The highest paying fintechs: Stripe displaced, and pros of lower pay elsewhere (2024)

Working at afintech firmstill made people a lot of money in 2023, despite the broader downturns in the industry. If you want in, you need to choose your options carefully, andthere are a few places that should be at the top of your list. Stripe, for example, has a reputation as beingthebig spending fintech when it comes to pay. But big money isn't everything, and as the fintech sector is forced into a period of 'adapt or die,' there are signs of bifurcation between high players with a grinding culture and lower payers that like to take things a little more easily. That being said, it's rarely so simple...

The chart below shows the average Total Compensation (TC) of software developers at 38global fintech unicorns, based on figures from Levels.fyi in 2023. The number of data points varies from firm to firm, of course, and does not definitively represent the structure of pay at each company. Nonetheless, it is interesting that Stripe is not one of the precious few fintechs where earning $400k TC packages seems the norm.

Atop the fintech pay mountain is Plaid. The B2B infrastructure fintech was very generous this year, bumping up compensation to $424k from $388k last year, based on Levels' figures. Conversely, Stripe paid $398k on average in 2022 but dropped its average to $370k this year. It is worth bearing in mind however that Stripe has many more data points.

Klarna, the loss-making Swedish Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) fintech, pays the least in Europe, but not worldwide. That dishonor goes to NuBank, thepublicly traded digital banking decacorn with a $40bn valuation. NuBank is based in Brazil, which puts it at a pay disadvantage and makes its similarity to European firms admirable. In the US, the lowest paying fintech is loans startup Upgrade, on account of a heavily Canadian engineering contingent.

So Plaid or Stripe should be yourtop option, right? Maybe not, if you want meaningful work or a relaxed environment. On jobs forum Blind, Stripe reviews in 2023 warn of a "cutthroat culture" with "zero sense of psychological safety."One review warned product teams were inundated with "analysis paralysis," where there are "great ideas, but not a lot of doing." At Plaid, meanwhile, even CTOJean-Denis Greze says a lot of the work done is unexciting, "just moving letters around on the internet."

If you're an in-office advocate, you should also know that one review says "some offices are ghost towns."Plaid also describes itself as... "plemote first."

Then look at Nubank and Klarna. At the former, Blind reviews in 2023 say "work-life balance is wonderful." At the latter, they say there are "brilliant people to work with and a lot of space for taking on responsibility." It's not all sunshine and rainbows, however; Klarna have been accused of cutting costs and, with BNPL regulation on the way, its already tenuous business model may be set to get even worse.

Enjoyment isn't the only thing a lower paying firm can give you. If you value career progression, Revolut should be among those you consider. Young employees rise to senior roles very quickly and, if the pay still isn't up to snuff, you'll be happy to know Revolut alumni are known togo on to bigger and better things.

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The highest paying fintechs: Stripe displaced, and pros of lower pay elsewhere (2024)

FAQs

The highest paying fintechs: Stripe displaced, and pros of lower pay elsewhere? ›

Atop the fintech pay mountain is Plaid. The B2B infrastructure fintech was very generous this year, bumping up compensation to $424k from $388k last year, based on Levels' figures. Conversely, Stripe paid $398k on average in 2022 but dropped its average to $370k this year.

What is the highest paying job in fintech? ›

Top 5 Highest Paying Jobs in the U.S. FinTech Industry
  1. Blockchain Expert/ Developer. ...
  2. App Developer. ...
  3. Product Owner/ Manager. ...
  4. Financial Analyst. ...
  5. Cybersecurity Expert/ Analyst.

How well does fintech pay? ›

The average fintech salary in the United Kingdom is £62,500 per year or £32.05 per hour. Entry level positions start at £45,000 per year while most experienced workers make up to £83,125 per year.

