Inside sales account executive vs sales development representative

The differences between inside sales account executives and sales development representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an inside sales account executive and a sales development representative. Additionally, an inside sales account executive has an average salary of $63,049, which is higher than the $51,504 average annual salary of a sales development representative.

The top three skills for an inside sales account executive include strong work ethic, customer service and CRM. The most important skills for a sales development representative are SDR, lead generation, and customer service.

Inside sales account executive vs sales development representative overview

	Inside Sales Account Executive	Sales Development Representative
Yearly salary	$63,049	$51,504
Hourly rate	$30.31	$24.76
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	262,582	199,588
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 77%	Bachelor's Degree, 83%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	4	4

What does an inside sales account executive do?

An inside sales account executive is responsible for handling the sales performance of multiple client accounts, ensuring that the project management processes reach target sales goals and business objectives. Inside sales account executives work with the sales and marketing team to develop effective marketing strategies and promotional techniques to boost brand awareness to the market and target audience. They also analyze the current industry trends, identifying business opportunities to generate resources for revenues, and improve project plans according to clients' specifications and budget limitations.

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.

Inside sales account executive vs sales development representative salary

Inside sales account executives and sales development representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Inside Sales Account Executive	Sales Development Representative
Average salary	$63,049	$51,504
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $104,000	Between $34,000 And $77,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	California	Alaska
Best paying company	Google	PitchBook Data
Best paying industry	Technology	Start-up

Differences between inside sales account executive and sales development representative education

There are a few differences between an inside sales account executive and a sales development representative in terms of educational background:

	Inside Sales Account Executive	Sales Development Representative
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 77%	Bachelor's Degree, 83%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Inside sales account executive vs sales development representative demographics

Here are the differences between inside sales account executives' and sales development representatives' demographics:

	Inside Sales Account Executive	Sales Development Representative
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 59.4% Female, 40.6%	Male, 63.1% Female, 36.9%
Race ratio	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%	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 Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between inside sales account executive and sales development representative duties and responsibilities

Inside sales account executive example responsibilities.

Manage CRM and POS software as well as proficient in various product software.
Operate Salesforce and manage opportunities accordingly.
Ensure all target prospect/client contacts and engagement opportunities are record in the ZOHO CRM.
Execute daily customer meetings via phone, WebEx and coordinate onsite meetings with outside counterpart.
Qualify new business opportunities and set WebEx meetings for review and demonstration of products and services.
Facilitate broker training utilizing PowerPoint.

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.

Inside sales account executive vs sales development representative skills

Common inside sales account executive skills

Strong Work Ethic, 13%
Customer Service, 8%
CRM, 7%
Inbound Calls, 7%
Salesforce, 6%
Outbound Calls, 4%

Common sales development representative skills

SDR, 11%
Lead Generation, 6%
Customer Service, 6%
Account Executives, 5%
Linkedin, 5%
Outbound Calls, 4%

Inside Sales Account Executive vs. similar jobs

Inside Sales Account Executive related careers

Inside Sales Account Executive related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Sales Industry
Inside Sales Account Executive
Inside Sales Account Executive vs Sales Development Representative

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse sales jobs