Your question	Use this
“What will this deal pay me?”	Commission calculator — rates, tiers, caps, chargebacks
“What is this job offer really worth?”	OTE calculator — base plus variable at any attainment
“What lands in my account this month?”	Commission paycheck calculator
“What do I earn if I beat quota?”	Accelerator calculator
“What percentage am I actually on?”	Commission rate calculator
“How does my draw work?”	Draw calculator
“How do we split this between the team?”	Commission pool calculator
“Where am I against quota?”	Quota attainment calculator

The six numbers in every commission plan

Base salaryThe guaranteed half. Drives borrowing capacity, pension and what a bad quarter looks like.

Commission rateThe percentage paid on sales — and crucially, the base it applies to: revenue, gross margin or units.

QuotaThe number you are measured against. How it was set matters more than how large it is.

ThresholdThe attainment below which commission is zero, commonly 60–80% of quota.

AcceleratorThe rate multiplier above quota, usually 1.5× to 3×. Where the real upside sits.

Cap and clawbackThe ceiling on earnings, and the right to recover commission when a deal cancels.

The most useful question before signing a sales plan: “What percentage of the team hit quota last year?” Above 60% and the OTE is credible. Below 40% and the headline number is marketing.

Read tiers, accelerators and caps and OTE vs base vs commission before comparing offers.

Commission questions

How is sales commission calculated?

Sale value multiplied by the commission rate, adjusted by any tier structure, with an accelerator applied above quota and a cap applied last. Chargebacks for cancelled deals are deducted separately.

What is a typical commission rate?

SaaS new business commonly pays 8-12% of first-year contract value, wholesale 2-7% of revenue, and margin-based plans 10-30% of gross margin. The rate depends heavily on how much base salary accompanies it.

What is the difference between commission and a bonus?

Commission is paid as a percentage of individual sales and usually has no ceiling on the number of transactions. A bonus is normally a target amount tied to overall performance against a plan. Many sales roles have both.

Which commission calculator should I use?

Use the commission calculator for a single deal or plan, the OTE calculator for a job offer, the paycheck calculator for one pay period, and the accelerator calculator to model earnings above quota.

Reviewed 20 August 2026 by the BonusPayCalc editorial team. Gross planning estimates only — not payroll, tax, legal or HR advice. See methodology for how formulas are chosen, or report a correction.