Entry-level business development representative jobs (BDR): what the job is, skills and open roles

A BDR finds new business for a company by prospecting outside its existing customers, qualifying leads and setting up sales conversations. The title is used like SDR; some companies use BDR for outbound work and SDR for inbound. Right now 2,394 entry-level business development representative jobs are open on employers’ own career sites.

What a business development representative does

In the sales family of jobs. Roles that start conversations with buyers, qualify them and close deals.

A typical day

  1. 1. Build lists of target accounts
  2. 2. Reach prospects by email, phone and LinkedIn
  3. 3. Qualify and book discovery calls
  4. 4. Work with marketing on campaigns and events
  5. 5. Report pipeline created each week

Do you need experience?

34 of the 2,394 open entry-level business development representative jobs say in their own text that no experience is required. 12 say they provide training. The figures are counted from the posting text and change as jobs open and close.

Open entry-level business development representative jobs

Taken from employers’ own career sites and checked to still be open within the last week.

Showing the newest 15 of about 2,394 verified open jobs here. Search all jobs

Search all business development representative jobs

Skills for business development representative jobs

The skills this job uses, most important first. Most can be learned or shown before the first day.

Skills to build or show

  1. 1. Prospecting
  2. 2. Outbound sequencing
  3. 3. CRM software
  4. 4. Objection handling
  5. 5. Persuasive writing
  6. 6. Research
  7. 7. Follow-up discipline

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The market for business development representative work

Every figure names its source.

Open entry-level business development representative jobs
2,394

Source: NextChapter, checked against employer career sites, last 7 days.

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Openings that say no experience is required
34

Source: The posting’s own text, counted by NextChapter.

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Openings that say they provide training
12

Source: The posting’s own text, counted by NextChapter.

Median pay in listings that state it
$72,500

Source: NextChapter verified openings (841 with pay).

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Employment outlook, the closest government category
Projected to grow 3% from 2025 to 2035 (about as fast as average).

Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035.

Across 841 open entry-level business development representative listings that state an annual pay figure, the middle half run from $60,000 to $92,000, with a median of $72,500. Listings that state pay are not every listing, and some roles add commission or bonus on top.

Outlook and AI-use figures are for the government category “Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel”, the closest match to this job.

Where entry-level business development representative jobs are

More jobs like business development representative

Roles that use the same skills, and where this job commonly leads.

Questions about business development representative jobs

What does a business development representative do?
A BDR finds new business for a company by prospecting outside its existing customers, qualifying leads and setting up sales conversations. The title is used like SDR; some companies use BDR for outbound work and SDR for inbound. A typical day includes: build lists of target accounts; reach prospects by email, phone and LinkedIn; qualify and book discovery calls; work with marketing on campaigns and events; report pipeline created each week.
Can I get an entry-level business development representative job with no experience?
34 of the 2,394 open entry-level business development representative jobs say in their own text that no experience is required. 12 say they provide training. The figures are counted from the posting text and change as jobs open and close.
What skills do you need to be a business development representative?
The skills this job uses most are prospecting, outbound sequencing, CRM software, objection handling, persuasive writing, research. Most can be learned before the first day through coursework, short courses, practice or a related job.
How much does an entry-level business development representative make?
Across 841 open entry-level business development representative listings that state an annual pay figure, the middle half run from $60,000 to $92,000, with a median of $72,500. Listings that state pay are not every listing, and some roles add commission or bonus on top.
Where can a business development representative job lead?
People in this job commonly move to account executive, sales development representative, inside sales representative. The link between jobs is the shared skills; the path is not guaranteed and depends on the employer.

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