SDR vs BDR vs appointment setter: which role do you need?
These three titles are used interchangeably in UK job adverts, which is why so many sales hires miss. They are three different jobs with three different success measures.
Last reviewed 2026
The short version
An appointment setter books held meetings, usually paid per appointment. An SDR qualifies prospects inside a known ideal customer profile and hands over sales-ready conversations. A BDR develops net-new markets, accounts and partnerships where the route to market is not yet proven.
- Appointment setter — measured on held, qualified appointments
- SDR — measured on qualified opportunities accepted by sales
- BDR — measured on new accounts, partners and markets opened
Which to hire first
If your closers have spare calendar capacity, hire setters. If your closers are busy but taking poor-fit calls, hire an SDR to tighten qualification. If growth has stalled because your existing market is saturated, hire a BDR.
Typical UK compensation
Setters are commonly paid per held appointment or a modest base plus per-appointment bonus. SDRs typically sit around £26k-£34k base with £8k-£15k OTE. BDRs are more senior at roughly £30k-£45k base with £10k-£25k OTE.
Questions people ask
- Can one person do all three roles?
- Rarely well. The activity profile and temperament differ, and combining them usually means the highest-volume task quietly consumes the others.
- Do I need SDRs if I buy appointments?
- Not initially. Done-for-you appointment setting is a faster route to volume while you validate close rate; an in-house SDR function makes sense once volume and quality requirements justify managing it.