Outsourced SDR Pricing (2025): Real Costs, Cost-per-Meeting & ROI (with Calculator)
Thinking about outsourcing top-of-funnel? This guide breaks down current pricing models, the true cost of in-house SDRs, and how to calculate your cost-per-meeting (CPM) so you can make a clean build vs. buy decision.
2025 SDR pricing models at a glance
Most providers sell one of three models. Pick based on your volume targets, ACV, and internal enablement bandwidth.
- Dedicated retainer (per SDR-equivalent) — predictable monthly fee for a set level of activity, typically including strategy, data, messaging, tools, and QA.
- Hybrid — smaller retainer + variable fee tied to qualified meetings or pipeline milestones.
- Pay-per-meeting (PPM) — you pay only when a meeting books (and often holds); price varies by ICP complexity and qualification criteria.
Typical price ranges (retainer & pay-per-meeting)
| Model | What you get | Typical 2025 pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dedicated retainer | Strategy, data, messaging, sending infrastructure, SDR capacity, reporting | $3,000–$8,000 per month per SDR-equivalent | Teams that want predictable output & faster ramp |
| Hybrid | Retainer + variable per qualified meeting | $2,000–$5,000 retainer + $150–$600 per qualified meeting | Teams wanting risk-sharing without full PPM |
| Pay-per-meeting | Only pay on scheduled (and sometimes held) qualified meetings | $150–$900+ per meeting (wide by ICP/region) | Surgical, test-and-learn campaigns; budget-tight pilots |
Ranges vary with your ICP (title/seniority), TAM size, language/geo, channel mix (email, phone, LinkedIn), and qualification standards (budget, authority, need, timing).
The true cost of an in-house SDR in 2025
Budgeting only for base salary misses reality. A productive SDR usually carries compensation, employer burden, tool stack, data & enrichment, enablement, and management time.
| Cost component | Typical monthly | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Base + variable comp (OTE) | $6,500–$9,500 | Based on US OTE ranges (market/location swing) |
| Employer taxes & benefits | $1,300–$2,000 | ~20–25% burden typical |
| Sales engagement & data tools | $200–$600 | Sales engagement, dialer, enrichment, inbox infrastructure |
| Management / enablement overhead | $800–$1,800 | Manager time, QA, coaching, reporting |
| Fully loaded monthly | $9,800–$14,200 | After ramp (3–4 months from hire) for a productive rep |
When you compare apples-to-apples, a steady outsourced retainer often replaces that fully loaded monthly and absorbs deliverability, data, and tool costs you’d otherwise carry.
Cost-per-meeting (CPM) math & benchmarks
Formula: CPM = (Monthly Cost) ÷ (Qualified Meetings Delivered)
| Scenario | Monthly cost | Qualified meetings / mo | CPM |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-house SDR (fully loaded) | $11,500 | 10–14 | $821–$1,150 |
| Outsourced retainer | $5,000 | 10–14 | $357–$500 |
| Pay-per-meeting (PPM) | $250–$600 per meeting | Metered | $250–$600 |
PPM looks cheapest at low volumes. As your target rises (e.g., 18–24 meetings/mo), mid-range retainers usually beat PPM on CPM while improving quality control.
SDR Cost Calculator: In-House vs Outsourced Comparison
Calculate and compare the true costs of building an in-house SDR team versus outsourcing your sales development.
Get insights on cost per meeting, ROI, and total investment to make informed decisions for your sales strategy.
How to Use the SDR Cost Calculator
- Set Your Performance Metrics: Enter your expected meeting close rate and average deal size
- Configure In-House Parameters: Adjust salary, number of reps, tools costs, and ramp-up time
- Set Outsourced Options: Enter the monthly service fee for outsourced SDR services
- Compare Results: View side-by-side cost comparison, ROI analysis, and recommendations
Key Factors in SDR Cost Analysis
In-House SDR Costs
- Base salary + benefits (30% overhead)
- Tools and software licenses
- Management and training costs
- Ramp-up time to productivity
Outsourced SDR Benefits
- Immediate productivity (no ramp-up)
- 1.25x meeting output per equivalent rep
- All tools and management included
- Scalable up or down quickly
💡 Pro Tip
Consider the opportunity cost of delayed pipeline when building in-house teams.
The 3-6 month ramp-up period can significantly impact your sales velocity and revenue generation.
What drives price up or down
- ICP complexity — multi-threading the C-suite in enterprise or regulated industries costs more than SMB.
- Channel mix & compliance — if the provider supplies authenticated domains, DMARC/SPF/DKIM, phone system, and opt-out handling, expect higher—but more effective—pricing.
- Market coverage & geo — multilingual, multi-region campaigns add data & labor costs.
- Data quality & research depth — hand-crafted first lines / high-intent lists vs. generic scraping.
- Output guarantees — guaranteed held meetings & replacement policies carry a premium.
Deliverability & compliance costs you shouldn’t ignore
Since 2024, Gmail & Yahoo enforce tighter rules (authentication, one-click unsubscribe within 2 days, and keeping spam reports well under 0.3%). If your program ignores these, your CPM explodes as inbox placement tanks. Good providers absorb this complexity.
- SPF, DKIM, DMARC alignment on your sending domains
- List-Unsubscribe (RFC 8058) + honoring within 48 hours
- Ongoing spam-rate monitoring & volume throttling
- Warmup, domain pool management, complaint remediation
When outsourcing beats in-house (and when it doesn’t)
| Outsource when… | Consider in-house when… |
|---|---|
| You need pipeline next month, not in 3–4 months of hiring & ramp. | You have repeatable messaging, a manager with SDR capacity, and long-term hiring plans. |
| You lack deliverability, data contracts, or enablement bandwidth. | You require deep product discovery before every meeting. |
| You prefer predictable CPM at target volumes (e.g., 12–20 meetings/mo). | Your ACV is high and bespoke personalization is mission-critical every time. |
Next step: benchmark your CPM
Drop your numbers into the calculator above (ACV, win rate, meeting target). We’ll show you break-even points for retainer vs. PPM vs. in-house—plus how deliverability risk changes CPM.
Request a free outbound benchmark & deliverability mini-audit.
FAQ: 2025 outsourced SDR pricing
How much should I pay per qualified meeting?
In 2025, a reasonable PPM range is $150–$600 for mainstream B2B ICPs; enterprise targets and multi-region campaigns can exceed that. Compare to your retainer CPM at the monthly volume you need.
What’s included in a retainer?
Strategy & messaging, data & enrichment, list building, channel execution (email/phone/LinkedIn), domain & deliverability management, reporting, and QA. Always confirm whether tools, data credits, and meeting replacement policies are included.
What’s the current SDR salary / OTE in the US?
Most US markets show base salaries in the low-to-mid $50Ks with OTE commonly landing in the $75K–$100K band, depending on location and motion. Fully loaded monthly cost (after burden, tools, and management) is typically $9.8K–$14.2K per productive rep.
How do Gmail/Yahoo’s 2024–2025 rules affect pricing?
Good providers carry the cost of staying under the 0.3% spam-rate threshold, authenticating domains (SPF/DKIM/DMARC), using TLS, and implementing one-click unsubscribe with 48-hour processing. These guardrails improve inboxing and protect CPM. See Google’s bulk sender requirements linked here.
