Head of Sales vs VP Sales: Title, Scope, and What It Means
Side-by-side salary and role data from real job postings.
Head of Sales
First or second sales hire at a startup. Builds the team from scratch, often carries a personal quota alongside management. Reports directly to the CEO.
VP Sales
Established sales leader at a scaled company. Manages multiple teams, owns the number, and operates through Directors and managers.
+19% comp premiumKey Differences
| Dimension | Head of Sales | VP Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Company Stage | Seed through Series B, building from zero | Series B+ or enterprise, scaling what exists |
| Personal Quota | Often carries a personal number alongside team quota | Rarely carries personal quota, owns team number |
| Team Building | Hires the first 5-10 reps, builds the playbook | Inherits or optimizes an existing team and playbook |
| Title Trajectory | Converts to VP Sales as company scales, or gets replaced by one | Established title recognized across companies |
When Companies Hire Each Role
Head of Sales is the right hire when you're pre-product-market-fit or early post-PMF and need someone who can sell, hire, and build process simultaneously. VP Sales is the right hire when you've proven the sales motion and need someone to scale it. The danger zone is hiring a VP Sales too early. They're used to operating with infrastructure that doesn't exist yet at a Series A.
Making the Transition
If you're a Head of Sales, your biggest risk is getting replaced by a VP Sales once the company raises a B round. Protect yourself by building scalable systems early: documented sales process, structured onboarding, and clean CRM data. If you can show the board that you built the foundation AND can operate at scale, you'll earn the VP title. If you just closed deals personally and the team fell apart without you, they'll hire over you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Head of Sales the same as VP Sales?
Functionally, they can be very similar, but the context differs. Head of Sales is most common at startups (Seed through Series B) where you're building from scratch. VP Sales is the standard title at scaled companies. At some startups, they use Head of Sales to signal that the person might not scale into the VP role long-term.
What does Head of Sales pay compared to VP Sales?
Head of Sales typically pays $150K-$210K base at startups, with more equity than a VP at a larger company (0.25%-1.0% vs 0.1%-0.5%). VP Sales averages $167,153-$250,931 base across 643 postings in our data. The cash comp is often similar, but the equity structures are very different.
Should I take a Head of Sales title at a startup?
If the equity is meaningful and you want to build something, yes. The title itself won't hold you back on your next role. What matters is the story: did you build a sales team from zero to $X million? That narrative is more compelling to future employers than any title. Just make sure you have board or investor visibility so your work is recognized beyond the four walls of the startup.
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