2025 Salary Guide for C-Suite and Executive Roles

The Real Cost of Executive Hiring Mistakes

For startup founders, few choices carry more weight than building your leadership team. A wrong hire at the C-Suite or VP level can drain millions in lost productivity, team turnover, and missed opportunities. Worse, many founders discover too late that the recruiting model they picked set them up for failure.

At the Series A to C stage, every executive counts. You need proven leaders who can grow with your business, not just candidates who look good on paper.

Why the Common Recruiting Models Fall Short

Many founders start with contingency recruiting because it seems cheaper and low risk. But contingency recruiters only earn a fee if you hire one of their candidates. That leads to surface-level searches, fast submissions, and recycled resumes. The process is built for speed, not for finding the right leader.

On the flip side, big search firms have strong reach and name recognition. The downside is they often treat startups as smaller accounts compared to their Fortune 500 clients. Fees can balloon, timelines drag, and the process feels more transactional than personal.

Neither model offers the level of commitment and partnership that growing startups truly need.

The Smarter Approach: Retained Search for True Leadership Talent

Retained search flips the model. Instead of racing to place a candidate, a retained search partner becomes a true extension of your team. The search is built around your vision, your culture, and the specific skills your company needs for the next stage of growth.

That means headhunting leaders who aren’t actively applying, running deeper assessments, and presenting only the candidates who can deliver lasting results. When you’re betting the future of your business on a leadership hire, you can’t afford anything less.

The High Altitude Advantage

At High Altitude Recruiting, we’ve removed the biggest barrier founders face when considering retained search: unpredictable, percentage-based fees.

We offer retained search for a flat $10k per search. No hidden costs, no percentage of salary, and never any surprises. Just a clear, fixed investment in building the leadership team your company needs.

With over 75 C-Suite placements, 150 VP and Director hires, and 1,000+ senior manager searches, our track record speaks for itself. Clients trust us for our 97% fill rate and 99% one-year retention rate.

Our approach gives you the depth and dedication of retained search with cost predictability that works for startups.

Final Word

In 2025, hiring top executives isn’t just about salary benchmarks. It’s about choosing the right recruiting model that gives you a real partner, not just another vendor.

👉 Learn more about the $10k Advantage and how High Altitude Recruiting helps founders build leadership teams that last.