@bondex
📝 Founder Salaries Just Dropped 43%
Every founder eventually hits the same wall:
“So… what should I actually pay myself?”
Pilot’s latest report shows the average founder now earns $98K, with a median of $75K. Most fall between $1 and $99K. Nearly half believe they’re underpaying themselves, and 5.4% take home nothing. 💵
The biggest shift comes from AI: a 287% surge in AI startups entering the dataset. AI founders earn a median $90K and tend to scale their teams faster than non-AI founders. 🤖
Funding scarcity is reshaping compensation: founders earning $100K+ are overwhelmingly VC-backed (90%). Salaries rise with revenue and headcount but plateau past ~$3M ARR and ~25 employees. 🧩
The message is clear: founders are operating leaner, taking home less, and prioritizing sustainability over growth theatrics.
If you're building in Web3, mint your free Bondex ID: http://bondex.onelink.me/YC8z/x8fjoagd
➡️ Full report here: https://pilot.com/founder-salary-report-2025#methodology
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