Almost no one wants to be paid in crypto: Pantera survey

Specialized roles in marketing and finance see higher median salaries in the US compared to global figures, the survey found

article-image

Gorynvd/Shutterstock modified by Blockworks

share

A new survey indicates that less than 3% of professionals in the crypto industry receive compensation in the form of digital assets.

According to Pantera Capital’s latest Blockchain Compensation Survey, shared with Blockworks, 97% of the 1,600 professional respondents preferred fiat-based compensation.

Of those remaining, USDC represents roughly 56% of crypto salary payments, while USDT stood at 25%, followed by bitcoin (BTC) at 13%.

Pantera’s report provides key insights into salary trends across various roles, geographic locations and company maturity stages.

In the US, executive salaries range from an average of $147,363 at seed-stage startups to $335,400 for those at Series C and beyond.

Likewise, specialized roles in marketing and finance also see higher median salaries in the US compared to global figures, with marketers earning a median salary of $135,000 versus a global $100,000.

Compensation for business development roles globally centers at a median base salary of $115,000, with US professionals averaging $140,000. Senior-level employees in business development can make as much as $275,000. 

Product management professionals, in a similar vein, show median base salaries ranging from $115,000 in early career to $187,500 for senior positions within the US. 

Encompassing roles from customer support to strategy, the operations sector sees a median US base salary of $110,000, peaking at $344,000 for the highest earners.

The legal landscape, influenced by recent regulatory turbulence, shows the median base salary for senior legal roles in the US standing at $225,000, scaling up to $370,000 at the top echelons.

The crypto sector has also overwhelmingly adopted remote work, the survey found, with more than 87% of all roles falling within a work-from-home capacity.


Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:

  • Blockworks Daily: The newsletter that helps thousands of investors understand crypto and the markets, by Byron Gilliam.
  • Empire: Start your morning with the top news and analysis to inform your day in crypto.
  • Forward Guidance: Reporting and analysis on the growing intersection of crypto and macroeconomics, policy and finance.
  • 0xResearch: Alpha directly in your inbox. Market highlights, data, degen trade ideas, governance updates, token performance and more.
  • Lightspeed: Built for Solana investors, developers and community members. The latest from one of crypto’s hottest networks.
  • The Drop: For crypto collectors and traders, covering apps, games, memes and more.
  • Supply Shock: Tracking Bitcoin’s rise from internet plaything worth less than a penny to global phenomenon disrupting money as we know it.
Tags

Upcoming Events

Industry City | Brooklyn, NY

TUES - THURS, JUNE 24 - 26, 2025

Permissionless IV serves as the definitive gathering for crypto’s technical founders, developers, and builders to come together and create the future.If you’re ready to shape the future of crypto, Permissionless IV is where it happens.

Old Billingsgate

Mon - Wed, October 13 - 15, 2025

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

recent research

Research

article-image

The platform also rolled out 13 tokenized funds for institutions on the Connect platform

article-image

The company’s expanded lineup introduces new ETF products, as more and more issuers get into crypto funds

article-image

President Donald Trump announced a 10% levy on almost all goods and additional tariffs on so-called “worst offending” countries

article-image

Solana may be in “recomposition” mode, as new protocols put usefulness ahead of mere virality

article-image

The stablecoin issuer will have to contend with bigger players and the interest rates environment

article-image

The president reportedly was still working on his tariff policy plans late Tuesday evening