What company pays the best commission?

Editorial team Published on

Enterprise tech and cloud computing companies like Workday and Snowflake pay the highest total commissions and on-target earnings (OTE), often exceeding $150,000 to $300,000+ per year in commission alone.

Rather than focusing on a single company, look at the industries and structures that consistently yield the highest payouts. High commission depends heavily on deal size, contract type, and complexity.

📈 Top High-Commission Industries & Companies

  • 🏢 Enterprise SaaS & Cloud Tech
    • Examples: Snowflake, Workday, Paycom, Oracle.
    • Why it pays well: Multi-million-dollar contract sizes and recurring annual revenue.
    • Average Commission: $100,000 – $160,000+.
  • 🏥 Medical Device & Pharmaceutical Sales
    • Examples: Stryker, Medtronic, Johnson & Johnson.
    • Why it pays well: High-ticket, specialized products requiring clinical expertise.
    • Average Commission: $30,000 – $65,000+ per year.
  • 🏠 Real Estate & Mortgage Brokerages
    • Examples: Independent brokerages or high-volume local teams.
    • Why it pays well: 100% commission or high percentage splits on massive property values.
    • Average Commission: Varies widely ($50,000 to $200,000+ per year based on volume).

💡 How to Evaluate a Commission Plan

  • 📊 Look at OTE (On-Target Earnings)
    • Combined base salary plus expected commission.
    • Ensures realistic baseline income.
  • ⚠️ Watch for Capped vs. Uncapped Commission
    • Capped plans limit maximum earnings.
    • Uncapped plans reward overperformance.
  • 🔎 Check the Sales Cycle Length
    • Short cycles (auto, retail) mean frequent, smaller payouts.
    • Long enterprise cycles (6–12 months) mean delayed, massive payouts.

What job pays the highest commission?

Enterprise Account Executives and SaaS Sales Executives earn the highest commissions, with total compensation often exceeding $170,000 to $250,000 per year due to multi-million dollar business contracts.

Top High-Commission Jobs

  • Enterprise Sales / Account Executive: Manages large business-to-business (B2B) accounts. Commissions are large because single contracts can be worth millions of dollars. Average total earnings often surpass $170,000.
  • Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) Enterprise AE: Sells complex cloud and software subscriptions to large corporations. Deals involve recurring annual revenue, yielding massive commission payouts.
  • Real Estate Agent: Sells residential or commercial properties. Agents earn a percentage of the total property price (typically 5% to 6% split between agents and brokerages). Top agents in active markets make hundreds of thousands of dollars.
  • Medical Device Sales Representative: Sells surgical tools and high-tech medical equipment to hospitals. Products are expensive and vital, leading to high commission checks. Average total pay ranges from $110,000 to $150,000+.
  • Industrial Equipment Sales Representative: Sells heavy machinery, factory tools, and large HVAC systems. Total yearly pay including commission can reach $170,000 to $240,000.

Key Factors for High Commissions

  • Deal Size: Selling expensive products or enterprise software to big companies pays more than selling small consumer items.
  • Uncapped Structure: Many top-tier sales roles feature uncapped commissions, meaning there is no limit on how much money you can make if you exceed your sales goals.
  • Sales Cycle: Larger commissions require longer, harder sales cycles that take months of negotiation with many company decision-makers.

How much commission does a salesman make on a $50,000 car?

A car salesman typically makes $200 to $600 in commission on a $50,000 car, though the actual amount can range from a $100 "mini-deal" minimum to over $1,000 depending on the dealership's profit.

How Car Sales Commission Works

  • Based on Profit, Not Price: Commission is almost never paid as a straight percentage of the total vehicle price ($50,000). Instead, it is calculated using the front-end gross profit (the selling price minus the dealer's cost or invoice price).
  • The "Pack" Deduction: Before the profit is calculated, dealerships often subtract a fixed internal fee called a "pack" (usually a few hundred dollars) off the top.
  • Commission Percentage: Salesmen usually earn 20% to 30% of the remaining front-end gross profit.
  • The "Mini-Deal": If a $50,000 car is sold at or below invoice with little to no dealer profit, the salesman receives a guaranteed flat minimum commission, known as a "mini," which typically pays $100 to $250.

Example Scenarios

  • Low Profit / Discounted Sale: If the dealership only makes $500 in profit after costs and packs, a 25% commission pays the salesman $125. If there is zero profit, they get a flat $150 mini.
  • Average Profit Sale: If the dealership makes $2,000 in profit on the $50,000 car, a 25% commission yields $500 for the salesman.
  • High Profit / Add-ons Sale: If the car has a high markup or includes profitable add-ons resulting in a $4,000 gross profit, a 25% rate pays $1,000.

