$132K – $149K, here’s what seed-stage founders pay early employees, based on data
Seed founders pay execs $132K–$149K, higher for Product roles.
Kruze Consulting examined salary data from over 450 seed-stage startups to determine how much early-stage companies pay their initial employees. They found that average salaries for founder executives such as CEOs, CTOs, COOs, and Product leaders range from $132,000 to $149,000. This information is based on actual payroll records rather than survey responses.
Technical engineering or product positions often earn more than CEO roles, with COO/Operations roles surprisingly having higher average salaries. In the Bay Area, very senior engineers can earn between $180,000 to $235,000, while entry-level engineers earn $75,000 to $105,000. Kruze also noted that founder salaries tend to increase with each round of funding, reaching $218,000 by Series B.
Midlevel engineering, sales, product, and marketing roles offer varying salary ranges depending on location, with Bay Area salaries being on the higher end. Startup employees also receive equity, a significant incentive for early hires. Equity distributions for the first five hires show the potential for large returns, making startups appealing despite slightly lower initial salaries.