Commercial leadership roles pay from £72,000 to £170,000 base depending on scope and stage, with total compensation reaching well beyond that. Almost none of them are advertised.
| Specialty | Sales Director, VP of Sales, CRO and commercial leadership search across the UK. |
|---|---|
| Typical salary | Sales Director £72,000 to £135,000 base. VP of Sales £95,000 to £170,000 base. Total compensation to £420,000+ at enterprise level. |
| Process | Confidential and retained search. Most roles at this level are never advertised publicly. |
| Coverage | Reading, the Thames Valley, London and nationwide across the UK. |
| Location | Based in Twyford, Berkshire RG10 9AE. Independent agency, not a branch of a national network. |
| Rating | 4.9 out of 5 from 88 Google reviews. 94% client retention rate. |
| Typical timescale | Vetted shortlist within 48 hours of brief. Average 14 days from brief to offer. CV to hire ratio of three to one. |
Quick answer: Sales Director roles in the UK pay £72,000 to £135,000 base depending on company size, with OTE from £115,000 to over £260,000. VP of Sales roles run £95,000 to £170,000 base with equity, and total compensation reaching £420,000 or more at enterprise level.
The commercial leadership market works differently from every level below it. Roles are rarely advertised, processes are often confidential, and the decision usually involves a board or an investor rather than just a hiring manager.
Figures from our UK Sales Salary Guide 2026.
| Scope | Base Salary | OTE / Total Comp | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales Director (SME) | £72,000 – £95,000 | £115,000 – £165,000 | Sub-50 headcount businesses |
| Sales Director (Mid-market) | £88,000 – £115,000 | £145,000 – £210,000 | 50 to 500 headcount |
| Sales Director (Enterprise) | £105,000 – £135,000 | £185,000 – £260,000+ | Large org, equity common |
| Stage | Base Salary | OTE | Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| VP of Sales (Series A) | £95,000 – £125,000 | £155,000 – £230,000 | 0.25% – 1.0% options typical |
| VP of Sales (Series B/C) | £115,000 – £155,000 | £210,000 – £310,000+ | 0.1% – 0.5% options |
| VP of Sales (Enterprise) | £135,000 – £170,000 | £260,000 – £420,000+ | Varies, often cash bonus |
At this level the headline number is the least interesting part of the package. Equity structure, vesting schedule, acceleration on change of control and how the bonus is actually calculated matter considerably more over a four year horizon.
Most commercial leadership searches we run are confidential, for one of two reasons. Either the incumbent is still in post and does not know, or the business does not want the market reading a leadership change into its hiring.
That means the roles never reach a job board. They are filled through specialist recruiters working directly with investors, chairs and founders. If you are not in those conversations, you do not see the opportunities at all.
We hold confidential conversations with commercial leaders who are not actively looking, on the basis that we will come to them when something genuinely fits. No speculative CV distribution and nothing submitted anywhere without explicit agreement.
If you want a benchmark on your current package or a view of what is moving in your sector, that conversation costs nothing and does not commit you to anything.
£72,000 to £95,000 base in SME businesses, £88,000 to £115,000 at mid-market, and £105,000 to £135,000 at enterprise level. OTE runs from £115,000 to over £260,000 depending on scope, with equity common at the top end.
£95,000 to £125,000 base at Series A, £115,000 to £155,000 at Series B or C, and £135,000 to £170,000 at enterprise level. Total compensation reaches £420,000 or more, with equity typically between 0.1% and 1.0% depending on stage.
Most are confidential, either because the incumbent is still in post or because the business does not want the market reading a leadership change into its hiring. They are filled through specialist recruiters working directly with investors, chairs and founders.
Stage fit above all, then whether the candidate built a team or inherited one, forecast credibility including the misses, their hiring and retention record, and commercial breadth beyond direct selling.
It depends entirely on structure rather than headline percentage. Vesting schedule, strike price, liquidation preferences and acceleration on change of control matter more than the number itself, and are worth taking advice on before accepting.
Tell us what you are hiring for and we will tell you honestly whether the brief is achievable at the budget approved. Vetted shortlist within 48 hours.
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