BDR Salaries In 50 US Cities (Latest 2025 Data)

 If you are considering hiring or training a BDR for your business, then you have come to the right place.

This article will share the average business development representative salary in 2025. We will also look at the average salaries across 50 US cities. This will help you get a holistic view of which cities pay the highest salaries and which the lowest.

(Did you know that hiring a lead generation agency might be more affordable than hiring a full time BDR? This article: B2B Lead Generation Outsourcing or In-house – Which is Best? shares why. Interested in 1 lead per day? Why not hop on a free 15-minute strategy session with the founder of SalesBread, Jack Reamer?

The Average Business Development Representative Salary in 2025

According to ZipRecruiter, a BDR makes on average about $59,559 annually, which equates to about $29 /hour, in America.

Senior business development representative might make as much as $95,500 per year, depending on their skills and experience, whereas a junior BDR might start out at $26,500 per year.

Are you keen on knowing what sales and business development representatives make in the US?

Top 50 Cities And Salary Breakdown for BDR’s

Note:

• The salaries are based on the most recent data available from reputable sources such as Salary.com, Indeed, and Glassdoor.

• Hourly rates are based on a standard 40-hour workweek.

• Some cities may have higher or lower salaries depending on the specific industry, company, and individual qualifications.

What Does a Business Development Representative Do?

A BDR is an essential part of any business, as they are a type of a sales rep whose primary focus is to generate qualified prospects. A business development representative will do this by:

• Cold calls

• Social selling 

• Networking

• Cold emails

• LinkedIn outreach

Usually, in the B2B space, the customer’s first contact point is with the business development representative or sales development rep; therefore, their role is pretty important.

They are the critical element to bring in new clients. A BDR will contact a new customer either by research that they have conducted on their own or with a business development associate’s help. 

Once the business development representative has contacted the potential customer, they will arrange for the customer to meet or have a call from someone in a senior position, such as the account executive. 

This ensures the sale will hopefully move forward.

As a business development representative, you are essentially responsible for nurturing prospects that will eventually lead to sales and closing deals.

Why the Business Development Representative Is the Most Important Position in Your B2B Sales Team

If your BDR isn’t great, then, unfortunately, your business might struggle with growth.

This is why it is imperative to find the right person for the job, or if you want to become a BDR, make sure that your training is impeccable. 

Remember, a business development representative is a key to successful relationships with your potential clients. They nurture relationships, and without this genuine aspect of your company, you will miss out on genuine leads.

In short, they bring in new opportunities. Without a BDR, a more senior team member would be spending hours a day prospecting new clients.

What are some salary insights of BDRs across Different US Cities?

If you’re thinking about becoming a Business Development Representative (BDR), or you’re already one and wondering if your city stacks up, we’ve gathered the latest salary insights from across the U.S. It’s always interesting to see how location can impact pay. In 2025, the differences are still pretty noticeable.

This will also help employers know if they are paying their BDRs the right amounts.

New York City, NY

• Base Salary: $63,564

• Additional Compensation: $35,783

• Total Estimated Compensation: $99,348

Source: Glassdoor – NYC BDR Salaries

Let’s start with New York City, where BDRs are doing quite well. According to Glassdoor, the average base salary sits at around $63,564, but what really stands out is the extra compensation. When you factor in bonuses and commission, the total can climb up to nearly $99,348 per year.

Seattle, WA

• Base Salary: $73,598

Source: Indeed – BDR Salaries in Seattle

Heading to the Pacific Northwest, Seattle boasts one of the highest average base salaries for BDRs, coming in at about $73,598. It’s no surprise—Seattle has a booming tech industry that keeps sales pros in high demand.

Dallas, TX

• Base Salary: $66,464

Source: Indeed – BDR Salaries in Dallas

In Dallas, BDRs are earning a strong average of $66,464 a year, while Denver isn’t far behind at $64,410. These cities offer competitive pay, and their lower cost of living compared to cities like San Francisco or NYC makes them even more attractive.

Orlando, FL

• Base Salary: $61,182

Source: Indeed – BDR Salaries in Orlando

Atlanta, GA

• Base Salary: $60,287

Source: Indeed – BDR Salaries in Atlanta

Orlando and Atlanta have average salaries of around $61,182 and $60,287, respectively. These cities might not top the charts, but they still offer good pay, especially when you factor in the lifestyle and affordability.

Austin, TX

• Base Salary: $57,115

Source: Indeed – BDR Salaries in Austin

Austin, is often considered a tech hub in Texas, BDRs there are making around $57,115 on average.

Raleigh, NC

• Base Salary: $57,039

Source: Indeed – BDR Salaries in Raleigh

Raleigh, North Carolina, comes in at a very similar level, with an average salary of $57,039. This city has seen strong growth in recent years, making it a great place for career opportunities.

Chicago, IL

• Base Salary: $55,664

Source: Indeed – BDR Salaries in Chicago

Charlotte, NC

• Base Salary: $54,326

Source: Indeed – BDR Salaries in Charlotte

Chicago BDRs are pulling in around $55,664, while those in Charlotte can expect about $54,326. These numbers are still pretty good, even though they are slightly below the national average.

