Issue 57: Chief of Staff Compensation Report 2024
The results of our 3rd annual Chief of Staff Compensation Survey are in!
Welcome back, aspiring and current Chiefs of Staff! 👋
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Our annual compensation survey results are in! This year, we collected data from 4️⃣ 7️⃣ 0️⃣ Chiefs of Staff (almost 1️⃣ 0️⃣ 0️⃣ more than last year) to provide you with comprehensive insights into compensation trends across the industry. Let's dive into the key findings from our third annual Chief of Staff Compensation Survey:
📣💖 We could not have put this report together without help of some very important individuals that I need to shoutout. Thank you to:
D'azhane Cook for setting up the survey and putting it all together in this beautiful presentation.
Amanda Hong for design and branding work.
Madhuram Ravichandran for helping clean and collate the data.
How Much Does a Chief of Staff Make?
In the last two months, we surveyed current Chiefs of Staff to help both current and aspiring Chiefs of Staff know their market value and use this information to help negotiate or re-negotiate their salaries.
The full report is available for download in the link at the top of this newsletter, but in this issue, we’ll be highlighting a few specific trends and points of interest.
This year, we collected data from 4️⃣ 7️⃣ 0️⃣ Chiefs of Staff, with the majority (62.5%) based in North America and 21.3% working in remote roles. While we received responses from APAC, EMEA, and other international regions, we've focused primarily on North American data where we had the largest sample size.
1. Experience Pays Off—Literally
The data shows a compelling correlation between experience and compensation. Chiefs of Staff early in their careers (1-2 years of experience) begin at a median salary of $125,000, with median compensation steadily climbing to $175,000 for those with 15+ years of experience.
The most significant jump occurs in the later years, with an almost $25,000 increase between 11-15 years and the 15+ years mark. This trajectory highlights the value organizations place on experienced Chiefs of Staff.
2. Company Stage Matters
One of the most significant factors influencing compensation is company stage. Public companies unsurprisingly lead the pack, offering median salaries of $190,000. However, there's a notable $70,000 gap between early-stage (Seed/Pre-Seed) positions at $120,000 and later-stage (Series B/C/D) roles.
This indicates that as companies mature and secure additional funding, Chief of Staff compensation tends to increase proportionally.
3. Technology Sector Dominates
The technology industry continues to be the largest employer of Chiefs of Staff, representing 40% of respondents. Tech companies offer above-average compensation at $163,000, reflecting the sector's strong demand for strategic leadership support.
4. Education Shows Interesting Returns
While professional degrees (law, medical) command the highest median salary at $187,500, we found something surprising: the difference between Bachelor's ($150,000) and Master's ($145,000) degree holders is minimal and actually inverted.
This suggests that practical experience often carries more weight than additional academic credentials in this role.
5. Gender Pay Gap Narrowing
We're encouraged to see that the median salary difference between male ($153,000) and female ($150,000) Chiefs of Staff has decreased to just $3,000, though there's still work to be done to achieve full parity.
What's Next?
Download the Full Report:
Join Our Upcoming Workshop: "Give Your 2025 Job Search an Energy Boost" where you’ll discover how to approach the new year with a fresh start. We know it's frustrating when you've heard all the same advice before, but in this workshop, CEO & Career Coach Rachel Serwetz will guide you to reframe your job search, brainstorm new tactics, and re-approach your search with positivity and strategy.
Check out the Ask a Chief of Staff Community: We’re a bit biased, but we think that the Ask a Chief of Staff community is the best place find peers and a personal advisory board to help you become even more successful and effective in the role. AaCoS members get access to exclusive workshops with industry leaders, peer to peer networking, a mentorship directory with current and former Chiefs of Staff, in person events, and more!
P.S. Joining the Ask a Chief of Staff community is a fantastic way to use up any extra learning & development budget you have for the rest of the year! Pop on over to my LinkedIn page and send me the 🎁 emoji for a special end of year offer 😁
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Thank you for the analytics and the preparation to make these reports possible!