When it comes to family office vs venture capital compensation, there’s no single answer to who pays more, it depends entirely on the role, the percentile you’re using and the total AUM. This week’s investment firm data drop analyzes total cash and carried interest compensation for Managing General Partners and Director / Principal level roles at family offices and venture capital firms with less than $500 million in total AUM.
Key takeaways: Managing General Partner
- Total cash is nearly identical at the median ($399,131 family office vs. $400,000 VC), but family offices lag at both the 25th percentile ($202,500 vs. $307,077) and 75th percentile ($505,000 vs. $560,000 at VC)
- Carried interest tells a different story: family office MGPs earn MORE at the median (40.00% vs. 30.00% at VC firms), but this advantage disappears at the 75th percentile (45.00% vs. 48.25%)
Key Takeaways: Director / Principal
- Venture capital firms pay higher total cash across most percentiles—except at the 75th percentile, where family office Directors/Principals earn $40,800 MORE ($320,800 vs. $280,000)
- Family offices consistently offer higher carried interest across ALL percentiles (4.80% vs. 2.00% at 25th; 5.00% vs. 4.00% at median; 8.75% vs. 5.75% at 75th)
It’s all about the competition for talent. Family offices may offer lower cash at entry levels but provide stronger carried interest opportunities—particularly for Director/Principal talent. At the top, it’s more complex— which is why having access to real-time comp data is paramount. To find out how your current comp compares to real-time market data, fill out the no cost Thelander-PitchBook Investment Firm Compensation Survey today. You can also purchase access to the investment firm dataset without participation. Learn more here.