Almost no one wants to be paid in crypto: Pantera survey

Specialized roles in marketing and finance see higher median salaries in the US compared to global figures, the survey found

by Sebastian Sinclair /

September 26, 2023 12:01 pm

Gorynvd/Shutterstock modified by Blockworks

A new survey indicates that less than 3% of professionals in the crypto industry receive compensation in the form of digital assets.

According to Pantera Capital’s latest Blockchain Compensation Survey, shared with Blockworks, 97% of the 1,600 professional respondents preferred fiat-based compensation.

Of those remaining, USDC represents roughly 56% of crypto salary payments, while USDT stood at 25%, followed by bitcoin (BTC) at 13%.

Pantera’s report provides key insights into salary trends across various roles, geographic locations and company maturity stages.

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In the US, executive salaries range from an average of $147,363 at seed-stage startups to $335,400 for those at Series C and beyond.

Likewise, specialized roles in marketing and finance also see higher median salaries in the US compared to global figures, with marketers earning a median salary of $135,000 versus a global $100,000.

Compensation for business development roles globally centers at a median base salary of $115,000, with US professionals averaging $140,000. Senior-level employees in business development can make as much as $275,000.

Product management professionals, in a similar vein, show median base salaries ranging from $115,000 in early career to $187,500 for senior positions within the US.

Encompassing roles from customer support to strategy, the operations sector sees a median US base salary of $110,000, peaking at $344,000 for the highest earners.

The legal landscape, influenced by recent regulatory turbulence, shows the median base salary for senior legal roles in the US standing at $225,000, scaling up to $370,000 at the top echelons.

The crypto sector has also overwhelmingly adopted remote work, the survey found, with more than 87% of all roles falling within a work-from-home capacity.

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