If you are ambitious and willing to put in the work, sales is one of the fastest paths to a six figure career in the United States. Many top earners started with no experience at all, built their skills step by step and followed a clear path to higher responsibility and higher pay.

In 2025, hiring for early career sales talent is strong across technology, SaaS, AI, healthcare, logistics and financial services. SDR and BDR roles continue to be the most common entry points because they teach the foundational skills every successful seller needs. Once you master each stage, advancement can happen quickly when you follow the right roadmap.

Below is a true expert-level guide to building your career from SDR to AE to enterprise sales and beyond.

Step One: Start as an SDR or BDR and Build the Foundation for Your Entire Career

SDR and BDR roles are where you learn the habits and skills that separate high earners from everyone else. These jobs teach you how to create opportunities, communicate clearly and stay focused even when conversations are difficult.

What you must accomplish in this role

• Learn to control the first thirty seconds of a conversation
• Build a consistent daily outreach routine and follow it every single day
• Review your recorded calls weekly and rewrite your openers until they convert
• Practice objection handling until responses feel natural
• Qualify leads correctly so your AEs trust your judgment
• Develop mental resilience while handling rejection professionally
• Track your metrics and manage your energy throughout the day

When to move to the next level

You are ready to become an AE when:
• You hit quota three quarters in a row
• AEs compliment the quality of your leads
• You show improvement without needing reminders
• You create high quality conversations, not just volume

Strength at this stage accelerates everything that comes after. Do not rush it.

Step Two: Move Into an Account Executive Role and Learn to Run the Full Sales Cycle

Once you become an Account Executive, you own the entire process from discovery to close. You begin to understand business pain, ROI, buyer psychology and competitive strategy. This is where your income potential increases significantly.

What you must accomplish as an AE

• Build a discovery framework that reveals real business problems
• Run demos focused on outcomes rather than features
• Create a structured follow up cadence that maintains momentum
• Strengthen your storytelling so buyers understand value clearly
• Keep deals moving even when buyers slow down
• Study competitors so you can speak confidently in positioning
• Qualify out quickly so your time goes toward real opportunities

When to move to the next level

You are ready for enterprise sales when:
• You exceed quota consistently
• You can explain your wins and losses with clarity
• You manage multiple opportunities without losing control
• You forecast accurately
• You show maturity in complex conversations

Great AEs move up because they demonstrate both skill and judgment.

Step Three: Graduate Into Enterprise Sales and Learn to Win Larger Deals

Enterprise selling is where top performers often reach two hundred thousand or more in total compensation. The deals are larger, the buyers expect more and the process requires deeper preparation and strategy.

What you must accomplish in enterprise roles

• Research thoroughly before every call so buyers feel understood
• Build strong champions who advocate for you inside the organization
• Learn procurement processes and internal buying dynamics
• Map decision makers, influencers and blockers
• Maintain urgency throughout long sales cycles
• Multi-thread conversations to keep momentum across departments
• Communicate value in simple, business-focused terms

When you are ready to advance further

You know you are becoming a top tier enterprise seller when:
• You win competitive deals against strong alternatives
• You forecast reliably
• You manage multi-month cycles without losing direction
• You build strategic customer relationships that lead to repeat business

This level establishes your professional identity and market value.

Step Four: Choose Between Leadership or Specialized Expertise

Once you have proven success in closing roles, you can move into leadership or deepen your expertise in specialized roles.

If you choose leadership

• You coach sellers and guide performance
• You focus on forecasting, strategy and team structure
• You build a culture where people grow and succeed
• You help others think and solve problems at a high level

Leadership fits you if you enjoy developing people and seeing others succeed.

If you choose specialization

• Solutions Consultant roles combine technical knowledge with communication
• Strategic Account Managers manage complex, high-value relationships
• Customer Success leaders drive retention and expansion revenue
• Pre Sales Engineers influence deals through product expertise

Each path offers strong earning potential and long-term career growth.

Step Five: Build Mastery and a Reputation That Opens Doors

Long-term success in sales depends on mastery and reputation. The highest earners share consistent habits that keep them improving year after year.

