Founder Salary Report
How Much Should You Pay Yourself?
816 founders answered anonymously. Here’s what founders actually do when real money, real runway, and real pressure are involved.
Founders Stick Together
$0 After Funding? Happens
Profit Isn’t the Driver
Most Founders Guess. You Don’t Have To.
Most founders make this decision in a vacuum — guessing, copying a friend’s number, or trying to read investors’ minds. But that one number quietly shapes your burn, runway, hiring plans, and how you show up under stress. Too little pay adds hidden risk. Too much limits your flexibility when things tighten. This report replaces folklore with data. Based on 816 anonymous founders, it breaks compensation down by funding, revenue, profitability, runway, team size, location, and role — so you can see what founders at your stage actually do and decide with intention.
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The Myth vs. The Median
We assume more funding means higher pay. That revenue guarantees a raise. That profitability changes everything. The data tells a more interesting story. Founder salary turns out to be stickier — and more psychological — than spreadsheets suggest.
Funding Raises the Median — But Not the Floor
Some founders still pay themselves $0. Capital changes what’s possible. It doesn’t force a decision.
Revenue Creates Permission
Revenue moves pay. Pre-revenue median: $120k — above some early revenue bands. Revenue feels earned; funding can feel borrowed.
Profitability Doesn’t Change the Median
Profit doesn’t move the median. It expands the buffer. Founder pay is stickier than you’d think.
"This is super helpful! I wish you had done this a few years ago."
"This is awesome. I especially love the line, ‘Pay yourself enough to keep your brain working, and not so much that you start optimizing for comfort instead of growth.'"
"Thanks for sharing. This is super thorough!"
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