context cleanly to the AE
Keep CRM records and pipeline accurate
The weight shifts by type: an inbound SDR leans on speed-to-lead and qualification, an outbound SDR on research and cadence volume, a senior SDR on playbook contribution and mentoring. For a structured way to scope the role before posting, the guide to defining job responsibilities walks through the process.
Which Template Should You Use?
Pick the template by type and level. The core structure is the same across all six, but the lead source, the metrics, and the experience bar differ enough that the matched version reads more credibly to the reps who have done the job. Use this guide to choose, then adjust.
Standard SDR
Framework-agnostic baseline
The universal version: prospect, run multi-channel outreach, qualify leads, and book meetings for account executives. Start here and adapt.
Inbound SDR
Marketing-sourced leads
For responding to demo requests, downloads, and webinar signups: speed-to-lead and qualification are the job, measured on response time and conversion.
Outbound SDR / BDR
Cold prospecting
For sourcing pipeline from a cold start through multi-touch cadences. Covers the BDR title and the outbound rep, measured on dials and meetings.
Junior / Entry-Level SDR
First sales job
For a coachable hire with no closing experience: structured training and a clear ramp, focused on activity, learning, and growth.
Senior SDR
Experienced, mentors others
For a proven rep who beats quota, mentors juniors, and refines the playbook, still non-exempt, with a qualification framework like MEDDICC or SPICED.
First SDR Hire (Startup, No HR)
Build the funnel from zero
The unique version: the first SDR at a founder-led startup, building outbound from scratch, with a 30-60-90 ramp and the FLSA reality built in.
Match the Template to the Motion
Not sure where to start? Standard SDR. Working marketing-sourced leads? Inbound. Cold prospecting (or hiring a BDR)? Outbound / BDR. Hiring someone new to sales? Junior. Bringing on an experienced rep to mentor and refine the playbook? Senior. Adding your first SDR at a startup? First SDR Hire. In every version, the role is non-exempt inside sales and owed overtime.
6 Free SDR Job Description Templates
Download all six as a single Word document or copy individual templates. Each follows the same structure: company and role overview, key responsibilities, metrics and quota, qualifications, compensation with the FLSA note, and how to apply, with an EEO statement. Fill in the brackets and post.
Download All 6 Job Description Templates
Standard, inbound, outbound/BDR, junior, senior, and first-hire startup versions. All in one DOCX.
Template 1: Standard SDR
The universal version: prospect, run multi-channel outreach, qualify leads, and book meetings for account executives. Start here and adapt to your motion.
Sales Development Representative Job Description (Standard)
SALES DEVELOPMENT REPRESENTATIVE (SDR) JOB DESCRIPTION
Company: __
Location: __ ([City, State] / Remote)
Reports to: [Head of Sales / Sales Manager / SDR Manager]
Employment type: Full-time
FLSA status: Non-exempt (hourly or salaried non-exempt, overtime-eligible)
Compensation: $______ base + variable, OTE $______
ABOUT [COMPANY NAME]
[Two or three sentences about your company, product, and the market you
sell into. SDRs want to know what they will be selling and to whom, so be
specific about the product and the ideal customer.]
ROLE OVERVIEW
[Company Name] is hiring a Sales Development Representative to generate and
qualify pipeline. You will prospect, run multi-channel outreach, qualify
leads against our criteria, and book qualified meetings for our account
executives. This is the front end of the sales engine and a launchpad
toward a closing role.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Prospect and research target accounts and contacts
•Run multi-channel outreach (calls, email, LinkedIn) in cadences
•Qualify leads against our ideal-customer and qualification criteria
•Book qualified meetings and hand off cleanly to account executives
•Maintain accurate CRM records and pipeline hygiene
•Hit activity and meeting targets (see Metrics)
•Personalize messaging and handle early objections
•Collaborate with sales and marketing on targeting and feedback
METRICS AND QUOTA (set yours)
•Activity: [~45] dials/day or [N] touches/day across channels
The unique version: the first SDR at a founder-led startup, building outbound from scratch, with a 30-60-90 ramp and the FLSA reality built in.
