Inside Sales vs Field Sales Cost Comparison Calculator
Inside sales reps cost $130K-$180K fully-loaded; field reps cost $250K-$400K. The crossover where field becomes profitable depends on ACV and close rate lift. Calculate your breakeven and pick the right motion.
| Inside rep total cost | — |
| Inside revenue per rep | — |
| Inside cost as % of revenue | — |
| Field rep total cost | — |
| Field revenue per rep | — |
| Field cost as % of revenue | — |
| ACV crossover (field beats inside above) | — |
Inside sales reps cost $130K-$180K fully-loaded and close 25-40 deals/year at $25K-$60K ACV. Field reps cost $250K-$400K fully-loaded and close 8-15 deals/year at $100K-$300K ACV. The crossover where field becomes profitable depends on ACV — typically above $75K. Below that, inside sales wins on cost ratio.
When Field Wins
Field sales (in-person, regional rep, customer visits) wins for: (1) ACV >$100K where trust and procurement complexity require in-person, (2) regulated industries (healthcare, financial services, government) where buying committees expect site visits, (3) products requiring on-site demo or implementation, (4) account expansion in enterprise where regular face-time drives multi-year contracts. Cost ratio target: 22-30% of revenue.
When Inside Wins
Inside sales (Zoom, phone, email) wins for: (1) ACV <$50K where field economics break, (2) self-serve adjacent products with shorter sales cycles, (3) SMB and mid-market segments, (4) PLG motions where rep is assist not driver. Cost ratio target: 18-25% of revenue. Bridge Group benchmark: top quartile inside teams achieve 15% cost ratio with 40+ deals per rep per year.
Last updated May 2026. Sources: Bridge Group SaaS Sales Benchmarks.