Market Data

The market.

Salary ranges, equity benchmarks, and fractional day rates for the four senior roles consumer startups make most often at seed and Series A. Useful for founders setting a budget and operators understanding their market rate.

Sourced from Robert Walters, Hays, and Michael Page 2026 guides. Updated June 2026 - indicative ranges only.

Roles

CFO

Chief Financial Officer

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Finance leadership, investor relations, unit economics, fundraising readiness.

Seed full-time

£80,000 - £120,000

CMO

Chief Marketing Officer

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Acquisition, retention, brand building, performance marketing, growth strategy.

Seed full-time

£75,000 - £110,000

HoC

Head of Customer

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Post-purchase experience, onboarding, churn reduction, retention programmes, NPS.

Seed full-time

£55,000 - £80,000

COO

Chief Operating Officer

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Operational infrastructure, supply chain, team scaling, process, cross-functional delivery.

Seed full-time

£80,000 - £120,000

Equity benchmarks

Role

Seed

Series A

Note

CFO

0.5% - 1.5%

0.25% - 0.75%

Higher at seed when joining pre-revenue or taking a below-market salary.

CMO

0.25% - 1.0%

0.1% - 0.5%

Consumer CMOs with proven DTC or subscription experience command the upper end.

HoC

0.25% - 0.75%

0.1% - 0.4%

Often underequitised relative to impact. Stronger in subscription businesses where retention is central to the model.

COO

0.5% - 1.5%

0.25% - 0.75%

Varies significantly with scope. A COO who is effectively a co-founder or number two may negotiate founder-level equity.

Equity figures represent percentage of fully diluted share capital on grant. Actual allocation depends on vesting schedule (typically 4 years, 1-year cliff), option scheme structure, and valuation at time of hire.

Typical notice periods

Role

Full-time

Fractional

CFO

3 - 6 months

2 - 4 weeks

CMO

3 - 6 months

2 - 4 weeks

Head of Customer

1 - 3 months

1 - 2 weeks

COO

3 - 6 months

2 - 4 weeks

Notice periods affect your search timeline. Factor in 4-8 weeks for a typical hiring process on top of notice. Senior candidates at large companies may have 6-month notice clauses - garden leave is sometimes negotiable.

Not sure what is right for your situation?

These ranges are a starting point. The right offer depends on your sector, your runway, and what you are asking the hire to do. Book a call and we will give you an honest view - whether you are a founder setting a budget or a candidate benchmarking your rate.

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Sources

Robert Walters UK Salary Guide 2026 Hays UK Salary Guide 2026 Michael Page UK Salary Guide 2026