First SDR Hire Job Description (Startup, No HR)
FIRST SDR HIRE JOB DESCRIPTION (STARTUP / NO HR)
Company: __
Location: __ (Remote / [City, State])
Reports to: [Founder / Head of Sales]
Employment type: Full-time
FLSA status: Non-exempt (overtime-eligible)
Compensation: $______ base + variable, OTE $______
ABOUT [COMPANY NAME]
[Two or three sentences from the founder: your startup, your product, your
traction, and why you are adding your first SDR now. A first SDR builds the
outbound motion from scratch, so be honest about the early-stage reality and
the upside.]
ROLE OVERVIEW
[Company Name] is hiring our first Sales Development Representative to build
the top of our sales funnel from the ground up. You will work directly with
the founder or head of sales, prospect and qualify our earliest pipeline,
test what messaging lands, and help shape the playbook future reps will use.
This is a wear-many-hats, build-it role with real ownership.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Build and run outbound prospecting from scratch
•Test messaging, channels, and target segments
•Qualify leads and book meetings for the founder or AE
•Set up and maintain the CRM and outreach basics
•Document what works into an early playbook
•Give direct product and market feedback to the founder
•Own activity and early-pipeline targets
METRICS AND QUOTA (set yours, expect iteration)
•Ramp: month 1 learn and set up, month 2 ramp outreach, month 3 steady pipeline
•Activity: [~40] touches/day across channels
•Meetings: [N] qualified meetings/month (refine as you learn)
•Pipeline: early sourced-pipeline target, revisited monthly
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•[1-3] years of SDR or sales experience, or strong entry-level drive
•Self-starter comfortable with ambiguity and building from zero
•Strong communication and resilience
•Able to set up basic sales tools independently
•Excited by early-stage startup ownership
PREFERRED
•Early-stage or first-hire experience
•Familiarity with [a simple CRM and prospecting tool]
COMPENSATION AND CLASSIFICATION
Compensation: $______ base + variable; OTE $______.
Non-exempt, inside sales: overtime is owed over 40 hours a week, and
commissions factor into the regular rate. As the employer, the founder
carries the wage-and-hour and onboarding obligations. [Confirm against
actual duties. See the FLSA section. This is general information, not legal
advice.]
Benefits / equity: __
To apply, contact __ by _.
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer.
Quota, Metrics, and the 30-60-90 Ramp
The single biggest difference between a useful SDR posting and a generic one is concrete metrics. Generic templates list adjectives; a good posting states the activity, the meetings quota, and the ramp, so candidates know exactly what success looks like.
Metric
Common benchmark
Set yours to
Daily activity
About 45 dials/day plus email and social
_____ touches/day
Meetings booked
Around 15/month outbound; higher inbound
_____ /month
Sourced pipeline
A quarterly dollar target
$_____ /quarter
Ramp to full quota
About 3 months (industry median)
30-60-90 plan
The ramp matters as much as the quota. An SDR is not expected to hit full numbers on day one; the industry-standard structure is a 30-60-90 day ramp, and setting it explicitly gives the new rep and their manager a shared, measurable path.
1
Month 1: Learn
0% quota
Product, market, ideal customer, tools, and scripts. Shadow calls, build lists, and start guided outreach. The goal is competence, not numbers.
2
Month 2: Ramp
~50% quota
Run full cadences with coaching. Build to roughly 45 touches a day, book early meetings, and tighten qualification. Numbers start to count.
3
Month 3: Produce
75-100% quota
Operate at or near full quota. Consistent activity, qualified meetings booked, and clean handoffs to account executives. Fully ramped.
Put the Numbers in the Posting
Most SDR job descriptions hide behind adjectives like "self-starter" and "great communicator," which tell a candidate nothing and filter no one. Stating the real activity target, the meetings quota, and the 30-60-90 ramp does the opposite: it attracts reps who want a clear number to hit and screens out those who do not. Set your own figures based on your motion, but make them concrete.
Is an SDR Exempt from Overtime?
An SDR is almost always non-exempt and owed overtime, and this is the classification mistake startups make most. Sales feels like it should be exempt, but the rules turn on where and how the work is done, not on the word sales.
The key point is that an SDR is inside sales. The outside-sales exemption (DOL Fact Sheet #17F) applies only to employees customarily and regularly working away from the employer's place of business, and federal rules state that sales made by phone, mail, or internet do not count as outside sales, and that any fixed site, including a home office, used for telephone or internet solicitation is treated as the employer's place of business. SDRs sell from a desk, so the exemption does not apply.
