on commission

Idioms  

1. Making money based on sales or services rendered, as in Real estate agents rarely get a salary; they work largely on commission. This use of the noun commission, which generally refers to a percentage of the total price, dates from the early 1700s.

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Example Sentences

Sales advocates are available, and they don’t work on commission, unlike at most regular dealers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 17, 2026

"But I'm paid only on commission, and the idea of no longer being able to afford to stay here -- that, yes, that scares me."

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

They may earn at least a partial salary from that carrier rather than rely solely on commission, and they work for large well-established companies such as USAA, Allstate and State Farm.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 13, 2026

On Friday, the Supreme Court sided with finance companies in two out of three crucial test cases focusing on commission payments made by banks and other lenders to car dealers.

From BBC • Aug. 4, 2025

“When you work for and by yourself on commission and the government is sending you registered letters, you need to get creative about your income stream.”

From "Liar, Liar" by Gary Paulsen