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Compensation Framework · Feb 2026
COMP
ENGINE
Visual breakdown of role categories, salary bands, multipliers, and premiums for web3 hiring in 2026.
Master Formula
Adjusted Base = Base Band × Score × Geo × Stage × Scarcity
Total Comp = Adjusted Base + Realistic Token Value
Hiring Shortcut
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🧮 Interactive
Compensation Calculator
Adjusted Base Salary
$198,333
🔗 Protocol / Infra · Senior
Base Band
$210,000
Score Mult
0.94x
North America
1x
Series B+
1x
Token Model
Realistic Token Value
$255,938
×0.70 ×0.65 ×0.75 (~34% realized)
Total Comp
$454,271
Base + Realistic Token Value
Role Category
Seniority Level
PayUp Score
85 · STRONGGeography
Company Stage
Scarcity Premiums (tap to stack)
Adjusted Base Salary
$198,333
🔗 Protocol / Infra · Senior
Base Band
$210,000
Score Mult
0.94x
North America
1x
Series B+
1x
Token Model
Realistic Token Value
$255,938
×0.70 ×0.65 ×0.75 (~34% realized)
Total Comp
$454,271
Base + Realistic Token Value
🏆 5 Tiers
Level Classification
HARD PASS
0–49
0.6x
MID
50–65
0.75x
SOLID
66–80
0.9x
STRONG
81–89
1x
TOP SHELF
90–100
1.2x
Continuous interpolation — score 57 ≠ score 63, even though both are MID.
📊 12 × 5
Salary Matrix — Base Bands
Tap any value to load it into the calculator. Pre-multiplier base in USD.
| Role | Junior | Mid | Senior | Lead | Executive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ⚙️ Engineering — General | |||||
| 🔗 Protocol / Infra | |||||
| 🔐 ZK / Cryptography | |||||
| 🛡️ Security / Audit | |||||
| 🤖 AI × Crypto | |||||
| 🤝 BD / Sales | |||||
| 📢 Social / Community | |||||
| 📣 Marketing | |||||
| 📦 Product | |||||
| 🎨 Design | |||||
| 👑 Executive — Tech | |||||
| 👑 Executive — Business |
⚙️ 3 Dimensions
Multiplier Layers
🌍 Geographic Multipliers
🚀 Company Stage Multipliers
💎 9 Factors
Scarcity Premiums
Tap cards to toggle. Selected premiums multiply together.
🪙 FDV-Based
Token Compensation Model
Allocation by Seniority
Discount Stack
Pre-TGE Discount
Range: 60–80%
Vesting Discount
Range: 30–40%
Liquidity Discount
Range: 20–30%
Realized Value Factor
~34%
0.70 × 0.65 × 0.75 × FDV × alloc%
📐 Full Calculation
Worked Example
Senior Solana Protocol Engineer — Series A — Singapore — Score 85 (STRONG)
$210K × 1.00 × 0.72 × 0.93 × 1.15 =
$161,762
adjusted base salary
+ token grant via FDV × 0.10–0.25% × discount stack
🔧 Fallbacks
Resolver Defaults
Missing Seniority
MID
Missing Years
3
Missing Geo
Remote US (0.9×)
Missing Stage
Series A (0.93×)
Slightly undershoots rather than overshoots when context fields are missing.