Habits of top sellers

• They review their own calls weekly
• They follow industry educators and practice new techniques
• They simplify messaging so buyers understand value quickly
• They track personal metrics and progress
• They seek mentorship from experienced top performers
• They develop a reliable, professional communication style
• They remain resilient through setbacks
• They build networks because many six figure roles come through referrals

Your reputation becomes your advantage. When leaders know you are reliable, coachable and consistently improving, you will be recommended for roles others never hear about.

AccountMakers helps accelerate this journey. Our platform connects ambitious talent with employers who value growth, performance and strong communication. Whether you are moving into your first SDR role or aiming for enterprise sales, we help align your goals with the right opportunities.

Additional Reading and Resources

For more information see: https://www.linkedin.com/workforce-insights/
For more information see: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/sales/home.htm
For more information see: https://blog.hubspot.com/sales
For more information see: https://www.salesforce.com/resources/research-reports/state-of-sales
For more information see: https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries
For more information see: https://blog.theinterviewguys.com/highest-paying-sales-jobs
For more information see: https://www.sparrowgenie.com/blog/highest-paying-sales-jobs

Top 10 Questions Sales Professionals Ask About Their Career Path

1. How long does it take to go from SDR to a six figure role?

Most sales professionals who reach six figures do so within two to four years, depending on their company, industry and individual performance. Advancement is faster when you consistently hit quota, master your outreach skills and take initiative in improving your messaging and results. With focused effort and coaching, many AccountMakers candidates move into AE roles far sooner than expected.

2. What skills actually matter most early in a sales career?

Early on, communication, resilience and consistency matter more than product knowledge or industry expertise. You must be able to open conversations confidently, handle objections professionally and maintain a high level of activity every day. Once you master these core habits, every other part of your career becomes easier and faster to grow.

3. How do I know if I’m ready to move from SDR to AE?

You are ready when you hit quota consistently, demonstrate improvement independently and consistently generate high quality conversations rather than just volume. Your manager should trust your qualification skills, and AEs should appreciate the leads you bring them. If you can articulate buyer pain clearly and set up strong discovery calls, you are already ahead of most SDRs making the transition.

4. What separates an average AE from a top performing AE?

Top AEs are exceptional at discovery and understand the buyer’s true business drivers instead of just reacting to surface level problems. They also run cleaner follow ups, keep deals moving and forecast with clarity because they have strong pipeline discipline. Above all, they communicate value simply and consistently, something average AEs rarely master.

5. How do I break into enterprise sales if I’ve only sold mid-market or SMB deals?

Enterprise hiring managers look for clear proof that you can lead multi-stakeholder conversations and manage longer sales cycles, even if your prior deals were smaller. Begin by strengthening your discovery skills and learning to speak in outcomes, ROI and strategic language. Show that you can create champions and manage complex buying processes, and companies will give you a chance to step up.

6. Should I choose leadership or stay on the individual contributor path?

Choose leadership only if you genuinely enjoy coaching, developing people and solving performance challenges. Leadership offers influence and career stability but comes with the responsibility of guiding a team’s results every day. If you love closing deals, solving strategic problems and growing your income through performance, the IC path may be a better long-term fit.

7. How important is practicing my sales scripts out loud?

It is essential. Call confidence does not come from reading scripts, it comes from speaking them until they feel natural and authentic. Top sellers practice their openers, objection responses and call transitions regularly because smooth delivery creates trust and eliminates hesitation in the moments that matter most.

8. What is the fastest way to stand out to hiring managers?

Show measurable results, speak clearly about what drives your performance and demonstrate coachability. Hiring managers want people who own their numbers and show that they improve proactively without waiting for direction. When you combine strong activity metrics with thoughtful communication, you stand out immediately.

9. How much should I worry about industry knowledge when switching sectors?

Industry familiarity helps but is rarely the deciding factor. Hiring managers care most about your ability to communicate value, learn quickly and manage a pipeline effectively. If you show curiosity, strong fundamentals and the willingness to study your new industry, you can transition much faster than you think.

10. How can AccountMakers help accelerate my sales career?

AccountMakers connects motivated talent with employers who actively invest in sales development, coaching and career advancement. Our team understands how to match your strengths with the right opportunities across tech, SaaS, AI, professional services and emerging growth fields. Whether you’re entering the industry or preparing for enterprise roles, we help open doors that align with your goals and long-term earning potential.