Compensation Benchmarks

What this skill does

# Startup Compensation Benchmarks

## Overview

This skill provides salary and equity benchmark data for startup hiring. Data is segmented by company stage, role level, and location tier to help CEOs make competitive offers.

## How to Use This Data

1. **Identify company stage** (Seed, Series A, B, C+)
2. **Determine role level** (IC, Senior, Staff, Manager, Director, VP, C-level)
3. **Apply location tier adjustment** (Tier 1, 2, or 3)
4. **Consider percentile target** (25th for budget-conscious, 50th for competitive, 75th for aggressive)

## Salary Benchmarks by Stage and Level

### Seed Stage Companies

| Level | 25th %ile | 50th %ile | 75th %ile |
|-------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Junior IC | $70K | $85K | $100K |
| Mid IC | $90K | $110K | $130K |
| Senior IC | $120K | $145K | $170K |
| Staff IC | $150K | $175K | $200K |
| Manager | $130K | $155K | $180K |
| Director | $160K | $190K | $220K |
| VP | $180K | $220K | $260K |

### Series A Companies

| Level | 25th %ile | 50th %ile | 75th %ile |
|-------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Junior IC | $80K | $95K | $115K |
| Mid IC | $100K | $125K | $150K |
| Senior IC | $140K | $165K | $190K |
| Staff IC | $170K | $200K | $230K |
| Manager | $150K | $175K | $200K |
| Director | $180K | $215K | $250K |
| VP | $220K | $270K | $320K |

### Series B Companies

| Level | 25th %ile | 50th %ile | 75th %ile |
|-------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Junior IC | $90K | $105K | $125K |
| Mid IC | $115K | $140K | $165K |
| Senior IC | $155K | $185K | $215K |
| Staff IC | $190K | $225K | $260K |
| Manager | $165K | $195K | $225K |
| Director | $200K | $240K | $280K |
| VP | $260K | $310K | $360K |

### Series C+ Companies

| Level | 25th %ile | 50th %ile | 75th %ile |
|-------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Junior IC | $100K | $120K | $140K |
| Mid IC | $130K | $155K | $180K |
| Senior IC | $170K | $200K | $235K |
| Staff IC | $210K | $250K | $290K |
| Manager | $180K | $215K | $250K |
| Director | $225K | $270K | $315K |
| VP | $300K | $360K | $420K |

## Location Tier Adjustments

| Tier | Description | Multiplier |
|------|-------------|------------|
| Tier 1 | SF, NYC, Seattle | 1.0x (baseline) |
| Tier 2 | LA, Boston, Austin, Denver, DC | 0.90x |
| Tier 3 | Remote / Other locations | 0.80-0.85x |

**Application:** Multiply base salary by location multiplier.

## Equity Benchmarks by Stage and Level

Equity shown as percentage of fully-diluted company ownership.

### Seed Stage

| Level | 25th %ile | 50th %ile | 75th %ile |
|-------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Junior IC | 0.02% | 0.05% | 0.10% |
| Mid IC | 0.05% | 0.10% | 0.20% |
| Senior IC | 0.10% | 0.25% | 0.50% |
| Staff IC | 0.25% | 0.50% | 0.75% |
| Manager | 0.15% | 0.30% | 0.50% |
| Director | 0.40% | 0.75% | 1.00% |
| VP | 0.75% | 1.25% | 2.00% |

### Series A

| Level | 25th %ile | 50th %ile | 75th %ile |
|-------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Junior IC | 0.01% | 0.025% | 0.05% |
| Mid IC | 0.025% | 0.05% | 0.10% |
| Senior IC | 0.05% | 0.15% | 0.30% |
| Staff IC | 0.15% | 0.30% | 0.50% |
| Manager | 0.10% | 0.20% | 0.35% |
| Director | 0.25% | 0.50% | 0.75% |
| VP | 0.50% | 1.00% | 1.50% |

### Series B

| Level | 25th %ile | 50th %ile | 75th %ile |
|-------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Junior IC | 0.005% | 0.015% | 0.03% |
| Mid IC | 0.015% | 0.03% | 0.06% |
| Senior IC | 0.03% | 0.08% | 0.15% |
| Staff IC | 0.08% | 0.15% | 0.25% |
| Manager | 0.05% | 0.10% | 0.20% |
| Director | 0.15% | 0.30% | 0.50% |
| VP | 0.30% | 0.60% | 1.00% |

### Series C+

| Level | 25th %ile | 50th %ile | 75th %ile |
|-------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Junior IC | 0.002% | 0.005% | 0.01% |
| Mid IC | 0.005% | 0.015% | 0.03% |
| Senior IC | 0.015% | 0.04% | 0.08% |
| Staff IC | 0.04% | 0.08% | 0.15% |
| Manager | 0.025% | 0.05% | 0.10% |
| Director | 0.08% | 0.15% | 0.30% |
| VP | 0.15% | 0.35% | 0.60% |

## Role-Specific Adjustments

### Engineering
- Machine Learning / AI: +10-20% salary premium
- Security / Infrastructure: +5-15% salary premium
- Frontend typically at baseline

### Sales
- Base + OTE structure (typically 50/50 or 60/40 split)
- AE OTE typically 2x base
- Sales leadership may have accelerators

### Executive Hires
- C-level equity: 1-5% depending on stage and role
- CEO typically retains largest stake
- CTO/CFO often second-tier equity

## Refresh Grants

Annual equity refreshes to retain talent:

| Stage | Typical Annual Refresh |
|-------|----------------------|
| Seed | 25-50% of original grant |
| Series A | 20-40% of original grant |
| Series B | 15-30% of original grant |
| Series C+ | 10-25% of original grant |

## Total Compensation Philosophy

**Cash vs. Equity Tradeoffs:**
- Earlier stage = more equity, less cash
- Candidate with family/mortgage may prefer cash
- Experienced candidates often value equity more
- Consider candidate's risk tolerance

**Competitive Positioning:**
- 25th percentile: Budget-conscious, offset with equity or mission
- 50th percentile: Market-competitive baseline
- 75th percentile: Aggressive hiring, competing for top talent

## Additional Resources

For detailed role-specific guidance, see:
- **`references/engineering-compensation.md`** - Engineering role breakdowns
- **`references/sales-compensation.md`** - Sales comp structures
- **`references/executive-compensation.md`** - C-level and VP packages