In short
- SDRs and BDRs open conversations and book meetings. Account Executives (AEs) run demos and close deals.
- Many companies use SDR and BDR for the same job. Where they differ, BDRs focus on outbound and SDRs on inbound leads.
- A common path is SDR, then Senior SDR, then AE, then Senior or Enterprise AE, then Sales Manager.
- Each step usually brings bigger deals, more responsibility and higher pay.
The roles side by side
| SDR / BDR | Account Executive (AE) | |
|---|---|---|
| Main goal | Book qualified meetings | Close deals |
| Typical work | Research, outreach, first calls, qualification | Demos, proposals, negotiation, closing |
| Measured on | Meetings or pipeline created | Revenue closed |
| Typical experience | 0–2 years | 2+ years |
| Typical pay in India | ₹4.5–8 LPA incl. variable | ₹12–22 LPA OTE |
SDR vs BDR
The titles overlap heavily. At companies that separate them, an SDR follows up people who've already shown interest (inbound), and a BDR reaches out to people who haven't (outbound). Plenty of teams do both under one title, so read the job description rather than relying on the title.
The full ladder
| Level | Typical years | What you do | Typical pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| SDR / BDR | 0–2 | Start conversations and book qualified meetings | ₹4.5–8 LPA |
| Senior SDR / SDR team lead | 1.5–3 | Handle bigger accounts and coach new SDRs | ₹8–14 LPA |
| Account Executive | 2–4 | Run demos and close the deals SDRs open | ₹12–22 LPA OTE |
| Senior / Enterprise AE | 4–7 | Close larger deals with several decision-makers | ₹20–35 LPA OTE |
| Sales Manager / Head of Sales | 6+ | Lead a team and own the sales target | ₹30–50 LPA OTE |
Typical ranges at Indian B2B SaaS companies. Pay varies by company, funding stage and performance.
How people move up
- Consistently hitting meeting targets
- Getting good at discovery calls, the core skill for AEs
- Shadowing AEs on demos and taking on small deals
- Coaching newer SDRs, which leads to team lead roles
Other paths from SDR
Not everyone becomes an AE. SDR experience also leads to customer success, account management, partnerships, sales operations and marketing roles, because it teaches you how customers think and buy.
Questions people ask
Which is better, SDR or BDR?
Neither. They're usually the same level. Read the job description to see whether the work is mostly outbound, inbound or both.
How long does it take to go from SDR to AE?
Often two to four years, depending on your results and the company. Fast-growing companies sometimes promote sooner.
What does an Account Executive do?
An AE takes the meetings SDRs book, runs product demos, handles negotiation and closes the deal. AEs are measured on revenue closed.
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