Bottom quarter
$79K
Business Development Salary in San Diego
Base pay and on-target total cash for a quota-carrying role. Calculated from 1M+ data points, refreshed monthly.
Base salary
Median
$94K
Top quarter
$111K
Top 10%
$124K
Total earnings at quota (base + commission)
Bottom quarter
$122K
Median
$145K
Top quarter
$171K
Top 10%
$192K
Adjusted for San Diego at 1.13× the national baseline. Total cash assumes 100% of quota — actual earnings vary by attainment. See the math →
What this number means.
Business Development in San Diego pulls a median of $144,640 in total earnings at quota, with a top-quartile band reaching $170,780 and the strongest reps clearing $191,692. Base — your guaranteed floor before commission — sits around $93,790, with the top quarter of base offers landing at $110,740. Total earnings are base + commission at 100% of quota. Pay in San Diego runs about 13% above the national baseline. $170,780 is what top-quartile Business Development earnings look like in San Diego when you hit quota. Don't undersell the variable.
How to negotiate this
- Anchor$170,780 total earnings — top quarter for reps hitting quota in this market. This is the number you say first.
- Target$157,710 total earnings — where a fair counter lands. Above the middle of the pack, below the anchor.
- Floor$144,640 total earnings — below this, you're under the middle of the market. Walking away gets cheaper than staying.
Carry the math. Not the maybe.
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Business Development elsewhere
Adjacent metros
Read how these numbers are computed →
Numbers are estimates. Your offer depends on the company, the level, the stock piece, and the conversation you're about to have. AMMO is a tool. You are the negotiator.