Most sales careers don't follow the ladder. They start on it — SDR, then AE — and then diverge into one of five paths, only one of which ends at VP Sales.
This is the full B2B SaaS sales career progression with realistic time in role, the skills that matter at each level, salary bands, and the alternative paths that most reps end up taking. The full-ladder path from SDR to VP Sales exists — but roughly 1 in 40 SDRs ever makes it. Knowing why is more useful than pretending the path is straightforward.
Salary bands below are US mid-market B2B SaaS at Series B-D. Coastal +10-20%, non-coastal -5-15%.
