Sales Commission Calculator
Work out commission from a sale amount — flat rate or tiered.
Results update as you type.
About this calculator
A sales commission calculator works out what you earn on your sales. In flat mode it multiplies the total sales value by a single commission rate; in tiered (accelerator) mode it applies a higher rate to each band of sales as you cross thresholds — the structure most incentive plans use to reward reps for exceeding quota. Add a fixed base pay under advanced options to see your total take-home, and the tool reports the effective overall rate (commission ÷ total sales).
Worked example: a flat 5% on $50,000 of sales earns 50,000 × 0.05 = $2,500. On a tiered plan of 3% up to $25k, 5% up to $75k and 8% above, the same $50,000 earns 25,000 × 3% + 25,000 × 5% = 750 + 1,250 = $2,000, an effective rate of 4%. A tier breakdown table shows how much was earned in each band.
Reps use it to check a commission statement, model how much a bigger deal is worth once it pushes into a higher tier, and compare a base-plus-commission offer against a straight-commission one.
Frequently asked questions
How is sales commission calculated?
For a flat plan, multiply the total sales by the commission rate expressed as a decimal. A 5% commission on £50,000 of sales is 50,000 × 0.05 = £2,500.
How does tiered (accelerator) commission work?
Each band of sales earns its own rate — like the way income tax brackets work. With 3% up to £25k, 5% up to £75k and 8% above, £50,000 of sales earns 25,000 × 3% + 25,000 × 5% = £2,000. The effective rate is that total divided by all sales.
What is the difference between commission and total pay?
Commission is the variable amount earned from sales. Total pay adds any fixed base salary on top, so a rep on a base-plus-commission plan earns both regardless of how much they sell.
What is a typical commission rate?
It varies widely by industry — often 5–10% of sales value for retail and many B2B roles, but anywhere from 1–2% on high-ticket, low-margin goods to 20% or more on software or services with high margins. Tiered plans raise the rate above quota to reward top performers.
Is commission paid on revenue or on profit?
That depends on the plan. Many are paid on gross revenue (the sale amount), which is what this calculator uses; others pay on gross margin or profit to protect against discounting. Enter whichever figure your plan bases commission on as the sales amount.
How do base pay and commission combine into total pay?
Total pay is your fixed base salary plus the commission you earned. On the example tiered plan, a $20,000 base plus $2,000 commission is $22,000 for the period. On-target earnings (OTE) is what you would make if you hit quota exactly.
API — use this calculator from code
Call this calculator as a free JSON endpoint — no key required. Send the field values below as query parameters or JSON. Read the full API docs →
Endpoint
GET https://calculator.free/api/v1/sales-commission/curl
curl "https://calculator.free/api/v1/sales-commission/?sales=50000&mode=flat&rate=5"JavaScript fetch()
const r = await fetch(
"https://calculator.free/api/v1/sales-commission/?" + new URLSearchParams({
"sales": "50000",
"mode": "flat",
"rate": "5"
}));
const data = await r.json();
console.log(data.results);Results are estimates for general guidance only, not financial, medical or tax advice.