Free calculator
SDR cost calculator: human SDR vs AI SDR
What a sales development rep really costs per month once benefits and payroll taxes are in, next to what the same month of outreach costs with Sara. Change any number.
Human SDR
Default: BLS median for sales reps of services; wages are 70% of employer cost (BLS).
Sara: a month of outreach
20,750 credits: cheapest option is $100/mo plan + $50 in credit packs.
Difference per month
One human SDR costs about 56× this month of Sara.
This compares cost, not output: a person and an AI SDR do different amounts of different work. Starter credits (500) aren't counted.
How the numbers work
- Human SDR: yearly pay ÷ (wages' share of total employer cost) ÷ 12, plus tools. Default pay is $69,990, the Median annual wage, Sales Representatives of Services (SOC 41-3091), May 2025. BLS doesn't track SDRs separately; this is the closest occupation. OEWS wages include commissions. Wages are 70% of private-industry compensation costs (BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, June 2026); the rest is insurance, paid leave, retirement and payroll taxes.
- Sara: each action costs credits (1 credit = 1¢): leads 4, decision-maker lookups 15, emails 3, texts 5, call minutes 31.67. The calculator picks the cheapest way to buy that many credits: a monthly plan ($35, $100, $500 for 4,500, 15,000, 90,000 credits), topped up with one-time credit packs if needed, or packs alone.
- Searches (3 credits each) are a small extra not shown here.
Common questions
How much does an SDR cost?
The closest occupation BLS tracks, sales representatives of services, has a median pay of $69,990 a year (May 2025). Wages are 70% of what private employers spend per worker, so with benefits and payroll taxes one rep costs about $8,332 a month, before tools or management.
How much does an AI SDR cost?
Sara charges per action: about 31.7¢ per call minute, 5¢ per text, 3¢ per email, 4¢ per lead and 15¢ per decision-maker lookup. Plans start at $35/month for 4,500 credits.
Is an AI SDR as good as a human SDR?
At list building, first touches and relentless follow-up, it keeps up with no off days. People are still better at reading a complicated deal or a relationship. Most teams use an AI SDR to feed meetings to whoever closes.
See what a month of Sara gets you
500 free credits to start. No contract; plans and packs are month to month.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, June 2026.
- Sara's prices: current plans and per-action credit rates.