The administrative and professional exemptions also generally do not fit an entry-level prospecting role that applies established scripts and qualification criteria, and the retail-and-service commission exemption rarely applies because most B2B software companies are not retail or service establishments. So the typical SDR is non-exempt and owed overtime at one and a half times the regular rate over 40 hours a week, with commissions factored into the regular rate. Seniority does not change this; a senior SDR is still non-exempt. The exempt versus non-exempt guide and the Fair Labor Standards Act overview explain the rules in more depth. This is general information, not legal advice.
SDR Compensation: Base, Variable, and OTE
SDR pay is always part base and part commission, quoted as on-target earnings (OTE), the total at full quota. Candidates expect to see both numbers, so a posting that lists only a base looks incomplete.
Median Base Around $60,000, OTE Near $85,000
As of 2026 market data, the median base salary for an SDR in the United States is about $60,000 and the median on-target earnings (OTE) about $85,000, with a typical split near 60 percent base and 40 percent variable. For adjacent federal context, the BLS reports a median around $66,780 for wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives (non-technical) and $100,070 for technical and scientific products as of May 2024 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics); the BLS does not isolate the SDR role.
Translating that into an offer: early-stage startups often run a higher variable share (closer to 70-30), a junior SDR sits below the median while a senior SDR sits above it, and location and industry move the number. State the base and the OTE clearly in the posting, and include a range where your state's pay-transparency law requires it.
Hiring Your First SDR at a Startup
A scaled sales org hires SDRs through a sales-ops team and an HR department. A seed or early-stage startup adding its first SDR has the founder or head of sales doing it personally, with no HR, variable comp to structure, and a three-month ramp to plan. The wage-and-hour rules apply anyway. Here is how to approach the posting and the hire for that reality.
SDR and BDR are often the same role, and neither is an account executive
The titles cause real confusion, so settle them before posting. A sales development representative and a business development representative are, in most companies, the same job under two names: generate and qualify pipeline, then hand it off. Where companies do split them, the common convention is that the SDR works inbound, marketing-sourced leads while the BDR runs outbound, cold prospecting, but this is inconsistent across the industry, so spell out which one you mean. What neither role does is close deals; that is the account executive, a separate and more senior hire with a different skill set and pay. If you need someone to book qualified meetings, you want an SDR or BDR; if you need someone to run deals to signature, you want an account executive. Name the role for the actual work, and say inbound or outbound explicitly, so the right candidates apply.
An SDR is almost always non-exempt, even though sales feels exempt
This is the classification mistake startups make most, and it is the content gap no generic template fills. An SDR is inside sales: the work happens by phone, email, and social media from an office or home, which means the outside-sales exemption does not apply, because federal rules treat any fixed site used for telephone or internet solicitation, including a home office, as the employer's place of business, not as being out in the field. The administrative and professional exemptions also do not fit an entry-level prospecting role, and the commission exemption that some retail and service businesses use rarely applies to a B2B software company. So the typical SDR is non-exempt and owed overtime at one and a half times the regular rate over 40 hours a week, with commissions factored into that regular rate. Paying a salary or calling the role exempt because it is sales does not change this. Track hours and pay overtime. This is general information, not legal advice.
A founder is making the first SDR hire without HR, and the comp is variable
The first SDR hire fits FirstHR well: a seed or early-stage startup, often 5 to 50 people, where the founder or head of sales does the hiring with no HR team, and the role comes with variable compensation and a real onboarding curve. SDR pay is always part base, part commission, so the offer needs a clear comp plan, and the role takes about three months to ramp, so onboarding is not a formality. That is what FirstHR streamlines. Send the offer letter with the base and OTE structure and collect a signature with e-signature, capture a signed commission-plan acknowledgment, run a repeatable onboarding workflow with a built 30-60-90 ramp, assign training modules for outreach, objection handling, and CRM hygiene, and place the new SDR in the sales org chart. To be clear on scope, FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform; it does not run payroll, commissions, or time tracking, so pair it with those systems, which matters here because accurate hours drive the overtime math. Applicant tracking is coming soon.
From Hiring to Onboarding
The job description is step one. Once a candidate accepts, the same details become the offer and a ramp-focused onboarding, which matters more for an SDR than most roles because the comp is variable and the role takes about three months to reach full productivity.
