Guides · United Kingdom · recruiters, HR & hiring managers
Commission-only and base salary wording in job adverts: literacy for recruiters, not a verdict
Sales, recruitment and field roles often advertise “uncapped commission”, “OTE £60k”, or “commission only — high earners”. Candidates scan salary fields first; if the board shows a band but the body says no guaranteed base, trust erodes before apply. This guide helps you read pay-structure wording on UK job advert drafts and align title, salary module and person spec before publish. Wording literacy only — not employment-law advice and not Equality Act clearance.
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Why commission wording gets a second look
Job boards expose structured salary fields separate from free-text descriptions. A mismatch — “£25,000–£30,000” in the field with “commission only, no basic” in paragraph three — is a common pre-publish hygiene issue. It is not the same as deciding whether the pay model is lawful; that stays with HR and payroll advisers.
Commission lines also interact with:
- Hours and availability — “must hit weekly targets” beside vague hours — see overtime and weekend shift wording.
- Probation language — reduced commission in probation — see probation period wording.
- Part-time ads — pro-rata base vs full-time OTE — see shift pattern wording when hours are non-standard.
Common patterns on UK job ads
| Pattern on draft | What candidates may read | Rewrite toward |
|---|---|---|
| “Uncapped commission” | No ceiling but also no floor | Base if any + typical commission range + “OTE illustrative” |
| “OTE £X” in title area | Guaranteed earnings | Split base and OTE; label OTE as on-target, not promised |
| “Commission only” | No salary at all | Say so in salary field where board allows; avoid implied basic in title |
| “Self-employed commission agent” | Not an employee role | Clarify employment status in HR-approved wording — advert literacy only here |
| “Basic + bonus” without figures | Hidden low basic | State basic amount or range when policy allows |
Board fields vs body copy
- Extract every pay line from title, salary widget, and person spec.
- Mark whether each line describes guaranteed basic, variable commission, or illustrative OTE.
- Resolve contradictions before multi-board publish — paste draft text first.
- Run step 2 on the pre-publish checklist.
Agency desks
Clients sometimes paste legacy sales ads with inflated OTE. Edit before the board goes live — client brief vs agency job ad. Keep the equal-opportunities footer aligned with body tone — EO line vs title.
Retail, care and field-sales contexts
Commission-heavy roles share patterns but different candidate expectations. Field sales ads often lead with OTE; care and retail candidates may assume hourly basic unless the advert states otherwise. If the role mixes shift pay with commission on upsells, separate “guaranteed hourly” from “commission on personal sales” in one benefits paragraph so board scrapers and human readers see the same structure.
Agency recruiters republishing client ads should watch for legacy “£50k year one” lines in the title while the body describes trainee basic — normalise before the checklist step for multi-board APIs.
Self-check questions before go-live
- Does any line imply guaranteed earnings when pay is variable?
- Is “self-employed” or “contractor” language paired with employee-style benefits elsewhere?
- Do probation or trial lines contradict commission timing — see probation wording?
- Does the equal-opportunities footer still match the tone of aggressive earnings claims?
What this guide is not
- Not legal advice on National Minimum Wage, worker status, or commission clawback.
- Not Equality Act clearance — flags prompt human review only.
- Not guidance on drafting commission agreements — advert wording only.
Questions
Should a job ad say commission-only in the title?
VacancyCheck flags when the title or board salary field implies a guaranteed wage but the body says commission-only or uncapped with no base. Align title, salary band and body before publish. Not legal advice.
How should OTE be worded on a draft?
State base salary if any, commission structure in plain English, and that OTE is illustrative not guaranteed. Avoid OTE alone in the salary field without a base figure when a base exists.
Does VacancyCheck advise on National Minimum Wage compliance?
No. VacancyCheck is a wording risk report on pasted draft text. It is not legal advice and not Equality Act clearance.