2008 Startup Compensation Survey

Posted by On October 23, 2008 3 Comments

2008compstudy
The latest version of this annual comp study compiled by J. Robert Scott in collaboration with Wilmer Hale, Ernst & Young and Prof. Noam Wasserman at HBS is out.  If you haven’t heard of this report before, I’ve been writing about it for a while.  It is by far the best source of compensation data for startups.  The report is a result of a survey of 340 venture-backed startups in the US.  The report details compensation for the top 10 or so executives and cuts the data by geography, revenue, headcount, industry segment and more and includes ranges for salary, bonus and equity.  You won’t find a better source.

In 2008, base salaries are up about 5% over 2007 but bonus payouts remain flat.  Equity compensation is hard to assess on average, but it looks like it’s about the same or slightly less.

You can get a summary of the report from the comp study website.  The unabridge report is very detailed (70+ pages).  If you’re interested in a copy, email me email Noam who will send you one if you commit to participate in the next survey.