Sales OTE calculator: what does the offer pay you?
Try it: expected pay and take-home
OTE assumes you hit 100% of quota. Test your own attainment.
How the calculator works
Below 100% of quota, you earn variable multiplied by your attainment. Above 100%, you earn the full variable plus the extra attainment times the accelerator.
At 80% attainment, a £45,000 variable pays £36,000. At 120% with a 1.5x accelerator it pays £58,500.
Take-home uses 2026/27 income tax and employee National Insurance rates from gov.uk. They apply to England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland differs. It ignores pension, student loan and tax code, so treat it as an estimate. It is not tax advice.
Use a realistic attainment
- Ask the recruiter what share of reps hit quota last year. Use that, not 100%.
- Check for a cap on commission. This calculator has none.
- Ask whether commission is paid on bookings, invoices or cash, and when.
Next, compare two or three offers side by side, work out commission on a single deal target, or read how to negotiate sales OTE.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Income Tax rates and bands, 2026 to 2027
- GOV.UK: Scottish Income Tax, 2026 to 2027
- GOV.UK: National Insurance rates and allowances, 2026 to 2027
- Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003, section 62 (a statute)
- HMRC PAYE Manual, PAYE11090: how tax codes are used
Questions
What does OTE mean in sales?
On-target earnings. It is base salary plus the variable pay you earn at 100% of quota.
How do I work out my expected pay from OTE?
Multiply the variable by your expected attainment. Above 100% add the accelerator. Add the result to base.
Is commission taxed differently from salary?
No. It goes through PAYE at the same rates as salary. A big commission month can look heavily taxed, but the year's total is the same.
Is the take-home figure exact?
No. It uses 2026/27 rates for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It ignores pension, student loan and your tax code.
Also: counter offer email template, commission accelerator comparison, sales offer letter checklist, account executive salary in the UK.
Related guides
Offer comparison calculator
Two or three offers side by side, with year-one pay for each.
Sales commission calculator
Rate, accelerator and cap to commission earned.
How to negotiate sales OTE
Pay mix, quota realism, accelerators and a two-offer worked example.
How to compare sales job offers
Compare on year-one pay: a four-step method and a worked example.
Run your search like a pipeline
A Notion kit for sellers changing roles. It has a target list and a pipeline board with follow-ups due. It also has recruiter scripts, negotiation scripts and an offer calculator for year-one pay. £14, one payment, plus VAT for UK and EU buyers.
Principled Pitch is independent. Pay, quotas and hiring processes vary by company and country. Check the details of any role with the recruiter.