Finding the right sales recruiting agency in San Francisco can set the tone for your company’s entire growth trajectory. The Bay Area remains the heart of innovation—and that means it’s also one of the most competitive markets for top-tier go-to-market (GTM) talent. Whether you’re building your first sales team or hiring a seasoned revenue leader, it’s critical to work with an agency that knows the nuances of this complex ecosystem.
Below is our curated list of the top 10 sales recruiting agencies in San Francisco for 2025. We’ve focused on firms with a deep understanding of the Bay Area market, a strong track record with early- to growth-stage companies, and a forward-thinking approach to hiring.
1. Betts Recruiting
Betts Recruiting was founded in San Francisco in 2009 and has grown into a national leader in GTM hiring. With roots in the Bay Area tech scene, Betts has helped thousands of startups and venture-backed companies scale their sales, marketing, and customer success teams. Many of the strongest sales orgs in SF today trace their earliest hires back to Betts.
Key offerings include:
- Betts Connect: A proprietary hiring platform with access to thousands of pre-vetted GTM professionals.
- Recruitment as a Service (RaaS): A subscription model for unlimited hires within specific role types like SDRs or AEs.
- Comp Engine: Real-time salary benchmarks sourced from active placements across the region.
Betts’ deep network, data-driven approach, and Bay Area DNA make it the go-to partner for tech companies building high-performance revenue teams in SF.
2. CloserIQ
CloserIQ specializes in scaling sales teams for B2B SaaS companies, with a solid client base across the Bay Area. They work with venture-backed startups to hire SDRs, AEs, and revenue leaders. Their data-driven process combines structured interviews, behavioral screening, and performance analysis.
CloserIQ offers custom candidate scorecards, compensation benchmarking, and a curated talent network that helps SF companies hire fast without sacrificing quality. Their emphasis on long-term fit has made them a favorite among Series A-C founders.
3. Rainmakers
Rainmakers is a candidate-first recruiting platform with a growing footprint in San Francisco. They focus exclusively on sales talent—from entry-level SDRs to seasoned enterprise reps. Every candidate on the platform has a public track record of earnings, performance, and quota attainment.
What sets Rainmakers apart in SF is their transparency and speed. Clients get instant access to high-performing talent profiles, which allows them to move quickly in a hyper-competitive hiring market.
4. RevSearch
RevSearch is a boutique GTM search firm helping SF startups scale from first hire to full revenue team. They specialize in placing AEs, RevOps leaders, and sales managers in high-growth SaaS companies. Their low-volume, high-precision model delivers curated candidate shortlists that save time and reduce misfires.
Clients praise RevSearch for their proactive sourcing, deep candidate prep, and nuanced understanding of early-stage hiring dynamics.
5. Build Talent
Build Talent helps early- and mid-stage tech companies make strategic GTM and leadership hires. In San Francisco, they are particularly well-known for placing first Heads of Sales and RevOps professionals at companies transitioning from founder-led sales.
Their consultative approach includes organizational design support, market mapping, and role scoping—making them a trusted partner for startups looking to scale intentionally.
6. The Mullings Group
Best known for medtech and digital health recruiting, The Mullings Group supports healthtech startups in SF looking to build sales teams with domain expertise. They excel at placing sales reps who can navigate complex healthcare environments, from payers to providers.
As digital health investment grows in the Bay Area, Mullings has become a go-to agency for sales talent who bring both tech fluency and medical sales experience.
7. Champion Hill
Champion Hill is an executive search firm with strong ties to the VC ecosystem in SF. They specialize in placing go-to-market leaders—including VPs of Sales, CROs, and Sales Enablement heads—at high-growth startups.
Known for their hands-on approach, Champion Hill provides founder coaching, interview training, and offer negotiation support in addition to recruiting. Their white-glove model appeals to startups hiring at the leadership level.
8. Storma
Storma brings speed and scalability to SF hiring through its AI-powered recruiting engine. They specialize in building SDR and AE teams at SaaS companies that need to scale quickly and cost-effectively.
Storma combines automation with expert human review to surface strong candidates in days, not weeks. They are especially effective for early-stage companies launching GTM motions for the first time.
9. Artisanal Talent
Artisanal Talent is a boutique recruiting agency focused on thoughtful, high-impact GTM hires. Based in the Bay Area, they help early-stage companies find their first AE, first marketer, or first CS hire.
Their curated approach emphasizes quality over quantity and is ideal for founders who want a true recruiting partner, not just a resume sender.
10. SPMB
SPMB is one of the longest-standing executive search firms in San Francisco. Their reach spans GTM, product, and engineering, but they are especially strong in placing senior sales and marketing leaders.
For companies scaling toward IPO or M&A, SPMB offers seasoned insight, investor-aligned strategy, and a national network of proven leaders.
SDR Salary Expectations in San Francisco for 2025
San Francisco continues to offer some of the highest SDR compensation packages in the country, reflecting the city’s cost of living and fierce competition for talent. In 2025, the trend toward specialization, AI fluency, and enterprise alignment is reshaping how companies hire—and pay—SDRs in the Bay Area.
SDR (Entry-Level)
Base + OTE: $55K–$70K | $80K–$90K
SDR (6+ Months Experience)
Base + OTE: $60K–$75K | $85K–$100K
Hiring managers are looking for candidates who can ramp quickly, leverage AI tools, and contribute to pipeline in weeks—not months. As a result, compensation is rising fastest for SDRs with technical fluency and prior SaaS experience.
2025 Trends Shaping SDR Hiring in the Bay Area
The Shrinking Pathway for True Entry-Level Roles
Few companies are hiring SDRs with no experience. Instead, they’re looking for “entry-level” talent who already understand B2B sales workflows, often through internships, bootcamps, or previous roles.
AI Fluency is the New Must-Have
With AI tools like Apollo, Lavender, and Clay now embedded in sales tech stacks, SDRs are expected to use automation wisely—not rely on it blindly. Top candidates bring both tool knowledge and personalization instincts.
Enterprise Specialization is on the Rise
Many SF startups are selling upmarket to large enterprise accounts. That means longer sales cycles, complex stakeholders, and more strategic SDR roles. Enterprise SDRs (ESDRs) are commanding premium salaries and tighter interview scrutiny.
Remote Expansion, But SF Still Holds Value
Plenty of companies are hiring SDRs remotely in Denver, Austin, or Raleigh—but many still value SF-based hires for in-person training, cultural immersion, and networking proximity. The hybrid model is here to stay.
Cost Pressures Meet Performance Expectations
Despite cost concerns, Bay Area companies are willing to pay for performance. Compensation packages are increasingly tied to pipeline contribution and conversion rates, not just meetings booked.
Check out our Compensation Guide for more tech GTM salaries here.
Contact Betts Recruiting to access the Bay Area’s top sales talent—from unicorn SDRs to VP-level revenue leaders. Our SF roots run deep, and our data-driven approach is built for today’s GTM reality.