News Summary

Kruze Consulting, a CPA firm specializing in venture-backed startups, has provided insights into the salary structures of over 450 seed-stage startups. The firm analyzed actual payroll records, revealing that positions like COO/Operations, CTO, and CPO/Product tend to receive higher salaries than CEOs in these early-stage companies. The average salary for seed-stage CEOs is $132,000, while CTOs make $134,000, COOs earn $135,000, and CPOs receive $149,000. Senior engineers in the Bay Area can earn between $180,000 to $235,000, whereas entry-level engineers make $75,000 to $105,000. Salaries for non-founder roles vary, with mid-level engineers earning $100,000 to $145,000 in the Bay Area and $90,000 to $130,000 in other tech hubs. Mid-level sales and marketing positions have salaries ranging from $80,000 to $175,000 based on location. Founders also tend to increase their salaries as they secure additional funding rounds, with Series A raising them to $183,000 and Series B to $218,000. Equity is also a significant component of compensation in startups, with initial hires receiving equity grants vested over four years.