- Crypto specialists paid in digital assets rose from 3% to 9.6% in a year.
- USDC accounts for 63% of stablecoin payrolls, with USDT at 28.6%.
- Entry-level engineers saw salaries rise 25.6%; 82% of employees work remotely.
Over the past year, the percentage of crypto specialists receiving salaries in digital assets has tripled—from 3% to 9.6%, according to a Pantera Capital report based on a survey of more than 1,600 respondents from 77 countries.
Stablecoins have become the main means of payment in the crypto industry, accounting for over 90% of all salaries paid in digital assets. USDC dominates with a 63% share, followed by USDT at 28.6%.
Analysts noted that Circle's asset is more popular for payroll payments, despite USDT's higher trading volume. They attributed this to the fact that major payroll providers like Deel, Remote, and Rippling do not offer payouts in USDT.
Technical specialists’ incomes grew significantly, especially for entry-level and mid-level engineers, with increases of 25.6% and 14.49% respectively. Senior engineers’ salaries rose by 4.9%.
Academic degree is not important
In the blockchain industry, practical experience tends to outweigh academic degrees. Professionals with a bachelor’s degree earn an average of $286,039, compared to $214,359 for those with a master’s degree and $226,858 for doctorate holders.
The study also revealed gender pay disparities: women earn higher salaries in marketing and operations but lag behind men in engineering and management roles.
Remote work remains prevalent, with 82% of crypto employees working from home permanently. Office-based workers have increased fourfold from 1.5% in 2023 to 6% in 2024, while hybrid schedules hold steady at 11%.
