For a founding account executive, separate base salary from on-target earnings before comparing packages. In the two public examples checked here, Sim lists $150K–$180K base and $300K–$350K OTE; Artos lists $340K–$440K explicitly as OTE without a separate base range in the checked compensation fields.
OTE means on-target earnings: base salary plus target variable compensation under the plan. It does not mean guaranteed cash earnings.
Two founding AE compensation examples
Sample: two distinct postings from two employers, both listing San Francisco. Sources checked September 15, 2026.
| Employer and source | Annual base, USD | Advertised annual OTE, USD | Equity disclosure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sim | $150K–$180K | $300K–$350K | 0.15%–0.5% |
| Artos | Not separately specified in the checked fields | $340K–$440K | Offered; amount not specified |
Sim also publishes a $150K–$170K annual commission range and describes the plan as uncapped. The posting describes a 50/50 split; hiring teams should confirm the exact base and variable pairing for an individual offer rather than deriving it from the endpoints of broad ranges.
Artos’s structured field is labeled Salary, but the accompanying employer note says the amount is OTE. We preserve that meaning. Treating the range as base salary would give a misleading comparison.
Define the selling job first
A founding AE might create pipeline, run discovery, demonstrate the product, negotiate, and close. State which of those responsibilities remain with the founder and which the new hire owns. Include the target buyer, deal size, sales cycle, and what has already sold.
The first GTM hire guide helps separate a seller from growth, revenue operations, or a broader commercial leadership role.
The compensation questions a head of talent should resolve
| Component | What to make explicit |
|---|---|
| Base | Guaranteed annual salary and currency |
| Variable pay | Target amount, payout triggers, and any cap |
| Quota | Measurement period, what counts, and who owns the account |
| Ramp | Start-up period and any agreed guarantee or draw |
| Pipeline | What the company supplies and what the seller must source |
| Equity | Grant details and terms, separate from OTE |
Do not use a high OTE to compensate for an undefined selling motion. The candidate needs to understand the assumptions behind the target, and the founders need to know what support they will provide.
A simple arithmetic example
In a fictional plan with $160K base and $160K target commission, OTE is $320K. That is the plan’s target cash total. It says nothing about likely attainment without the quota, pipeline, ramp, and payout rules.
This example is arithmetic, not a Refery placement result or a recommended market package.
What these postings do not establish
Two selected advertisements cannot establish the market rate, typical commission attainment, or the salary for every GTM role. They are useful because they show how two employers describe compensation and why the definitions matter.
Sources and limits
Checked September 15, 2026. We used Refery’s job library to find relevant listings, then checked the public employer postings and their published compensation fields. These are selected examples, not a random or comprehensive sample. One listing counts once, and every row links to its source. They are not placement outcomes, accepted offers, or evidence that these employers are Refery clients.
Amounts are annual USD unless labeled otherwise. Company stage is not used to calculate a benchmark. Postings can change or close after our check. Read the selection and verification method or download the source table.