Commission-only sales jobs: how weekly per-install pay works

Commission-only sales jobs pay per sale or per completed install instead of per hour, so there is no income floor. In this fiber role the rate is $75 to $250 per completed install, paid weekly, as a 1099 contractor.

In fiber sales with The Fiber Guys, the structure is per completed install: $75 to $250 depending on the speed tier and your experience, paid weekly. The customer signs up at the door, but the commission is tied to the install completing.

Why per-install instead of per-sale

A per-sale commission pays you the moment the paperwork is signed. That sounds better until you watch a signed order cancel before installation. Per-install pay aligns everyone with the same outcome: a customer who actually gets service. It also means the rep has a reason to set the install expectation correctly at the door instead of promising anything to get a signature.

The arithmetic, honestly

At a $150 mid-range rate, here is what a week pays at different volumes:

Gross commission arithmetic only. It assumes every counted install completes and is paid at the selected rate. It is not an earnings promise.

The same arithmetic at the low and high ends of the rate range:

Rate depends on the speed tier sold and experience. Confirm your rate in writing before you start.

Cash flow: when the money actually arrives

This is the part that surprises people. In a weekly-pay per-install model, the sequence is: you sell on Monday, the install happens later that week, the install is confirmed, and the commission lands on the next payout. Your first check arrives weeks after your first day, not days.

If you are switching from a salaried job, plan for that gap. The reps who struggle financially in month one are usually the ones who budgeted as if pay started on day one.

1099 status: what it means

• You are a contractor, not an employee. You are not employed by T-Mobile or by the carrier whose product you sell.
• No benefits. No health insurance, no 401k match, no paid time off.
• You handle your own taxes. Set aside a percentage of each check. A 1099 contractor pays self-employment tax in addition to income tax.
• You cover your own costs. Vehicle, fuel, phone, and the shoes you will wear out.

Questions to ask before accepting

1. What exactly triggers the commission? Signature, install, or payment? Get the definition in writing.
2. What happens on a cancellation? Is the commission clawed back, and from which check?
3. What is the payout schedule? Weekly, biweekly, monthly, and paid how?
4. What does a slow week look like in dollars? If nobody will answer, the model is hiding something.
5. Is there a ramp or draw? Some teams guarantee a minimum for the first few weeks. Ask; do not assume.

Who commission-only work fits

Commission-only fits people who can absorb a variable month, want uncapped upside, and are disciplined enough to treat a slow Tuesday as information rather than a crisis. It does not fit anyone who needs a fixed number every two weeks, or who is not in a position to float the first payout cycle.

If the pay model makes sense, the next question is whether the work itself does. Read what the job actually is, or go straight to the role and current markets.

What the first 30 days actually cost

A commission-only role shifts costs to you. Before your first check lands you are paying for fuel, vehicle wear, a phone, and the shoes you will destroy walking. There is no starter fee and no lead purchase in this role, but the operating costs are real and they come before the income.

Ask the recruiter what territory you will be assigned and how far the drive is between neighborhoods. A tight territory is a pay raise; a sprawling one is a pay cut you did not negotiate.

How to budget on variable income

1. Split every check three ways: taxes, a buffer for slow weeks, and living expenses. The buffer is what makes month three survivable.
2. Set the tax money aside first, before anything else. A 1099 contractor pays self-employment tax on top of income tax; an accountant can tell you the right percentage for your situation.
3. Track installs weekly, not monthly. Weekly numbers show a trend before it becomes a bad month.
4. Do not budget on your best week. Budget on your median week and treat the best weeks as surplus.

What a realistic ramp looks like

Weeks one and two are training and shadowing, so installs are low or zero. Weeks three and four produce the first solo installs. Weeks six to eight are where a rep either has a repeatable pitch or does not. Anyone promising a specific first-month income is guessing or lying.

The honest question to ask is not "what can I make" but "what did the last three new reps install in their first 30 days." A team that tracks that number knows its own ramp.

Red flags in a commission plan

• The trigger keeps moving. Commission should attach to a defined event: signature, install, or payment.
• No written terms. Rate, payout schedule, and cancellation handling belong in writing before your first day.
• "You get paid when we get paid." That is not a payout schedule; it is a hope.
• Unlimited chargebacks with no process. Cancellations happen; a legitimate plan defines how they are handled.
• Recruiting income before sales income. If the money story starts with hiring others instead of selling a product, you are looking at a different business model.