An account executive (AE) sells a product or service to other companies. You find and qualify buyers, run demos and negotiations, and close deals against a quota. In Germany the title covers two different jobs: English-speaking software sales for the DACH region, and German-speaking field sales ("Vertrieb", "Außendienst").

What employers ask for

Most postings do not state a seniority level. Of those that do, senior roles are the most common, and entry-level roles are rare. Most employers want someone who has already sold.

Many postings do not say if the job is remote, hybrid or onsite. All three types exist.

The skills employers name most often are CRM use, consultative selling, account management, upselling, enterprise sales and pipeline management. Most postings that name a tool name a CRM, usually Salesforce or HubSpot. LinkedIn Sales Navigator and Outreach also appear.

Typical titles: "Enterprise Account Executive - DACH", "Enterprise Account Executive - German Speaking", "Account Executive - Public Sector Germany", "Vertriebsmitarbeiter Außendienst (m/w/d)", "Regional Sales Director (m/w/d) – Vertriebsleitung".

Pay. Very few postings show pay. Where they do, they usually do not say if the figure is base salary or on-target earnings (OTE). OTE means base salary plus commission at 100% of quota. Ask for the split in every interview.

Step-by-step: how to get in

1. Pick a segment. German AE jobs fall into two groups. Software (SaaS) companies sell to other businesses, often in English, often remote or hybrid. Traditional field sales ("Vertrieb", "Außendienst") sells in German, often onsite and with travel. Decide which one fits your language and your background.
2. Fix your language level. Many titles name German, DACH or German field sales ("Vertrieb", "Außendienst"). If your German is weak, target international SaaS roles and keep learning German at the same time.
3. Learn one CRM well. Salesforce is the CRM named most often, HubSpot is second. Build a sample pipeline, log activities and make a forecast report, so you can talk about it in an interview.
4. Get a first sales job. Most AEs start as a sales development representative (SDR) or business development representative (BDR); see how to become an SDR. This role books meetings through outbound prospecting. It is the usual way into the few entry-level roles. Plan for at least a year here: entry-level postings that state experience usually ask for about 1 year, and mid-level roles often ask for 3 years. Cost: none, this is a paid job.
5. Learn a sales method. Consultative selling and MEDDICC appear often in postings. Learn what each letter of MEDDICC means and be ready to qualify a real deal with it.
6. Track your numbers. Keep a record of quota, attainment, deal size, sales cycle length and win rate. Be ready to give these numbers in interviews, together with the market you sold in (DACH, one German region, or another country).
7. Read the title correctly. "(m/w/d)" in a German title means male, female, diverse. It is a gender marker and tells you nothing about language. "DACH" or "German Speaking" in the title does: expect to sell in German.

There is no fee and no exam. The time cost is the SDR stage: entry roles usually ask for about 1 year and mid-level AE roles often for 3 years.

Entry level

What changes: you work mostly on top-of-funnel tasks. You call, email and message prospects and qualify them. Some entry roles are small-deal AE jobs with a short sales cycle.

What employers ask for: CRM use, outbound prospecting, B2B sales basics. Where experience is stated, it is usually 1 or 2 years.

What to learn next: discovery calls, running a demo, handling objections, and pipeline management.

Mid level

What changes: you own a full sales cycle from first call to signed contract. You carry a quota and manage your own forecast.

What employers ask for: consultative selling, pipeline management, Salesforce or HubSpot, SaaS sales. Three years of experience is a common figure.

What to learn next: multi-stakeholder deals, how buyers run their procurement process, and a qualification framework such as MEDDICC.

Senior level

What changes: larger deals, longer cycles, more people on the buyer side. Senior and enterprise AEs often cover a named region (DACH) or a vertical, for example the public sector.

What employers ask for: enterprise sales, account management, upselling, MEDDICC, and often German at business level. Five years is the most common stated requirement, and some roles ask for 10.

What to learn next: team leadership, territory planning and forecasting at team level. The next step is often a sales director or "Vertriebsleitung" role.

Country-specific rules

No licence. A B2B sales role in Germany is not a regulated profession. Postings almost never name a certification, so a certificate will not move your application forward. Selling insurance or financial investment products is different. Insurance brokers and agents need a permit from the chamber of industry and commerce (IHK) under §34d GewO, and investment brokers need a permit under §34f GewO.

EU citizens generally do not need a work permit to work in Germany (Your Europe).

EU Blue Card (non-EU citizens). The rules are in §18g of the Residence Act. You need:

• a university degree of at least three years at EQF level 6 (bachelor level), and
• a job offer with a salary of at least 50% of the pension insurance contribution ceiling. For 2026 that is €50,700 gross per year (checked October 2026).

A lower threshold of €45,934.20 (checked October 2026) exists (The Local gives the figure). Under §18g(1) it applies if your job is in one of the listed occupation groups or if you got your degree no more than three years before you apply. It needs approval from the Federal Employment Agency (BA). Sales roles are not in the listed groups, so most AEs need the €50,700 figure. A recent graduate in a sales role can use €45,934.20.

The Berlin immigration office states that bonuses and variable pay do not count. For an AE this means commission does not count: your fixed base salary alone must meet the threshold. The same Blue Card rules, with fees and the route without a degree, are in how to become a software engineer in Germany.

Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte). Under §20a of the Residence Act you can come to Germany to look for a job:

• The card is valid for up to one year.
• It can be extended once, for up to two years, if you have a job offer and BA approval.
• On the points route you need basic German or English at level B2.
• While you search, you can work up to 20 hours per week on average, and do trial work of up to two weeks per employer.

The card can be useful for sales, because many employers want to meet candidates and test them in a trial day or a role-play.

Common mistakes

• Comparing OTE with a fixed salary. A high OTE offer can mean a much lower base. Ask for the base, the variable part, the quota and how many AEs hit quota last year.
• Applying to German-language roles with weak German. Titles with "DACH", "German Speaking" or "Vertrieb" usually mean you sell in German. Apply to them only if you can run a negotiation in German.
• Skipping the SDR stage. Entry-level roles are rare. Applying straight to mid or senior AE roles with no sales record rarely works.
• Paying for a sales certificate. Postings almost never ask for one. Spend the time on CRM practice and German instead.
• Counting commission toward the Blue Card salary. Variable pay does not count. Only the base salary does.

FAQ

Do I need a licence or certificate to work as an account executive in Germany? No. A B2B sales role does not need a licence, and postings almost never ask for a sales certification.

Do I need to speak German? Often, yes. Many titles name German, DACH or German field sales. International SaaS companies hire some English-only AEs.

How much experience do employers ask for? Most postings do not state a number. Where they do, it is usually about 1 year for entry roles, 3 years for mid-level and 5 years or more for senior roles.

Can a non-EU citizen get an EU Blue Card as an account executive? Yes, with a degree of at least three years and a salary of at least €50,700 gross per year in 2026, or €45,934.20 if you graduated in the last three years (§18g(1)); the lower threshold needs BA approval (figures checked October 2026). Plan with fixed base salary.

Are account executive jobs in Germany remote? Some are. Remote, hybrid and onsite roles all exist. SaaS roles are more often remote or hybrid; field sales is usually onsite.

Which CRM should I learn first? Salesforce, then HubSpot.

See open account executive (B2B sales) jobs. You can also browse all sales jobs in Germany.