What door-to-door reps actually earn
Published door-to-door income figures are mostly recruiting material, built from top performers in strong seasons, and we have no independent source of our own. What can be said is what the number depends on: your close rate, doors worked, the trade's ticket size, the chargeback window and whether a recoverable draw is running against you.
Why the published numbers are unreliable
The figures circulating are largely produced by companies recruiting reps, and they tend to describe strong performers in good seasons. That is not fraud, it is selection, and it makes the numbers useless as a forecast for a new rep.
We are not going to add our own estimate to that pile, because we have no data behind one.
What the number is actually made of
Doors worked, contact rate, close rate, commission per sale, chargeback rate, and any draw balance. Every one of those is measurable and most reps track none of them, which is why income feels unpredictable when it is largely arithmetic.
The number to build your own estimate from
Your own, after a few weeks of recording every door. That gives you a rate you can multiply by a realistic season, which beats any published average because it reflects your area and your trade.
Common questions
- Can you give an average income figure?
- Not honestly. The circulating figures come mostly from recruiting material and we have no independent source. What we can tell you is which variables produce the number.
- Why are recruiting numbers so high?
- They usually describe strong reps in strong seasons. That is selection rather than dishonesty, and it makes them a poor forecast for someone starting out.
- What is the fastest way to raise it?
- Usually the number that is unusually low relative to your own history. Contact rate and callbacks kept are the two most commonly neglected.
More on pay and commission
How D2D reps get paid: commission structures, draws, chargebacks, and 1099 versus W-2.