NZ startup founders paid well - but gender pay gap remains
A new report by LiveRem and Oxygen Advisors sheds light on how much startup and scaleup founders in New Zealand are paying themselves, revealing key trends, persistent gender gaps, and who in the company is likely to be paid more than the founder.
The Typical NZ founder
The average New Zealand founder pays themselves $205,000 per year, with a median of $195,000.
Most founders start drawing a salary 29 months after founding their company, though the median is 15 months.
The typical founder is a 40-year-old male CEO in Auckland, running a company with 0–30 staff and $1–3 million in annual revenue.
Founder pay rises with company scale: those at companies earning over $10 million annually are paid, on average, twice as much as founders at companies with less than $1 million in revenue.
CEO founders earn the most, while CTOs and other technical or operational founders earn 20–33% less.
Source: New Zealand Founder Pay Report 2025
Gender imbalance: persistent pay gaps
Despite the entrepreneurial spirit, gender inequity remains stark:
Male founders are paid, on average, 8.6% more than female founders.
The median pay gap is even wider at 25%, translating to a $50,000 difference.
Men make up 79% of founders in the dataset, with women representing just 21%.
This means that, even at the founder level, women are significantly underrepresented and underpaid compared to their male counterparts. While the report notes some improvement, the gap remains substantial.
Salary growth and company stage
Founder salaries grow rapidly in the early years, with an average annual increase of 25% in the first five years after starting to pay themselves.
Most founders begin with modest salaries, increasing pay as the business scales.
Average founder salary for companies with revenue under $3 million is $146,000, climbing to $292,000 for those above $10 million.
Other notable trends
Location matters: Auckland-based founders earn 18% more than the national average.
In 42% of companies, at least one employee earns more than the founder, reflecting growth-stage priorities and hiring strategies.
Solo founders have a slight edge in pay over those with co-founders, but the difference is modest.
How Does NZ compare internationally?
While direct comparisons are challenging due to currency differences and cost of living, New Zealand founder salaries are broadly in line with those in other developed startup ecosystems:
In the United States, median founder salaries typically range from US$130,000–US$150,000, with CEOs at later-stage startups earning US$200,000 or more. Adjusted for exchange rates, NZ founder pay is competitive, especially at higher revenue stages. Kruze Consulting’s 2025 Startup CEO Salary Report found the average US startup founder salary has risen to $161,000 in 2025, up from $141,000 in 2024. Seed-stage founders average $133,000, while Series A founders average $183,000. Later-stage founders (post-Series B) can earn $200,000 or more, depending on company size and funding. Wellfound (formerly AngelList Talent) reports the average expected US startup CEO salary in 2025 is $105,000, but this ranges widely by stage and location, with top founders at later-stage or well-funded startups earning $250,000–$460,000
UK startup founder salaries are generally lower, with many early-stage founders paying themselves £50,000–£100,000 (NZ$100,000–NZ$200,000), though this varies by sector and funding stage.
The gender pay gap among founders is also a global issue. In the US and UK, studies have found women founders earn 10–30% less than men, similar to the disparities reported in New Zealand.
Not bad, but time to close the gender pay gap
While salaries are healthy by international standards, the persistent gender pay gap and underrepresentation of women founders remain critical challenges for the ecosystem.
As New Zealand’s startup sector matures, addressing these inequities will be vital for building a more inclusive and competitive entrepreneurial landscape.
