Your accelerator only matters if somebody reaches it
A 2× accelerator sounds great in the offer. It pays nothing in a year you finish at 90%.
An accelerator raises your rate once you pass a point, usually 100% of quota. What it's worth depends on how often people actually get past that point. Bridge Group found 48% of AEs hit quota in 2026, so in a given year a little under half of reps see any accelerator at all.
What to ask
- How many people on the team got into the accelerator last year?
- Where does it start, and does it apply to everything past that point?
- Is there a cap, or anything else that limits it?
How to use it
Plan your year on the base rate. The accelerator is the reason to push hard on one more deal in Q4, and it's a nice surprise when it pays. Don't spend it before it shows up.
