Sales & Marketing

How to become an Account Executive

From sales representative: every step, how long it takes, and the credential it earns.

Time to get there

2–4 years

Typical pay

$75k–$130k

Starting from

Sales representative

The route

1. 1

   1–2 years

   Come from SDR or inside sales

   The standard promotion path, usually after a year of hitting quota.

   Course that covers thisFoundations of SalesUdemy · around $19.99 →
2. 2

   6–12 months

   Learn to run a full cycle

   Prospect to close, including multi-stakeholder deals and procurement.

3. 3

   Get deep in the CRM and forecasting

   Accurate forecasting is what gets you the larger territory.

   Course that covers thisSalesforce Administrator (Admin-201) Practice Exams : 2026Udemy · around $19.99 →
4. 4

   2–3 years

   Move upmarket

   Mid-market then enterprise. Deal size is where the compensation is.

5. ✓

   Destination

   Account Executive

   Browse jobs now →

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