Head of sales salary · national, London and commission
What a head of sales earns, base, London and the commission on top
A head of sales earns a median advertised salary of £75,000 in IT Jobs Watch’s count of IT-sector permanent job ads over the six months to 4 October 2026, from 62 quoted salaries. The middle half of those ads ran from £66,250 to £90,000, and London ads had a £90,000 median.
The head of sales salary depends on the size of the team and the number, the sector, the location and whether the role is the top sales seat or reports to a sales director. Commission comes on top. When you hire a head of sales through us, permanent, fractional or interim, we send a shortlist of 3–5, each with pay or day rate, availability and IR35 position set out.
How a brief runswhat we undertake
- 01Brief30-MINUTE SCOPING CALLDay 0
- 02Shortlist of 3–5VETTED · RATE BENCHMARK · IR35After the brief
- 03InterviewsYOU MEET THE SHORTLISTYour diary
- 04Scoped startFIRST-MONTH OUTCOMES AGREEDYou set the date
- 05Fractional, interim and permanentIR35 POSITION SET OUTOn every brief
Shortlist3–5
15 minutes · video or phone
Book 15 minutes to hire a head of sales
Tell us the scope and the days a week. We come back with Head of Sales candidates, their day rates and availability.
- 0115 minutes, video or phone
- 02We scope the role and the days a week
- 03A shortlist of 3–5 after the call
- 04Fractional, interim and permanent briefs
Pick a day that suits · live availability
On the board · last 3 months
Head of sales jobs on the board
No Head of sales roles on the board right now.
We only show real vacancies from the last three months, each marked whether we could confirm it is still open — we never pad the board. New Head of sales roles appear here as our pipeline finds them.
Live sales leadership roles
Fractional recruiting starts with the brief, not the CV pile. Send a Head of Sales brief and we come back with a shortlist of three to five candidates, each through five-stage vetting.
01/ the role
What a head of sales does, and what sets the pay
A head of sales runs the selling: the team, the pipeline, the forecast and the number. In a smaller business it is often the first senior sales hire and the most senior sales role; in a larger one it usually sits under a sales director or chief revenue officer and runs a team, region or segment. The Institute of Sales Professionals’ Sales Capability Framework sets out the knowledge, skills and behaviours the work draws on. For the role in full, see what a head of sales does.
Pay follows the scope. A head of sales who owns the whole number, hires the team and sits on the leadership team is paid towards the top of the range; one who runs a segment under a director is paid towards the middle. For the seat above, see sales director salary.
IT Jobs Watch counts the salaries quoted in IT-sector job ads, so its figures are advertised base pay for sales leaders in technology businesses, before commission or negotiation. Outside technology, base pay can sit lower and commission can carry more of the package.
02/ scope
How to hire a head of sales
1. Scope the seat
Write down what the role owns: new business, account growth, a region, channel partners, or the whole number. Say how large the team is, what the target is and how it was set, and whether the role reports to the chief executive or a sales director.
2. Choose the route
A permanent head of sales suits a business whose pipeline needs an owner every day; see the open head of sales jobs. If you need senior sales leadership for part of the week, see fractional head of sales jobs.
3. Set base and commission together
The CIPD’s introduction to reward separates guaranteed base pay from variable pay, which is not guaranteed. Commission is usually contractual, so Acas advises setting it out in the written statement and changing it only by changing the contract.
What we do on a head of sales brief
We recruit permanent, fractional, interim, part-time and temporary sales leaders, and non-executive directors. We send a shortlist of 3–5, each with pay or day rate, availability and IR35 position set out, and every candidate goes through our five-stage vetting first.
03/ rates by stage
Head of sales salary national and London
Advertised base salaries from IT Jobs Watch: IT-sector permanent job ads, six months to 4 October 2026, 62 quoted salaries. Commission is not included. Each figure is quoted as the source publishes it.
04/ economics
Base, commission and on-costs: what the seat costs you
A salary is not the whole cost of an employee. For 2026 to 2027, employer’s National Insurance is 15% on earnings above £5,000 a year (HMRC rates and thresholds). Under automatic enrolment, the employer must pay at least 3% into a workplace pension on qualifying earnings, and those earnings include bonuses (GOV.UK).
Commission is pay too. HMRC treats a cash bonus as earnings, with PAYE tax and Class 1 National Insurance deducted through payroll, so budget employer’s National Insurance on the commission as well as the base. A day rate does not compare one for one with a salary; under the off-payroll working rules (IR35), a medium or large client makes the status determination. Our IR35 guide sets out the tests.
05/ vetting
How we vet head of saless
What we undertake on every brief, before a candidate reaches you.
- 01
Qualification screen
Verify Head of Sales tenure, sector context and stage fit.
SOURCING - 02
Mandate fit
Match to your situation — stage, board dynamics, timing.
MATCHING - 03
Reference deep-dive
We take references ourselves, from recent past clients — real outcomes, not titles.
VERIFY - 04
Shortlist
Three to five candidates with day rate, availability and IR35 position set out.
SHORTLIST OF 3–5
06/ head of sales salary London
Head of sales salary in London: what the capital pays
IT Jobs Watch puts the head of sales salary in London at a £90,000 median across 22 London job ads over the six months to 4 October 2026, against £75,000 for the UK excluding London.
In London, budget for the package as well as the base: commission, any car or travel allowance and the pension. Say in the brief whether the role is office-based or hybrid, and how much of the territory sits outside the capital.
07/ head of sales commission
Head of sales commission: the part of the package on top
No source we can verify publishes a head of sales commission rate or on-target earnings figure, so we do not quote one. The advertised medians above are base pay only; the commission plan is agreed per role.
Ask three things of any plan: what the target is and how it was set, whether commission is paid on bookings or on cash received, and what happens to commission when someone leaves. Put the answers in the contract.
08/ questions
Head of sales salary FAQ
The questions people ask before bringing in a head of sales.
Book 15 minutes · shortlist of 3–5
Bring the brief. We architect the team.
A shortlist of 3–5 with day rate, availability and IR35 position set out, after five-stage vetting.
