AI startups raise base salaries and offer equity packages
AI startups are switching up their hiring playbook.
Many are now offering much higher base salaries, often alongside equity or other incentive structures, thanks to fresh venture capital funding and fierce competition for skilled workers.
Just how high? One MIT graduate landed a $220,000 starting salary; that amount was reported as before any equity (so equity may also have been part of the package).
Startups' software engineering pay up 25%
With only a small pool of standout candidates out there, companies are raising salaries across roles: software engineering pay is up 25% since 2022, and sales and product jobs are seeing bumps too.
Some startups are also adding perks like profit-sharing or faster equity vesting. As Chris Vasquez from Quantum puts it, startup pay can now match big tech.
Other industry observers say teams are focusing on better culture to keep people around.