Send the offer with the comp plan
State the base, variable, and OTE clearly, and get the offer and a commission-plan acknowledgment signed, since SDR pay is always part variable.
Set the non-exempt classification
Record the non-exempt status and set up accurate time tracking, since overtime over 40 hours a week is owed and commissions affect the regular rate.
Complete the paperwork
Form I-9 with documents verified, the W-4 and state tax forms, state new hire reporting, and any remote-work agreement.
Run a 30-60-90 ramp
Train on product, market, tools, and scripts, with a clear ramp from learning in month one to full quota by month three.
Once your offer is ready, the offer letter template handles the base and OTE terms, an onboarding template gives the new SDR a structured start, and the new hire paperwork guide covers the I-9, tax forms, and state reporting. FirstHR connects the offer, signatures, commission-plan acknowledgment, onboarding workflow, 30-60-90 ramp, and training assignments in one place so a startup can run the full hire-and-onboard cycle without an HR department. FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform, not a payroll, commissions, or time-tracking system, so connect those separately, which matters here because accurate hours drive the overtime math. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Key Takeaways
An SDR generates and qualifies pipeline and books meetings for account executives; SDR and BDR are usually the same role, and neither closes deals like an AE.
Use the template that matches the type and level: standard, inbound, outbound/BDR, junior, senior, or first-hire startup.
Put concrete numbers in the posting: activity (around 45 touches/day), meetings booked (around 15/month), and a 30-60-90 ramp, not generic adjectives.
An SDR is non-exempt inside sales and owed overtime over 40 hours a week; the outside-sales exemption does not apply to phone and internet selling from a desk.
Quote pay as base plus OTE: median base around $60,000 and median OTE near $85,000, with commissions factored into the overtime regular rate.
The first-SDR-hire startup scenario is the core fit: a founder hiring without HR, structuring variable comp and a three-month ramp.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a sales development representative do?
A sales development representative, or SDR, generates and qualifies sales pipeline and hands it off to account executives who close. The SDR sits at the front of the sales engine: researching target accounts, running multi-channel outreach across phone, email, and social media, qualifying leads against the company's ideal-customer criteria, and booking qualified meetings for the closing reps. Day to day that means consistent prospecting activity, personalized messaging, handling early objections, qualifying fit and intent, booking meetings, and keeping the CRM accurate. The role does not close deals; it creates and qualifies the opportunities that account executives turn into revenue. SDRs are measured on activity and meetings booked rather than closed revenue, and the work splits into inbound, responding to marketing-sourced leads, and outbound, cold prospecting from scratch. The role is the most common entry point into technology sales and a typical first step toward an account executive position.
What is the difference between an SDR and a BDR?
In most companies a sales development representative (SDR) and a business development representative (BDR) are the same role under two different names: both generate and qualify pipeline and hand it to account executives. Where companies do distinguish them, the most common convention is that an SDR handles inbound, marketing-sourced leads such as demo requests and content downloads, while a BDR runs outbound, cold prospecting into target accounts. But this split is inconsistent across the industry, and plenty of companies use the titles interchangeably or define them the opposite way. For hiring, the practical advice is to not rely on the acronym to communicate the job. State explicitly whether the role is inbound or outbound and what the day looks like, because that is what tells candidates and your own team what the job actually is. This page covers both, with a standard SDR template, a dedicated inbound version, and an outbound version that also serves the BDR title.
What is the difference between an SDR and an account executive?
An SDR generates and qualifies pipeline, while an account executive (AE) closes it, and they are different jobs at different levels. The SDR prospects, runs outreach, qualifies leads, and books qualified meetings, then hands those meetings to the AE. The account executive takes over from there, running the sales conversations, demos, negotiations, and the close, and owns a revenue quota rather than a meetings quota. The SDR role is typically entry-level and the AE role is more senior, with higher pay tied to closed revenue, and a successful SDR is often promoted into an AE seat. For hiring, the distinction matters because the skills, the compensation, and the quota structure differ significantly: an SDR is measured on activity and meetings booked, an AE on deals closed. If you need pipeline created, hire an SDR; if you need deals closed, hire an account executive. Do not ask one role to do both at one role's pay.
Is a sales development representative exempt or non-exempt from overtime?
