# Hire Sales Staff in Italy

> Hiring account executives and sales managers in Italy: CCNL, commission plans, company cars, regions, and cost.


<section> <span class="eyebrow">Hiring by sector</span> <h1 id="hire-sales-people-in-italy">Hire sales people in Italy</h1> <p class="lede">A local seller who speaks the language and knows the customers is often the first hire a US company makes in Italy. The details that matter are commissions, the car and the travel.</p> </section> <section class="grid"> <div class="panel"><h3 id="usual-ccnl">Usual CCNL</h3><p>Commerce and services (Terziario). Senior sales leaders can be hired as quadro or under the executives agreement.</p></div> <div class="panel"><h3 id="typical-roles">Typical roles</h3><p>Account executives, key account managers, business development, country manager, presales and solution engineers, customer success.</p></div> <div class="panel"><h3 id="where-they-are">Where they are</h3><p>Milan for most B2B buyers and headquarters. Rome for public sector, energy and telecoms. Bologna, Turin and the Veneto for industrial clients.</p></div> </section> <section> <h2 id="salary-bands">Salary bands</h2> <div class="tbl"><table> <thead><tr><th>Role</th><th>Base salary</th><th>Variable</th></tr></thead> <tbody> <tr><td>Account executive</td><td><span class="review">[€ range to verify]</span></td><td><span class="review">[% of base]</span></td></tr> <tr><td>Key account manager</td><td><span class="review">[€ range to verify]</span></td><td><span class="review">[% of base]</span></td></tr> <tr><td>Country manager</td><td><span class="review">[€ range to verify]</span></td><td><span class="review">[% of base]</span></td></tr> </tbody> </table></div> </section> <section class="prose"> <h2 id="what-to-know">What to know</h2> <ul> <li><b>Commissions are salary.</b> They carry social contributions and count toward the TFR. Budget for that when you set the plan.</li> <li><b>Write the plan down.</b> Targets, payout dates and what happens on exit should be in a written plan. Vague plans lead to disputes.</li> <li><b>Company car.</b> Common for field sales. A car for business and private use is taxed as a benefit at a flat percentage, often cheaper than a raise. We manage leasing, fuel cards and tolls.</li> <li><b>Travel and expenses.</b> Daily allowances and reimbursed expenses have tax-free limits. We process them in the payslip.</li> <li><b>Productivity bonus.</b> Up to €5,000 a year can be taxed at 1% under a qualifying company plan. <span class="review">[confirm 2026 income limit]</span></li> <li><b>Employee, not agent.</b> Italy also has commercial agents, a separate contract type with its own rules. If the person works only for you and under your direction, employment is the safer setup.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="prose"> <h2 id="cost-example">Cost example</h2> <p>An account executive on <span class="review">[€ base]</span> plus commissions: the total employer cost moves with the payout each month. The calculator shows the base cost. Add commissions as extra gross pay.</p> <div class="cta"><a class="btn" href="calculator.html">Open the calculator</a><a class="btn ghost" href="contact.html">Hire your first seller</a></div> </section>


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Source: https://hiringitaly.com/hire-sales-italy.html