{"id":20478,"date":"2021-10-03T05:28:50","date_gmt":"2021-10-03T12:28:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foundersnetwork.com\/?p=20478"},"modified":"2026-03-25T16:31:01","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T23:31:01","slug":"startup-coo-salary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foundersnetwork.com\/startup-coo-salary\/","title":{"rendered":"Startup COO Salary: Here’s What You Can Expect to Pay a COO for Your Startup"},"content":{"rendered":"

Of all the startup roles<\/a>\u2014content strategists, controllers, COOs, and more\u2014the job of COO (chief operating officer) is perhaps one of the most underappreciated yet valuable. The role of the COO is to oversee and manage the company\u2019s critical operational functions, keeping everything running smoothly from day to day.<\/p>\n

Given this essential task, COOs more than deserve to be compensated fairly for their hard work. But what is the average COO (chief operating officer) salary, and how much does a COO at a startup get paid<\/a>, exactly? In this article, we\u2019ll discuss the issues of startup COO salary and equity, so that you can recruit and retain high-quality talent.<\/p>\n

What does a COO do at a startup?<\/h2>\n

The COO reports directly to the CEO, and is often considered to be the company\u2019s \u201csecond in command.\u201d COOs focus on carrying out the details of the company\u2019s business plan and strategy.<\/p>\n

Often, the COO handles the internal affairs of the business, while the CEO acts as its public-facing representative. For example, if the company receives negative press, the CEO might decide which corrective actions to take and make a public announcement. The COO is then tasked with hiring and managing the right personnel\u2014whether that\u2019s customer support, DevOps engineers, or digital marketers\u2014to make the CEO\u2019s promises happen.<\/p>\n

COOs usually have previous experience in fields such as sales, marketing, product management, and business development. As they work their way up the corporate ladder, the former titles held by COOs may include: director of customer success, marketing coordinator, marketing manager, sales director, associate product manager, sales operations manager, Salesforce administrator, etc.<\/p>\n

In addition, COOs should have a solid education, with many holding a graduate degree such as an MBA. Finally, COOs should possess strong leadership, communication, and analytical skills to help them fulfill their job responsibilities.<\/p>\n

COOs are expected to wear many hats in order to successfully administrate functions across the business. As such, COOs oversee a wide range of employees: QA managers, recruiters, sales managers, customer support reps, engineering managers, event planners, HR directors, sales engineers, sales reps, and more.<\/p>\n

The role of the COO in a startup may vary depending on the company\u2019s immediate and long-term needs. Some COOs are hired to complement the CEO\u2019s abilities\u2014such as a forward-thinking, visionary CEO who needs a practical-minded second in command. Other COOs are brought on for a specific initiative, such as launching a new product or expanding into a new market.<\/p>\n

How much does a COO of a small company make?<\/h2>\n

The salary for a COO at a startup depends on multiple factors, so it\u2019s difficult to give a \u201cone size fits all\u201d answer. The elements that may influence startup COO salary include:<\/p>\n