Two identical job offers: both $50,000 base salary, both $100,000 monthly quota, both 5% base commission. Company A has no accelerator; Company B has 7% accelerator above quota. At 100% quota attainment, both pay identical OTE ($55,000). But at 150% quota (realistic for proven reps), Company A pays $57,500 total while Company B pays $64,000—a $6,500 annual gap that compounds into $65,000 difference over 10 years. Yet most sales candidates focus exclusively on base salary and OTE, ignoring accelerator structure that determines true earning ceiling. Commission plans are intentionally complex to obscure this: some cap payouts at 150% quota (preventing unlimited upside), others clawback commissions if deals cancel (hidden downside), others have tiered rates that make high overachievement actually more profitable per unit (rare and valuable). Evaluating offers requires mathematical sophistication most reps lack.
This calculator forces clarity by showing exact earnings at different quota attainment levels—80%, 100% (OTE), 120%, 150%, 200%—revealing your compensation structure completely. Input your base salary, monthly quota, commission rate, accelerator, and months per year, then model scenarios: what if you hit 120% quota (realistic stretch)? What if only 80% (worse-case conservative)? The calculator instantly shows monthly take-home and annualized earnings at each level. This reveals whether your compensation plan rewards overachievement (accelerators increase per-unit rate) or punishes it (caps at 150%). Model across 3-year career arc: if you grow from 80% to 150% quota attainment as you learn the product, how much additional income does acceleration unlock? This determines whether staying and improving is financially valuable versus job-hopping for more base salary.
The hidden traps: clawback (deal cancellation reverses commission), capping (no payout above 150-200% quota), and quota resets (hitting annual quota early resets to zero mid-year). An innocent-sounding "monthly quota reset" means you hit $100k quota month 1, earn commission, then start fresh at zero month 2 (no compounding benefit from early overachievement). Ask your hiring manager explicitly: (1) Does accelerator apply to all overage or only amounts above quota? (2) What triggers clawback and how often does it occur? (3) Is there a payout cap, and if so, at what attainment? (4) How are quotas reset and adjusted? These details determine whether promised $120k OTE is realistic or fantasy. Run this calculator with conservative scenarios (75% quota attainment, assuming you'll underperform promises to yourself), then negotiate based on that realistic number, not optimistic OTE.
Commission Structure: Base + Accelerator
Most sales roles: base salary + commission on sales above quota. Quota = monthly sales target. Below quota = no commission (or reduced). Above quota = accelerator kicks in (higher rate). Example: 5% commission, 7% accelerator means $0 commission at 80% quota, base rate at 100%, accelerated rate at 150%.
OTE (On-Target Earnings): The Real Number
OTE = base salary + commission at 100% quota. If $50k base + 5% commission on $100k quota = $55k OTE. This is what you'll make if you hit target. Actual earnings vary based on performance. Use OTE for offer comparison, not guarantees.
Quota Attainment: The Lever That Drives Income
80% quota = often no commission. 100% = base rate. 150% = accelerated rate (higher%). 200%+ = capped (most plans cap at 200% to prevent unlimited payouts). Model different attainment scenarios to understand earning potential.
Accelerator: Why Performance Matters
Base rate: 5%. Accelerator: +2% = 7% on overage. Hitting 150% quota instead of 100%: adds ~$5,000–$10,000/month in accelerated commission. The difference between hitting quota and crushing it is massive (30–50% income swing).
Clawback & Capping: Know Your Plan
Clawback: if deal cancels, commission is reversed. Common in SaaS. Capping: commission stops at 150–200% quota (prevents unlimited payouts). Read your offer letter carefully; these massively impact real earnings.