Post job

Business development associate vs sales development representative

The differences between business development associates and sales development representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a business development associate has an average salary of $65,126, which is higher than the $51,504 average annual salary of a sales development representative.

The top three skills for a business development associate include customer service, powerpoint and project management. The most important skills for a sales development representative are SDR, lead generation, and customer service.

Business development associate vs sales development representative overview

Business Development AssociateSales Development Representative
Yearly salary$65,126$51,504
Hourly rate$31.31$24.76
Growth rate10%4%
Number of jobs141,089199,588
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 78%Bachelor's Degree, 83%
Average age4447
Years of experience-4

What does a business development associate do?

A business development associate's role is to develop strategies to boost a company's sales and overall growth. They are primarily responsible for conducting research and analysis to identify clients' needs, participate in creating business plans and products, and produce progress reports and presentations. A business development associate must also maintain a database of customer information, arrange meetings between clients, coordinate with marketing staff, and assist in negotiations. Furthermore, it is essential to adhere to the policies and standards of the company.

What does a sales development representative do?

A sales development representative qualifies leads at the sales funnel's initial stages. Sales development representatives need to conduct research for prospective clients and qualify the leads before handing them to the sales team. They develop sales strategies to attract buyers or solicit potential customers. They need to build relationships with their customers to determine their needs and qualify the viability of interests to drive sales. Also, they collaborate with the sales executives making certain that corporate targets and goals are met.

Business development associate vs sales development representative salary

Business development associates and sales development representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.

Business Development AssociateSales Development Representative
Average salary$65,126$51,504
Salary rangeBetween $39,000 And $106,000Between $34,000 And $77,000
Highest paying CityGreenwich, CTBoston, MA
Highest paying stateConnecticutAlaska
Best paying companyKirkland & EllisPitchBook Data
Best paying industryAutomotiveStart-up

Differences between business development associate and sales development representative education

There are a few differences between a business development associate and a sales development representative in terms of educational background:

Business Development AssociateSales Development Representative
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 78%Bachelor's Degree, 83%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Business development associate vs sales development representative demographics

Here are the differences between business development associates' and sales development representatives' demographics:

Business Development AssociateSales Development Representative
Average age4447
Gender ratioMale, 54.5% Female, 45.5%Male, 63.1% Female, 36.9%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 8.8% White, 70.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage11%6%

Differences between business development associate and sales development representative duties and responsibilities

Business development associate example responsibilities.

  • Manage RFP process including search and qualification of requests and coordinate fulfillment.
  • Manage logistics, control engineering and design, order placement, vendor relationships, customer utilization and technology.
  • Enhance company social media platforms by updating all product information across Facebook and LinkedIn.
  • Utilize LinkedIn as necessary for any recruiting initiatives or research that is needed.
  • Bid on large agency's request for proposals (RFP), by developing, writing and coordinating a technical response.
  • Maintain client/prospect information within billing and CRM database.
  • Show more

Sales development representative example responsibilities.

  • Manage organization website and Facebook page; writing articles for websites and newsletters.
  • Develop social media strategies for Facebook, LinkedIn, and emerging social networks, generating leads.
  • Manage individual sales activities by developing highly effective, communications focuse relationship with multiple sales channels.
  • supply chain management and procurement software (SaaS).
  • Handle customer service inquiries, returns, and RMA exchanges.
  • Develop a strong knowledge of SaaS sales techniques and lead management/generation.
  • Show more

Business development associate vs sales development representative skills

Common business development associate skills
  • Customer Service, 9%
  • PowerPoint, 6%
  • Project Management, 5%
  • Market Research, 5%
  • Lead Generation, 4%
  • Sales Process, 4%
Common sales development representative skills
  • SDR, 11%
  • Lead Generation, 6%
  • Customer Service, 6%
  • Account Executives, 5%
  • Linkedin, 5%
  • Outbound Calls, 4%

Browse business and financial jobs