A fractional sales rep usually costs a fraction of a full-time hire: you pay a monthly retainer for a share of an experienced person's time, often 25% or 50%, instead of a full salary plus employer costs. A full-time business development manager costs roughly £47,000 a year in the UK, €76,000 in Germany and about $150,000 in the US once employer costs are added, before recruiting, travel or a single sale. On Repserve, a fractional BDM starts from $1,000 a month.
This guide sets out what a full-time hire really costs in four markets, what outsourced and fractional sales help usually costs, and how Repserve's model works.
What does a full-time sales rep cost?
The salary is only the start. Every country adds employer costs on top, such as social security, pensions, insurance or end-of-service pay. Here are typical figures for a business development manager (BDM) or B2B sales rep in 2026.
| Market | Typical base salary | Employer costs on top | Rough total per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK | £41,368 average (Payscale) | 15% employer National Insurance above £5,000 (Xero), plus at least 3% pension | about £47,000 |
| Germany | €62,500 average (StepStone) | About 21% social security (GTAI) | about €76,000 |
| US | $104,920 median, technical products (BLS) | Benefits are about 30% of total pay (BLS) | about $150,000 |
| UAE (Dubai) | AED 145,318 average (Payscale) | 20% to 35% for visa, health insurance and gratuity (RemotePass) | AED 175,000 to 196,000 |
Totals are our estimates from the sources above and leave out recruiting fees, a car or travel budget, laptop and software, and commission. Senior BDMs in specialist sectors earn well above these averages.
What else does a full-time hire cost?
- Time to hire. Finding, interviewing and onboarding a senior rep abroad often takes three to six months before the first meeting.
- A legal entity or an employer of record. Hiring directly in a new country usually means setting up a company or paying an employer-of-record provider every month.
- Notice and severance. If the market does not work out, ending a permanent contract can take months and cost money, especially in Europe.
- Ramp-up. A new hire with no local network can take a year to build a pipeline.
What do outsourced and fractional sales services cost?
Most sales outsourcing firms do not publish prices. Of the eight international market-entry firms we compare in our guide to the best fractional sales rep companies, none lists its fees. Published 2026 guides from US sales agencies give these ranges:
- Fractional SDR or lead generator: about $2,000 to $4,000 a month for 10 to 15 hours a week (GigRadar).
- Outsourced SDR programme: about $4,000 to $18,000 a month, or $150 to $600 per booked meeting (Revnew).
- Full outbound team: $6,000 to $15,000 a month for mid-market programmes (LeadHaste).
These are US figures for remote outbound teams. An experienced BDM who already sells in your sector and lives in your target market is a different service, and the price depends on that market's salary levels.
How does Repserve pricing work?
Repserve is a free marketplace. Posting a request costs nothing for companies, and you set your own monthly budget when you post it. Our talent acquisition team then shows you screened candidates who fit that budget, sector and market.
- Fractional BDMs are retained for 25%, 50% or 100% of their time, from $1,000 a month. 25% is 40 client-facing hours a month.
- Lead generators (from $500 a month), appointment setters (from $1,500 a month), digital marketers (from $500 a month) and distributor hunters (from $500 a month) work on a monthly retainer.
- Trade show and event representatives are paid by the hour, from $40 an hour.
- Commission is optional but encouraged. We do not offer commission-only arrangements, because reps paid only on commission tend to favour whichever brand sells fastest.
- Each Repserve professional works for no more than three clients at a time, and never for two that compete.
Fractional or full-time: which costs less?
For a new market, fractional almost always costs less in year one. A 25% BDM gives you an experienced local seller for 40 hours a month, with no entity, no recruiting fee and no severance risk. Move to 50% or 100% once the pipeline justifies it.
Full-time makes sense when one market already produces enough revenue to keep a senior person busy every day, or when the role includes managing a local team.
Want a figure for your market? Post a free request with your budget, or book a consultation and we will tell you what experienced reps in that market typically expect.
