Startup Compensation in H1 2025

Startup Compensation in H1 2025

Startup compensation has undergone a seismic shift.

From the boom times of 2021 where employee offers soared to the more recent hiring chill, leverage between employees and employers has changed hands. AI assumptions are now seeping into founder expectations with cascading effects both positive and negative to employees.

This conversation touches on every aspect of the startup compensation landscape, including:

• Why has hiring remained so low across startups?
• Which functions are bucking the trend of smaller salaries?
• The current preference for hiring below (or above) middle management
• How compensation in cities across the US compares to top markets

Featuring

Kyle Holm
Vice President, Compensation Advisory
Sequoia

Susan Alban
Chief People Officer and Operating Partner
Renegade Partners

Ashley Neville
Insights Director
Carta

Josh Steinfeld
Principal Product Strategist
Carta