How much does an SDR cost? $90k to $130k a year

An SDR costs $90,000 to $130,000 a year fully loaded in the US, or $7,500 to $10,800 a month (Sushidata, 2026). By our own estimate, a junior SDR in Sweden costs 46,000 to 59,000 SEK a month all in: base salary, 31.42% employer contributions, tools and overhead. Add 3 to 6 months of ramp and you pay over 150,000 SEK before the first real meeting.

The US figure covers a base salary around $55,000 plus benefits, recruiting, management and tools. Below is our own calculation line by line, with Swedish numbers.

What is included in the fully loaded cost?

Base salary is only the starting point. We estimate a junior SDR's base salary in a major Nordic city at 32,000 to 38,000 SEK a month. Then everything around it is added:

Source: Revexa estimate, with the 31.42% employer contribution rate that applies in Sweden in 2026.

Commission comes on top, but at least it is tied to results. The fixed cost runs regardless.

Why does it take 3 to 6 months before an SDR delivers?

No SDR books meetings in week one. The person has to learn your product, your audience, your most common objections and your CRM. The industry rule of thumb is 3 to 6 months of ramp before an SDR reaches full productivity.

Run the numbers. Four months of ramp times about 52,000 SEK fully loaded is about 210,000 SEK. Even with a fast ramp and a few early meetings along the way, you pass 150,000 SEK in investment before the pipeline gives anything back.

What is the real risk of hiring?

The calculation above assumes the hire succeeds. It does not always.

• A bad hire. If you notice after four months that it is not working, you have burned the ramp cost and are back at square one.
• Turnover. SDR is a stepping stone role. When the person moves on, ramp and recruiting start over.
• Management time. Someone has to coach, set targets and follow up. That hour usually comes from your most expensive person.

What alternatives exist and what do they cost?

Before you sign an employment contract, compare with the most common alternatives:

• Outreach agency. A retainer, often with a lock in period. You avoid recruiting, but quality varies widely and the agency rarely works your existing leads.
• Tools plus your own time. Platforms in the Apollo and Instantly class start at about $50 a month per seat or account. Cheap on paper, but someone on your side has to build lists, write emails and handle replies. That time is rarely free.
• Performance models. You pay per booked meeting instead of a fixed retainer. The risk shifts from you to the vendor, but always check how the meetings are qualified. More in pay per meeting.
• AI agents. AI SDRs start at $250 per month (AiSDR Solo) and run to thousands on annual contracts. A buying-signal agent like Leo costs $99 per month: he finds companies showing buying signals, drafts in your voice and you approve every message. You still need someone to take the meetings.

Another path that is often forgotten is to work what you already have. Many leads are never followed up: when HBR's researchers tested 2,241 US companies, 23 percent never answered a web inquiry at all (HBR, 2011). And a new B2B SaaS lead costs $249 to generate, blended across channels (First Page Sage, 2026). Before you hire someone to chase new contacts, it is worth asking why the old ones sit untouched.

When is a hired SDR still the right choice?

Be honest with yourself here. Your own SDR is right when you have a proven sales process, enough lead volume to fill a full time role and someone with time to lead the person. If you have that, a hire is a good investment. If you are missing any of the three parts, you are paying half a million a year to find that out.

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Frequently asked questions

How much does an SDR cost per year?

In the US, $90,000 to $130,000 fully loaded, according to Sushidata's 2026 report: a base around $55,000 plus 20 to 30 percent in benefits and overhead, recruiting, management and $3,000 to $8,000 in tools. In Sweden, by our own estimate, about 500,000 to 610,000 SEK a year fully loaded, before commission.

What does an outsourced SDR cost?

SDR-as-a-service agencies usually charge a monthly retainer, a price per booked meeting or a mix, often with a minimum term. Prices vary too much for one honest number. Ask for the price per completed meeting and compare it with an in-house SDR at roughly 3,000 to 4,500 SEK per meeting once ramped, by our estimate.

What does an SDR cost per booked meeting?

If a fully ramped SDR books 10 to 15 meetings per month at a fully loaded cost of about 52,000 SEK, the price lands at roughly 3,500 to 5,200 SEK per meeting. During ramp the number is considerably higher.

How long is the ramp for an SDR?

Count on 3 to 6 months before full productivity. A complex product and a long sales cycle push toward the upper end.

What does a bad hire cost?

Ramp plus recruiting cost plus a new ramp for the replacement. In practice 200,000 to 400,000 SEK and half a year of lost pipeline.