If you're a partnership professional evaluating your next role, or an employer trying to build a competitive compensation package, the company stage question matters more than most people realise. The 2026 APAC Partnerships Salary Survey - produced by Hockey Stick Advisory in collaboration with Pointer Strategy - gives us the first clear picture of how partnership compensation varies across startups, scaleups, and enterprises in the APAC region.
The short version: each stage has a distinct compensation profile, a different risk-reward trade-off, and a different set of retention levers. Here's the full breakdown.
The Headline Comparison
| Metric | Startup (1–100) | Scaleup (100–500) | Enterprise (500–1,000+) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salary range | $61,520–$240,000 | $47,500–$330,000 | $50,000–$397,000 |
| Median salary | ~$140,000 | $143,750 | $185,000 |
| Median commission | $46,500 | $30,000 | $90,000 |
| Median bonus | $21,500 | $25,000 | ~$28,000 |
| Median equity | $12,000 | $100,000 | $40,000 |
| Bonus eligibility | 40% | 47% | 53% |
| Top benefit | Flexible work (27.2%) | Flexible work (14.9%) | Flexible work (45.0%) |
Each stage tells a different story about how companies value - and compensate - partnerships. For live benchmarks beyond this survey data, view partnership salary data on Pointer Market Data.
Startup Partnership Compensation (1–100 Employees)
The Profile
Startups offer moderate base pay with significant upside through equity, flexible work, and growth opportunities. Benefits packages are less comprehensive than in larger organisations, but the trade-off is speed, autonomy, and the chance to build something from scratch.
Salary Distribution
The most common salary band is $121,281–$150,960 (26% of startup respondents), with a meaningful tail extending to $240,000. The range is tighter than scaleups and enterprises, reflecting the narrower budgets of early-stage companies.
Variable Compensation
Salary Growth Optimism
Startups show the strongest optimism about salary growth. 19% rated themselves "very optimistic" - the highest proportion of any company stage - and a strong share selected "optimistic." This likely reflects the belief that as the company grows, compensation will grow with it.
The Trade-Off
You're betting on the company. Lower base, smaller benefits, but with equity upside, rapid career progression, and the chance to shape the partnership function from the ground up. For operators coming from a sales background (53% of the talent pool), a startup partnership role offers the opportunity to broaden their skills significantly.
Scaleup Partnership Compensation (100–500 Employees)
The Profile
Scaleups offer higher base salaries and equity than startups, with moderate incentives and modest benefits. The compensation profile balances structured pay with growth potential - but the sentiment data reveals a more cautious outlook.
Salary Distribution
The heaviest concentration is in the $94,584–$141,667 band (41% of scaleup respondents) - a notably tight cluster. The range extends to $330,000, but the spread is less extreme than enterprise.
Variable Compensation
Salary Growth Optimism
Scaleups are the most cautious cohort. 44% rated "neutral" on salary growth optimism - the highest concentration of any company stage - with 19% "pessimistic." Only 6% are "very optimistic." This may reflect the squeeze scaleups feel between startup agility and enterprise resources.
The Trade-Off
Scaleups offer the strongest equity upside (median $100K) and structured compensation, but the sentiment is more guarded. The partnership function at a scaleup is typically more established than at a startup but still evolving. For operators who want both structure and growth potential, this is the sweet spot - but go in with eyes open about the pace of change.
Enterprise Partnership Compensation (500–1,000+ Employees)
The Profile
Enterprises pay the most and have the most comprehensive benefits. Base salaries are highest, commissions are the largest, and benefits coverage is significantly more generous. The trade-off is less equity upside and - often - less direct influence over the partnership strategy.
Salary Distribution
The heaviest concentration is in the $165,668–$223,500 band (33% of enterprise respondents). The range extends to $397,000, and 23% earn between $223,501 and $281,333 - a premium tier that barely exists in startups or scaleups.
Variable Compensation
Salary Growth Optimism
Enterprise respondents show moderate-to-high optimism, with 32% rating "optimistic" and 13% "very optimistic." This is supported by the highest median salaries and broadest bonus/equity offerings in the market.
Benefits
Enterprise benefits are significantly more comprehensive:
| Benefit | Enterprise | Scaleup | Startup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flexible work & leave | 45.0% | 14.9% | 27.2% |
| Health & wellbeing | 30.7% | 6.9% | 7.4% |
| Learning & growth | 28.2% | 8.4% | 11.9% |
| Social & lifestyle | 16.8% | 5.9% | 9.9% |
| Financial perks | 14.4% | 3.5% | 5.0% |
The Trade-Off
Highest base, highest commission, best benefits - but lower equity upside and, often, less room to shape the function. Enterprise partnership roles suit professionals who want stability, competitive pay, and a structured environment. The roles closest to direct revenue generation command the strongest compensation outcomes.
Team Growth Across Stages
Partnership teams are growing everywhere, but the pattern differs:
| Company Stage | Grown | Remained the Same | Shrunk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enterprise | 50% | 29% | 21% |
| Scaleup | 47% | 31% | 22% |
| Startup | 39% | 52% | 10% |
Enterprise and scaleup organisations are most likely to report team expansion. Startups show the most stability - 52% maintained team size with only 10% shrinking. This suggests that startups are carefully maintaining their partnership investment, while larger companies are actively scaling.
Premium Report Data
Detailed benchmarks from the 2026 APAC Partnerships Salary Survey Comprehensive Report. Talk to our partnership team to access the full data.
Contact Us for the Full ReportWhat This Means for Your Next Move
If you're at a startup and thinking of leaving:
Check the equity-adjusted picture before you jump. Your $12K in equity today could be worth significantly more at exit. But if the base is under market and there's no clear partnership framework in place, the ceiling may be limited. Consider whether the company has invested in structured enablement - like the Hockey Stick Partnerships Framework - or whether you're expected to figure everything out alone.
If you're at a scaleup and feeling stuck:
You're not imagining the caution in the air. Scaleup sentiment is genuinely more guarded. But $100K median equity is the highest of any stage, and the combination of moderate base with significant equity represents real upside. The question is whether your company's partnership function has enough strategic clarity to keep growing - or whether it's plateauing.
If you're at an enterprise and considering a move:
You're at the top of the base salary ladder. Moving laterally to another enterprise may increase commission or equity, but base salary differences will be modest. The real question is whether your career progression path is clear. Director-level professionals at enterprise companies are the highest flight risk (48% actively looking) - often because the ceiling feels close.
If you're an employer building a comp package:
Benchmark against your company stage, not the overall median. A startup offering $164K is competing well; an enterprise offering $164K is below market. Layer in the right variable comp and equity for your stage, and remember that flexible work is table stakes at every stage.