OTE (on-target earnings)

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What it really means

Seen in sales job adverts, e.g. "£25,000 basic, £40,000 OTE". OTE is what you might earn if you hit all your sales targets — it is not guaranteed. Only the basic salary is certain.

Chinese explanation
常见于销售岗广告，如"底薪£25,000，OTE £40,000"。OTE指完成全部销售目标时可能拿到的总收入，并无保证；只有底薪是确定的。

Example conversation

A: This job says forty-five thousand OTE! B: Check the basic salary — the rest is commission you might never see.
A：这份工作写着OTE四万五！ B：先看底薪是多少——其余是提成，未必拿得到。

What you could say back

“What percentage of staff actually hit target?”

Related phrases

Competitive salary Per annum

Official sources

Rules and amounts change — confirm important details with the official source.

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Reviewed by the UK Decoded editorial team · Last checked 24 July 2026 · Report a mistake