What job makes $10,000 a month without a degree?

You can earn $10,000 a month ($120,000 per year) without a college degree through high-commission sales roles, specialized skilled trades, or government and aviation operations.

Earning this amount typically requires specialized licenses, apprenticeships, strong performance, or building your own business rather than a formal university education.

High-Commission Sales

  • Real Estate Broker or Agent: Real Estate Agents do not need a degree, just a state license. Success in high-end or high-volume markets can push monthly commissions well past $10,000.
  • Insurance Sales Agent / Broker: Specialized or life insurance sales offer uncapped commission structures and performance bonuses where top producers routinely cross the six-figure annual threshold.
  • B2B / SaaS Sales: Selling software or high-ticket business services relies heavily on communication skills and persistence rather than a diploma, offering high base salaries plus lucrative commission packages.

Skilled Trades & Technical Work

  • Elevator Installer and Repairer: This trade requires an apprenticeship and often union training. Overtime and shift work regularly push annual earnings above $106,000 (roughly $8,800 to $10,000+ a month).
  • Electrician or Plumber (Self-Employed): While starting out as an apprentice pays less, running your own contracting business with a small crew allows skilled electricians and plumbers to net $150,000 to $250,000 a year.

Government, Aviation & Specialized Roles

  • Air Traffic Controller: The median salary sits at over $144,000 a year (about $12,000 a month), requiring Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Academy training and testing instead of a four-year degree.
  • Commercial Pilot: Non-airline commercial pilots and private charters average over $122,000 annually, requiring a high school diploma and FAA flight licenses.
  • Power Plant Operator: Shift work, overtime, and experience can scale earnings past $100,000 a year with vocational training or an associate degree.

Freelancing and Digital Business

  • Freelance Web Developer or Digital Marketer: Self-taught professionals who build a strong portfolio can scale their income by landing multiple high-paying remote clients or running a boutique agency.

Is a $100 commission job worth it?

Whether a $100 commission-per-sale job is worth it depends entirely on how many hours it takes to close a deal and the quality of the leads provided.

When It Is Worth It

  • Fast Sales Cycle: If you can close multiple sales in a single day (like quick retail or short-form phone sales), making $100 per sale can add up to a solid hourly or daily wage.
  • Warm Leads: If the company hands you high-intent, ready-to-buy customers, your conversion rate will be high enough to make steady money.
  • Low Time Investment: If a sale takes 15 to 30 minutes of work, $100 is a great return on your time.

When It Is Not Worth It

  • Long Sales Cycles: If it takes weeks or months of chasing a client to earn that single $100 payout, your effective hourly wage will drop well below minimum wage.
  • Cold Outreach: If you have to cold-call or door-knock for 10 hours just to get one $100 conversion, the pay is far too low for the effort.
  • No Base Salary: 100% commission roles mean zero pay during slow weeks, putting all the financial risk on you. Most users on Glassdoor advise caution with commission-only jobs unless you have financial savings to fall back on.

10 BEST Commission Jobs You Can Start Right Now

9 related questions found

What jobs pay $3,000 a day?

Earning $3,000 a day typically requires running a business, closing high-value sales commissions, or specialized medical expertise rather than working a standard hourly job.

Jobs and business models that can reach this daily income level rely on output or transaction value instead of fixed hours:

1. Skilled Trades and Construction Business Owners

  • What they do: Master electricians, plumbers, and general contractors who own companies rather than working for wages.
  • How they hit $3,000/day: By managing crews and handling commercial panel upgrades, office build-outs, or major remodeling projects, they capture the full project margin.

2. High-Ticket Commission Sales

  • What they do: Enterprise software (SaaS) sales reps, luxury real estate brokers, and medical device salespeople.
  • How they hit $3,000/day: These roles pay massive commissions per closed contract. A single signed enterprise deal or luxury home sale can generate thousands of dollars in a single day.

3. Medical Specialists and Surgeons

  • What they do: Specialized physicians and surgeons perform complex, high-risk procedures.
  • How they hit $3,000/day: Their daily billing and relative value units (RVUs) easily clear this threshold, though it requires over a decade of intensive education and training.

4. Online Business Owners and Content Creators

  • What they do: Successful e-commerce store owners or large-scale digital creators (YouTube, TikTok, podcasts).
  • How they hit $3,000/day: During peak shopping seasons or viral sponsorship months, revenue can exceed $3,000 a day—though true profit depends on overhead and ad spend.