An SDR is almost always non-exempt and entitled to overtime. The role is inside sales: the work happens by phone, email, and social media from an office or a home office, so the outside-sales exemption does not apply, because federal rules treat any fixed site used for telephone or internet solicitation, including a home office, as the employer's place of business rather than as working out in the field. Sales made by phone or internet do not count as outside sales unless they merely support in-person selling. The administrative and professional exemptions also generally do not fit an entry-level prospecting role that applies established scripts and criteria, and the retail-and-service commission exemption rarely applies because most B2B software companies are not retail or service establishments. So the typical SDR is non-exempt and owed overtime at one and a half times the regular rate over 40 hours a week, with commissions included in the regular rate. Paying a salary or treating the role as exempt because it is sales does not change this. This is general information, not legal advice.
How much does an SDR make?
SDR compensation is split between a base salary and variable commission, and is usually quoted as on-target earnings, or OTE, which is what the rep earns at full quota. As of 2026 market data, the median base salary for an SDR in the United States is around $60,000 and the median OTE is around $85,000, with the split commonly about 60 percent base and 40 percent variable, though early-stage startups often run closer to 70-30. The closest federal occupational data, wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives, shows a median around $66,780 for non-technical products and $100,070 for technical and scientific products as of BLS May 2024, which provides adjacent context since the BLS does not isolate the SDR role. Actual pay varies with location, industry, whether the role is inbound or outbound, and seniority: a junior SDR sits below the median, a senior SDR above it. For a posting, state the base and the OTE clearly, since SDR candidates expect both, and include a range where your state's pay-transparency law requires it. This is general information, not legal advice.
What is a typical SDR quota and ramp time?
A typical SDR is measured on activity and on qualified meetings booked, and takes roughly three months to ramp to full productivity. Common targets are around 45 outbound dials a day plus email and social touches, leading to a quota of roughly 15 qualified meetings a month for an outbound role and often somewhat higher for an inbound role working warmer leads, along with a sourced-pipeline target. Industry benchmarks put the median SDR ramp at about three months, structured as a 30-60-90 day plan: month one is learning the product, market, and tools with little or no quota; month two builds to roughly half quota with full cadences under coaching; and month three reaches 75 to 100 percent of quota. Setting these numbers explicitly in the job description and the onboarding plan does two things: it tells candidates exactly what success looks like, which generic templates fail to do, and it gives the new SDR and their manager a shared, measurable ramp. Set your own targets based on your motion, but make them concrete.
What should an SDR job description include?
A strong SDR job description names the type up front, inbound, outbound or BDR, junior, senior, or first hire, and includes a company and product summary, a role overview that makes the pipeline-generation focus clear, responsibilities grouped into prospecting, outreach, qualification, and handoff, and, crucially, the metrics and quota that generic templates omit: target activity, meetings booked, and the ramp. State the required experience honestly for the level, the tools or stack, and the compensation as base plus OTE, since SDR candidates expect to see both. Address the FLSA status, noting the role is non-exempt and overtime-eligible as inside sales. Skip the generic adjective lists, great communicator, self-starter, resilient, that say nothing useful, and instead describe the actual activity and targets. Include a pay range where your state requires it, keep the language job-related and neutral, and close with an equal opportunity statement and clear apply instructions. This is general information, not legal advice.
How do I hire and onboard my first SDR at a startup?
Write the posting for a first-hire reality, then run an offer-and-onboard process built around variable comp and a real ramp. Use the first-SDR-hire template, be honest that the role builds the outbound motion from scratch, and state the base and OTE. Once a candidate accepts, send a written offer that lays out the base, variable, and commission plan, get it and a commission-plan acknowledgment signed, and set the non-exempt classification with accurate time tracking from day one, since overtime over 40 hours a week is owed and commissions factor into the regular rate. Complete Form I-9, the W-4 and state tax forms, state new hire reporting, and any remote-work agreement. Then run a 30-60-90 ramp: month one to learn the product, market, tools, and scripts; month two to build outreach to roughly half quota under coaching; month three to reach steady pipeline. For a founder without HR, a repeatable workflow keeps the comp acknowledgment, classification, and ramp from slipping. FirstHR handles the offer and signatures with e-signature, runs the onboarding workflow and 30-60-90 ramp, and assigns training. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
