A little late, but I'm adding this since there's not a ton of comments on here on relatively-late employees.
The first time as an employee, I would've received mid-five-figures, if only I'd been able to afford the $10K to exercise my options when I left. (Whoops.) I was employee #150 or so.
The second time as an employee, low-five-figures from the options, and close to $100K from a year's worth of retention bonus. Would've been more if I'd stayed for three years instead of one. Here I was around employee #100.
In both cases the startups were already mature when I arrived - not guaranteed to exit, but a stone rolling downhill. Whatever I made was gravy; I was paid at or close to market rate at both places.
In my opinion, employees do best at startups that've already had some success. Being the first employee is too close in risk to being a founder, but with just a fraction of the rewards.
The first time as an employee, I would've received mid-five-figures, if only I'd been able to afford the $10K to exercise my options when I left. (Whoops.) I was employee #150 or so.
The second time as an employee, low-five-figures from the options, and close to $100K from a year's worth of retention bonus. Would've been more if I'd stayed for three years instead of one. Here I was around employee #100.
In both cases the startups were already mature when I arrived - not guaranteed to exit, but a stone rolling downhill. Whatever I made was gravy; I was paid at or close to market rate at both places.
In my opinion, employees do best at startups that've already had some success. Being the first employee is too close in risk to being a founder, but with just a fraction of the rewards.