How much does a major account sales rep make in CA?

jsoderbe · 07-29-2011, 11:48 PM

Hi guys,

I have a friend that got an interesting job offer, and since it is based in CA as most of the people on this board, I thought I could help him out by asking some questions.

He has a pretty good understanding for the cost of living in CA

, not so much about the income part and taxes. He has a masters degree, and more than 10 years of executive sales experience with excellent results. I know him, and he is a very successful guy.

The job is as sales manager/major account rep at a smaller management consultant company, with maybe 50 employees. They are specialized in large IT related projects, and has a very good reputation. They make good money, and has an ok growth plan.

Today they don't really have anyone selling, so they need someone for that part, and also for expanding to the east coast.

He got an offer, unfortunately he doesn't think it's not good enough, considering he has to relocate the entire family from Europe. On the other hand they want to move to the US, at least for a couple of years.

So, my question is how much someone in that role normally make in CA? Anything else he need to consider?

Any input would be very appreciated.

Thanks,

Johan

Jim Bremner · 07-30-2011, 01:32 AM

There's places that you could live well on $150k and other places live poorly on $200k. How many children?

Wht are their ages and does Mom plan on working?

jsoderbe · 03:01 AM

Sorry, it is LA based. Two kids, believe they are in preschool, wife not working since she doesnt have a work visa.

I think they know the expense part, but they dont know if a normal salary is $100, 150 or maybe over 200 k for a job like that.

Johan

Chocaholic · 07-30-2011, 04:30 AM

Those jobs normally combine a moderate base salary, say $100k, with a variable component based on sales results. Sell more, make more.

911Freak · 07-30-2011, 06:47 AM

Get the name of the company and search glassdoor.com or salary.com to get an idea of what they are paying or what similar companies are paying. If the position is that senior with an excellent company his salary could start at 200k (I've seen it many times) and end up in mid six figures if he hits his objectives. Senior/Executive Sales positions I've seen offered on Ladders echo this.

My .02 ->
Great job and compensation plan, if he has the track record and connections to succeed in Ca, it's a different climate here for sales. It's not enough to have a solid track record and a masters degree. It takes being in with the right group of people in networks within that industry field. Deals are closed in every way imaginable here....

Good Luck to him

PM me if you want more CA senior sales specifics etc

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

I do a lot of sales in CA. I'm based in Phoenix, but most of my business is in CA. I only work with gov't. agencies and non-profits and that's a tough sector in CA these days. Plenty of my state agency customers get furloughed a day or two per week and/or can never get any kind of spending approved. I deal mostly around LA, Sacramento and the Bay Area. I'm sure I'd be more successful if I picked one place, lived there and really networked there. But I'm the only guy from my department at my company working west of Chicago. So it's a vast territory. Unless you're switching companies within the same industry and same geo. area, there will probably be a long ramp-up period. I've been out west for over three yrs. now and just a few weeks ago made my first trip to LA where I didn't need my GPS to get to my 12 meetings over three days. It takes a while to get the lay of the land. On this last trip I realized how many of my clients out there used to work with each other or at least knew each other. When you start getting a network, things tend to get better. Takes a while though. I know I'd be way ahead if I spent more time there, attended networking events and was seen a lot more.

Don Plumley · Don Plumley's Garage

IT professional services: $100K base and $50-100K incentive package would be typical. There are firms with higher bases, but they tend to be well-known boutique shops. If it really is a sales management role, and not just a fancy title for a producing sales guy, $120-150 and lower override.

$100K base, depending on the benefit package (how much will family healthcare coverage eat), might be a little skinny depending on where in SoCal they are thinking. YMMV

cantdrv55 · 12:54 PM

I'm a major acct sales rep for a healthcare company. What's been posted so far is about right though my employer pays a lower base pay but the base/commissions and bonus ratio is pretty aggressive. It's 40/60 when you make your number and as high as 30/70 when you completely blow it out.

Hugh R · 07-30-2011, 04:59 PM

Whatever you do, you want to make $100K in LA to just do OK. Housing is down by 40% from the highs, but $250k doesn't get you anything you want to live in.

jsoderbe · 07-30-2011, 11:59 PM

Thanks guys, this is excellent information! It sounds about right compared to his offer. The problem is the exchange rate to the Euro, which make the offer seem smaller.

It sounds like his plan is to make sure they can live on the base salary (60/40 split) since the commisions will likely be close to zero first 6 months. But, the cost of living in CA is just crazy, which make it really hard.

Thanks!

Regards,

Johan

campbellcj · 07-31-2011, 10:22 AM

It totally depends what you're selling, for whom, and to whom. As mentioned above, a typical strong package would be a base salary $75-125K plus commissions based on a percentage of sales. For B2B software or IT consulting, say 5% on a $1mm quota, and that's $50k incentive comp. As mentioned above, benefits make an impact too with family insurance easily over $1k/month if not subsidized by the employer. Some reps get phone and car allowances. It all adds up esp. with the high cost of living here.

aigel · aigel's Garage

I don't know how much sales people make, but I can tell you more about the cost of living in the LA area: If he isn't guaranteed 100k salary, he should not move. Even living in the outskirts it will be no fun on anything but a six figure family income. You have to calculate at least $2500/mo for renting a decent house in a safe area with good schools.

He also needs to get in touch with a good immigration lawyer. There are ways to get a work permit for your spouse, depending on the work visa he is on. There are also ways to get her her own visa that allows her to work. Let me know if you need a reference.

For more cost of living / safety / schools info go to the following sites:

Los Angeles Real Estate & Los Angeles Homes For Sale | LA Life
Zillow - Real Estate, Homes for Sale, Home Prices & Values (now has rental information)
GreatSchools - Public and Private School Ratings, Reviews and Parent Community

Let us know what he decides!

George

nostatic · nostatic's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by aigel

You have to calculate at least $2500/mo for renting a decent house or apartment in a safe area with good schools.

Slight addition to that. Quality of life in LA is tied to commute times imho. With kids, the housing equation gets more complicated and expensive. You'd be hard pressed to raise a family in LA on 100K/year without a number of compromises but it depends on what you're used to and your expectations. You can get by on less but if you want decent schools you'll probably have a long commute, or you can have a short commute but need private schools ($$$) - lots of factors. Due to the logistics of travel here you need local knowledge to make an informed decision. "LA" is a huge area and generalizations are difficult even within the same zip code.