Every year, the team at Artemis Canada publishes some of the most trusted compensation benchmarks in the Canadian tech ecosystem. Our newly released 2025 salary guides for People and Culture, Finance Leadership, Marketing, Product Leadership, Software Engineering Leadership, Customer Success, and Sales, offer a clear look at how expectations are shifting inside growing Canadian companies.
As founders, CEOs and hiring teams prepare for the year ahead, these insights matter. The market continues to evolve and companies that recruit successfully understand how compensation trends shape candidate expectations, role design and the overall hiring experience.
Below is an overview of the major trends that show up consistently across the reports. For specific salary ranges, role breakdowns and compensation details, you can explore the individual guides linked throughout this post.
1. Compensation trends in startups continue to rise across leadership roles
While growth rates vary, all reports reference a clear upward trend in total compensation for senior talent. Roles that influence product direction, revenue growth, retention or organizational scale show the strongest increases. Competitive offers remain essential for attracting candidates with experience in high-growth environments.
2. Hybrid and remote work are now standard in today’s startup talent market
Across all reported functions, hybrid and remote arrangements dominate. Fully in-office roles make up only a small portion of the market. Flexibility influences how wide a candidate pool can be and has become a factor that candidates assess early in the process. Companies with rigid in-office requirements often see slower pipelines and reduced interest.
3. Equity participation is becoming a core part of startup compensation packages
Equity has become a more common component of total compensation, extending beyond the executive level. Product, engineering and finance roles show particularly high rates of participation. Candidates are looking for clarity on vesting structures and long-term value, and equity remains an important lever for companies competing with larger organizations on base salary.
4. Startup leadership roles now carry broader impact
Across the reports, one pattern appears repeatedly. Modern leaders are expected to operate across functions and contribute directly to business outcomes. The scope of senior roles has expanded to include strategy, cross-team alignment, decision-making and measurable impact. Candidates evaluate opportunities based on the level of influence they will have, not only on functional responsibilities.
5. Pay transparency is increasing, along with the need for clear compensation bands
With more public data available, compensation transparency in startups and scaleups has become a key expectation. Some reports highlight noticeable pay gaps within functions, which reinforces the need for clear compensation bands, structured evaluation and consistent internal alignment. Companies that establish transparent frameworks early tend to close searches more confidently and retain talent longer.
These 2025 startup compensation trends highlight the importance of having clear and competitive salary benchmarks before beginning any search. Hiring teams benefit from using up-to-date startup salary data to set realistic compensation ranges and to communicate transparently about how base pay, variable pay and equity fit together. Moving efficiently and keeping decision-makers aligned is also essential in a market where senior candidates have strong alternatives.
Role clarity has become a key differentiator. Candidates want to understand the impact and scope of the position, not just the functional responsibilities. Well-defined roles help attract the right applicants and reduce friction later in the process. Flexibility continues to play an important role as well. Hybrid and remote options broaden the available talent pool and remain highly valued across functions.
Equity remains a meaningful part of startup compensation strategies. Candidates look for clarity around vesting and long-term value, and companies that present equity thoughtfully tend to secure stronger acceptance rates. Overall, clarity, speed and flexibility remain the most effective ways for startups to compete for leadership talent in 2025.
Hiring in the Canadian startup ecosystem requires an understanding of how compensation is shifting and how candidate expectations are evolving. These reports provide valuable visibility into market conditions and help companies make informed decisions about how they attract and retain leadership talent.
If you would like help assessing how these trends apply to your company and your upcoming hires, we are happy to walk through the guides with you and provide tailored recommendations. Reach out to info@artemiscanada.com.
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Founded by Kristina McDougall in 2013, Artemis has grown to become Canada’s most trusted boutique executive search firm for startups.
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