moneymoves salary methodology

Salary is amongst the most viewed characteristics on moneymoves. At the same time, and as job candidates at startups know, information is imperfect.

moneymoves applauds efforts – in Colorado, California and nationwide – which bring greater transparency to candidates. However, we do not exclude companies that do not disclose salary ranges. Our approach is rooted in engagement; we encourage and incentivize companies to disclose and be early in this broader movement.

Additionally, candidates prefer to view and match with relevant roles (vs. dismissing these roles because of missing information). We empower candidates with the knowledge, skills and confidence to advocate on their own behalf.

Our approach to salary at startups is as follows:

• First, distinguish between salary and total compensation (which may include equity)

• Second, aggregate and highlight salary and compensation for roles

• Third, create a moneymoves salary range.

Total compensation is a combination of base salary and other financial benefits. Some companies report this figure to include contributions to retirement plans (e.g., 401k), bonuses and benefits like healthcare. Growing startups include equity in their compensation packages, in addition to base salary and potential other benefits.

Some job listings include salary and compensation details. When that occurs, we bring that information directly to candidates on moneymoves. You can see specific examples which informs this practice here.

As moneymoves builds one of the largest repositories for business roles in tech, we are creating salary ranges for roles based on priors. We are explicit when we do this. To be clear, the salary ranges for these startup roles do not come directly from companies. Instead, we identify shared skills, tools and characteristics between companies that do disclose compensation and those who do not to create a general market range.

The fundamental belief of moneymoves is that startup salary and compensation should be transparent. Both companies and candidates are better equipped to make important hiring / joining decisions with more information.