Speaking of which, the national average for BDRs in the U.S. is hovering around $62,157 per year, according to Indeed.

Salary.com even reports a higher figure of $86,473, including commissions and bonuses, which can really boost take-home pay. ZipRecruiter shows that the average BDR salary is $59,559 per year.

Which Cities Pay The Lowest for Business Development Representatives in America?

The cities below have some of the lowest business development representative salaries in the United States.

El Paso, Texas

In El Paso, the average base salary for a BDR is approximately $43,490 per year, which is about 30% below the national average.

Sacramento, California

BDRs in Sacramento earn an average base salary of around $56,776 per year, with total compensation (including bonuses and commissions) estimated at $88,243 per year

Charlotte, North Carolina

In Charlotte, BDRs have an average base salary of approximately $54,326 per year, which is about 13% below the national average.

What is the Difference Between BDR and SDR?

The two job titles might seem similar, but they are, in actual fact, quite different. There is no official definition, but both terms can be separated to make them more transparent.

– A BDR focuses on prospecting outbound leads.

– An SDR focuses on qualifying inbound marketing leads.

One key element that one should notice is that neither one is responsible for closing deals.

Instead, the primary purpose is to find the leads and then move them on to more qualified and experienced business closers, such as those in senior positions.

If you would like a more detailed representation of what these acronyms and definitions entail, please see the infographic below by Kalungi.

This paints a remarkable picture of the sales process and all those who are key players.

What are the average sales salaries of a BDR?

​As of January 2025, Business Development Representatives (BDRs) in the United States have a broad salary range that can change depending on certain factors such as experience, location, and additional compensation.

According to Indeed, the average base salary is approximately $62,157 per year, with other reported earnings from other sites spanning from $34,549 to $111,827 annually. Additionally, BDRs often receive commissions averaging around $10,000 per year.​

Do Those Who Work Remotely Make The Same Amount of Money?

Another factor to consider is that many employees also work remotely. An interesting question to consider is whether sales development representatives and business development representatives make more or less money due to working from home. 

The most recent statistics show that 31% of US employers exclusively hire remote workers. According to ZipRecruiter there are 1,000+ remote SDR jobs in the United States.

The salaries range between $40K-$129K a year.

The average salary for a remote SDR is about $$63,748 per year.

• ZipRecruiter also shows that there are 164 remote positions for a business development representative in the US. 

• LinkedIn shows 746 results for remote sales development representatives and 422 results for remote business development positions.

• Indeed.com shows 25+ job postings for remote sales development reps.

Interestingly, findings show that salaries seem to be more or less the same per year for remote workers in this line of work. 

What Are Some Best Paying Business Representative Jobs in the US?

If you are exceptionally skilled, there are 5 BDR jobs that pay higher than usual. These jobs offer salaries between $60,398 and $86,508. As you can see, this is a way higher income than the average of $45,814 for a BDR. 

Some of these top roles are :

• Vice President of Business Development

• Director of Business Development

• Professional Business Development Manager

• Senior Director of Business Development

• Sales Coordinator

How Many Job Openings Are Available Right Now?

Based on ZipRecruiter’s recent job postings, the Business Development Representative job market is pretty active.

 On Glassdoor alone, there are 607 job postings available for this position, and 512 positions available on LinkedIn in the United States.

The good news is that there also seem to be many remote positions available as well. Here is a link to some of the top companies hiring business development representatives this year. 

Are there alternatives to hiring a Business or Sales Development Representative?

Yes, there are some alternatives to hiring a full-time BDR. You might want to consider these options if you are thinking of saving costs for your business. 

Remember, if you hire a BDR full-time, you will need to pay them a salary each month.

Another option would be to outsource a business development representative to a “Done for you Lead Generation Agency” like SalesBread.

This means that you could hire a company that specifically deals with this aspect of a business.

Some people prefer this option as it allows for flexibility and monetary savings. Outsourcing sales development is still a little more costly, but not as expensive as hiring a business development rep full-time. 

When it comes to hiring someone in-house, you might also need to pay things such as bonuses, pensions, and medical care.

Not to mention the time and money you will spend trying to train a new employee.

Fortunately, outsourcing is roughly 63% cheaper than hiring a San Francisco-based BDR, for example.

You will also get an experienced team that knows exactly what they are doing, and this also paves the way for you to decide whether or not you would like to hire a BDR full-time one day. 

Plus, lead generation agencies do this all day long, so they know exactly what’s happening in the B2B space. This will save you time and money when it comes to training up a BDR in-house.

In Conclusion

There you have it! Everything you need to know about business and sales development representatives.

If you are thinking about becoming one or hiring one, then I hope that this article gives you a better indication of what to expect.

From average salaries to some of the US’s best-paying cities, we really hope that you found this article informative. If you are thinking of outsourcing a BDR, please get in touch with us, as we would love to help you reach your business goals.  

Interested in a free 15 minute strategy session? Let’s talk. Our clients know that they can expect 1 qualified sales lead per day.

SalesBread offers a “done for you” lead generation service for $3k per month with a 1 time setup fee.