What is the highest paying finance job? ›

Highest-paying finance jobs
  • Investment banker.
  • Hedge fund manager.
  • Financial analyst.
  • Information technology auditor.
  • Financial software developer.
  • Private equity associate.
  • Chief compliance officer.
  • Chief financial officer.
Apr 18, 2024

Does fintech pay more? ›

The Glassdoor data closes the gap a bit—but even so, it seems that fintech pays a bit more than traditional financial firms, especially when you consider how software engineers' compensation at fintech firms will only increase with tenure (provided the firm survives, of course).

Which tech company pays the most? ›

Which Tech Companies Pay the Most?
  • Google LLC. ...
  • Salesforce, Inc. ...
  • Amazon.com, Inc. ...
  • Microsoft Corporation. ...
  • Cisco Systems, Inc. ...
  • IBM (International Business Machines Corporation) ...
  • Apple, Inc. ...
  • Oracle Corporation.

Is it worth working in fintech? ›

Benefits of working in the fintech industry

Highly profitable: Successful fintech companies can make quite a bit of profit, which translates into how much your salary might be. If you're looking for a high-paying career, you might want to consider this industry.

Do you make a lot of money in fintech? ›

As of May 25, 2024, the average annual pay for a Fintech in the United States is $123,495 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $59.37 an hour.

What are the pros and cons of fintech? ›

Fintech's advantages include easy access, transaction efficiency, and lower costs. Nevertheless, fintech also has disadvantages, such as data security issues, technological dependence, and a lack of consistent regulation.

How much does fintech pay you? ›

Average Fintech hourly pay ranges from approximately $16.43 per hour for Business Development Representative to $83.43 per hour for Registered Nurse. The average Fintech salary ranges from approximately $45,940 per year for Sales Representative to $111,812 per year for Partnership Manager.

What is the hardest finance job to get? ›

1. Investment Banker. Roles in investing banking are highly sought after. For investment bankers, it's often a higher competition to land a role in one of the largest firms.

What career makes a lot of money? ›

What are the highest-paying jobs in America? Unsurprisingly, physicians, surgeons and psychiatrists rank near the top of the list. But chief executives, airline pilots and athletes also rank high. Many of the highest-paying occupations in America are also among the fastest-growing jobs.

What are top fintech salaries? ›

Fintech Salary in Los Angeles, CA
Annual SalaryMonthly Pay
Top Earners$193,815$16,151
75th Percentile$158,624$13,218
Average$125,195$10,432
25th Percentile$92,443$7,703

Why fintech is hard? ›

Learning FinTech involves mastering industry-specific tools such as Python, as well as constantly staying ahead of technological innovation in the field. Professionals in FinTech need to combine both hard skills, such as data visualization and programming, with soft skills like communication and business acumen.

Is fintech better than finance? ›

While conventional banks are constrained by slow processes and reliance on legacy infrastructure, fintech companies offer multiple business benefits: Higher customer satisfaction through intuitive interfaces and personalized services.

How much money can you make from fintech? ›

How much does a Fintech make? As of May 23, 2024, the average annual pay for a Fintech in the United States is $123,495 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $59.37 an hour.

What is the best major for fintech? ›

An undergrad degree in information technology, computer science, or engineering will give you the technical skills to start your formal education in the field of fintech. A business, economics, or finance degree will provide you with the financial knowledge you need.

How much does fintech CEO pay? ›

What is the average salary for a Chief Executive Officer at Fintech Bank in the United States? Based on our data, it appears that the optimal compensation range for a Chief Executive Officer at Fintech Bank is between $651,416 and $1,078,036, with an average salary of $853,577.

Which tech role pays the most? ›

The 15 highest-paying tech jobs
  1. DevOps engineers. ...
  2. Software engineering manager. ...
  3. Enterprise architect. ...
  4. Product manager. ...
  5. Artificial intelligence (AI) architect. ...
  6. Site reliability engineer. ...
  7. Cloud engineer. ...
  8. Computer and information research scientist.
Feb 12, 2024

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