SDR Salary Italy vs Greece: 2026 Comparison for B2B Teams

SDR Base Salaries: Italy vs Greece in 2026

Italy offers a mature B2B sales market with SDR base salaries ranging from €28K to €38K in major hubs like Milan, Rome, and Turin. Milan commands the highest rates due to its concentration of SaaS and fintech companies, where experienced SDRs can negotiate up to €42K base. Total employer cost (TEC) in Italy adds 32–38% for social contributions, TFR severance, and mandatory benefits — bringing all-in cost to €37K–€52K per SDR before variable compensation.

Greece has emerged as a compelling alternative with SDR base salaries of €14K–€22K, concentrated in Athens and Thessaloniki. The Greek tech ecosystem has grown significantly since 2022, producing SDRs fluent in English (85%+ of candidates) and often 2–3 additional European languages. Employer costs add 24–28% in Greece, resulting in a TEC of €17K–€28K — roughly half the Italian equivalent.

OTE Structures and Variable Compensation

Italian SDR OTE typically ranges from €40K to €55K, with variable compensation representing 30–35% of total package. Commission structures tend to follow monthly or quarterly cycles, and Italian labour law requires careful structuring to avoid reclassification of variable pay as fixed salary. Top performers in Milan SaaS companies can achieve €58K–€65K in total earnings.

Greek SDR OTE falls between €20K and €32K, with variable making up 25–35% of the package. Greece offers more flexibility in compensation design, with fewer regulatory constraints on commission structures. The lower cost of living means a €25K OTE in Athens provides comparable purchasing power to €38K–€42K in Milan, making Greek SDRs highly motivated at lower absolute compensation levels.

Talent Pool Quality and Language Capabilities

Italy has approximately 8,000–12,000 active SDRs, with strong B2B sales culture in the north (Lombardy, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna). Italian SDRs excel in relationship-based selling and are particularly effective for Southern European markets. However, English fluency varies — roughly 60% of the SDR talent pool operates at business-professional English level, and multilingual candidates (Italian + English + German or French) command a 15–20% premium.

Greece's SDR talent pool of 3,000–5,000 candidates is smaller but punches above its weight in language diversity. Greek SDRs typically speak 2.5 languages at business level, with high proficiency in English (90%+), and significant German, French, and Italian coverage. This makes Greek SDRs ideal for pan-European outbound campaigns targeting multiple markets from a single location.

The next decision after the cost picture is the model itself — [see when remote SDR capacity makes more sense than an in-house hire](/blog/build-in-house-sdr-team-vs-hire-remote-talent).

Building a Cost-Optimized Mediterranean SDR Team

1. The optimal Mediterranean strategy combines Italian market expertise with Greek cost efficiency. 2. A recommended structure: 1–2 senior Italian SDRs for the domestic Italian market (€45K–€55K OTE each) plus 3–4 Greek SDRs for pan-European outbound (€24K–€30K OTE each). 3. This blended team costs €147K–€175K total — 35–40% less than an all-Italian team of equivalent size. 4. Key considerations: Italian employment contracts are harder to terminate (notice periods of 1–3 months, severance obligations), while Greek contracts offer more flexibility. 5. Time zones are identical (CET+1), facilitating seamless collaboration.

Frequently Asked Questions