You can read more about these alternative paths and expectations on Tallo.

Is 5% commission a lot?

Whether a 5% commission is high depends entirely on the industry and what is being sold.

Real Estate

A 5% commission is typical to slightly below average for home sales.

  • Standard Rate: The traditional total rate ranges from 5% to 6% of the home's final sale price.
  • The Split: This total is usually split between the seller's agent and the buyer's agent (about 2.5% to 3% each).
  • Context: On a $400,000 home, a 5% fee equals $20,000. While large in total dollars, it is the standard market rate and is fully negotiable.

Sales and B2B Industries

A 5% commission is on the lower side for general sales roles.

  • B2B and SaaS: Business-to-business and software sales typically range from 5% to 15% (and often higher with accelerators).
  • Retail and Low-Margin Goods: Rates of 5% to 10% are common.
  • High-Ticket or High-Margin Goods: Items like luxury goods or auto sales often see commissions of 20% or more.
  • Services and Manufacturing: Manufactured goods average 7% to 15%, while specialized services can range from 20% to 50%.

How much does a car salesman make off a $20,000 car?

A car salesperson typically makes between $200 and $600 on a $20,000 car, but the exact amount depends entirely on the vehicle's profit margin (the gross profit) rather than its selling price.

How the Commission is Calculated

Salespeople are rarely paid a percentage of the total purchase price. Instead, they are paid a percentage of the front-end gross profit, which is the difference between what the dealership paid for the car and what they sold it to you for (minus any dealership "pack" fees).

  • The Commission Rate: Most dealerships pay between 20% and 30% of the front-end gross profit.
  • The "Pack": Many stores deduct a fixed fee (a pack, often $300 to $700) from the profit before calculating the commission.
  • Back-End Bonuses: Some pay plans add a small percentage (1% to 3%) of back-end profits if you buy finance products, insurance, or extended warranties.

Scenarios for a $20,000 Car

  • High Profit Deal ($3,000 profit): If the dealership bought a used car for $17,000 and sold it for $20,000 (a $3,000 gross profit), a 25% commission yields $750 (or around $500–$600 after a standard pack fee is subtracted).
  • Average Deal ($1,500 profit): If the gross profit is $1,500, a 20% to 25% commission lands right around $300 to $375.
  • The "Mini-Deal" ($0 profit or a loss): If the car is discounted heavily, sold at a loss, or has no profit margin, the salesperson gets a guaranteed minimum flat rate called a "mini," which is typically only $100 to $250.

Do car salesmen get paid if they don't sell?

Car salespeople generally do not earn a commission if they do not sell a car, but whether they receive any pay depends on their specific dealership's pay plan and local labor laws.

How Pay Works Without Sales

  • Zero Commission: If a salesperson makes no sales during a pay period, they earn $0 in commission for that time.
  • Minimum Wage Guarantees: In many regions, employment laws require that non-exempt workers receive at least the legal minimum wage for all hours worked. If a salesperson's commissions do not meet minimum wage for the hours put in, the dealership must make up the difference.
  • Draws Against Commission: Some dealerships offer a "draw"—a regular advance or mini-salary. If a salesperson fails to sell enough cars to cover the draw, they may owe money back to the dealership, a situation known as being "in the bucket".
  • Base Salaries: A small number of dealerships move away from pure commission and offer a modest hourly wage or flat base salary, sometimes combined with smaller bonuses.

You can read more about the realities of dealership compensation structures in this breakdown from MotorTrend or an insider perspective on Jalopnik.

How much does a car salesman make on a $10,000 car?

A car salesman typically makes between $100 and $500 on a $10,000 car, because commission is based on the vehicle's gross profit (markup), not its total sale price.

How the Commission Works

  • Not Based on Total Price: Salesmen do not get a percentage of the full $10,000 price tag. They get a percentage (usually 20% to 30%) of the profit the dealership made on that specific car.
  • The "Pack" Deduction: Before calculating profit, the store subtracts a "pack" fee (often $500 to $800) to cover stocking and prep costs.
  • The "Mini-Deal": A $10,000 car is usually an older, lower-priced used car. If the dealership made little to no profit on the sale after the pack fee, the deal falls below the minimum payout. In this case, the salesperson receives a guaranteed flat minimum—known as a "mini-deal"—which typically pays $100 to $250.
  • If There Is Profit: If the dealer bought the car for $8,000, sold it for $10,000, and had a $500 pack, the remaining gross profit is $1,500. At a 25% commission rate, the salesman would earn about $375.