$132K-$149K Salaries: What Seed-Stage Founders Pay Early Employees
Kruze Consulting's analysis reveals average salaries for seed-stage startup executives, showing that CEO, CTO, and COO roles earn between $132,000 and $135,000, while Product/CPOs average $149,000. Interestingly, technical roles often command higher salaries than founders. Senior engineers in the Bay Area can earn up to $235,000, while entry-level positions start at $75,000. Additionally, early employees receive equity, with the first hire getting between 0.5% to 4% equity. Founders typically increase their salaries with each funding round, reaching an average of $218,000 by Series B.
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