Co-founder demographics and statistics in the US
Co-founder demographics research summary. Zippia estimates co-founder demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our co-founder estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about co-founders after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 49,783 co-founders currently employed in the United States.
- 34.0% of all co-founders are women, while 66.0% are men.
- The average co-founder age is 51 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of co-founders is White (76.6%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (7.6%), Asian (7.5%) and Unknown (3.9%).
- In 2022, women earned 88% of what men earned.
- 12% of all co-founders are LGBT.
- Co-founders are 61% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to education companies.
On this page
Co-founder demographics by:
Co-founder gender statistics
34.0% of co-founders are women and 66.0% of co-founders are men.
- Male, 66.0%
- Female, 34.0%
Co-founder gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 66.0% |
| Female | 34.0% |
Co-founder gender pay gap
Women earn 88¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$98,675
Female income
$87,172
Co-founder gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in co-founder positions over time. Currently, 34.0% of co-founders are female.
Co-founder gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 73.35% | 26.65% |
| 2011 | 73.13% | 26.87% |
| 2012 | 72.40% | 27.60% |
| 2013 | 71.02% | 28.98% |
| 2014 | 70.45% | 29.55% |
| 2015 | 70.17% | 29.83% |
| 2016 | 69.55% | 30.45% |
| 2017 | 69.93% | 30.07% |
| 2018 | 69.76% | 30.24% |
| 2019 | 67.08% | 32.92% |
| 2020 | 65.96% | 34.04% |
| 2021 | 65.97% | 34.03% |
Co-founder related jobs gender ratio
We compared co-founders with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, district commercial superintendent and street superintendent have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Administrative Assistant To General Manager | 9% | 91% |
| Manager Stylist | 9% | 91% |
| Salon Manager | 12% | 88% |
| Co-Founder | 66% | 34% |
| General Superintendent | 97% | 3% |
| Street Superintendent | 97% | 3% |
| District Commercial Superintendent | 98% | 2% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Co-founder demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among co-founders is White, which makes up 76.6% of all co-founders. Comparatively, 7.6% of co-founders are Hispanic or Latino and 7.5% of co-founders are Asian.
- White, 76.6%
- Hispanic or Latino, 7.6%
- Asian, 7.5%
- Unknown, 3.9%
- Black or African American, 3.7%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
Co-founder race
| Co-founder race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 76.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.6% |
| Asian | 7.5% |
| Unknown | 3.9% |
| Black or African American | 3.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.7% |
Co-founder race and ethnicity over time
See how co-founder racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Co-founder race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 83.12% | 3.31% | 5.69% | 6.11% |
| 2011 | 83.31% | 3.71% | 5.31% | 5.72% |
| 2012 | 82.55% | 3.63% | 5.86% | 6.18% |
| 2013 | 82.81% | 3.44% | 5.96% | 5.92% |
| 2014 | 82.84% | 3.57% | 5.60% | 6.24% |
| 2015 | 82.78% | 3.44% | 5.58% | 6.24% |
| 2016 | 82.44% | 3.35% | 6.15% | 6.07% |
| 2017 | 81.08% | 3.51% | 6.68% | 6.65% |
| 2018 | 80.58% | 3.34% | 6.89% | 6.96% |
| 2019 | 81.71% | 3.05% | 6.62% | 6.73% |
| 2020 | 78.33% | 3.53% | 7.09% | 7.04% |
| 2021 | 76.58% | 3.70% | 7.54% | 7.64% |
Co-founder wage gap by race
According to our data, white co-founders have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american co-founders have the lowest average salary at $95,137.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $97,056 |
| White | $101,912 |
| Black or African American | $95,137 |
| Asian | $101,077 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $98,351 |
Average co-founder age
See how the average age of co-founders varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Co-founder age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 53 | 52 |
| Unknown | 51 | 49 |
| Asian | 49 | 48 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 50 | 46 |
| White | 53 | 52 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 52 | 48 |
Co-founder age breakdown
The average age of co-founders is 40+ years years old, representing 89% of the co-founder population.
Co-founder age breakdown
| Co-Founder Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 89% |
| 30-40 years | 11% |
| 20-30 years | 0% |
Co-founder educational attainment
The most common degree for co-founders is bachelor's degree, with 73% of co-founders earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 15% and master's degree degree at 5%.
- Bachelor's, 73%
- Master's, 15%
- Associate, 5%
- Doctorate, 3%
- Other Degrees, 4%
Co-founders by degree level
| Co-founder degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 73% |
| Master's | 15% |
| Associate | 5% |
| Doctorate | 3% |
| Other Degrees | 4% |
Co-founder jobs you might like
Co-founder wage gap by degree level
According to the data, co-founders with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $121,507 annually. With a Doctorate degree, co-founders earn a median annual income of $121,488 compared to $110,809 for co-founders with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $121,507 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $110,809 |
| Doctorate Degree | $121,488 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $84,352 |
Co-founder employment statistics
Most co-founders work for a private in the education industry.
Company size where co-founders work
Below, you can see the size of companies where co-founders work.
Co-founder jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 14% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 26% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 16% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 6% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 25% |
| > 10,000 employees | 13% |
Co-founder jobs by company type
Employees with the co-founder job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most co-founders prefer to work at private companies over education companies.
Co-founder jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 20% |
| Public | 16% |
| Private | 61% |
| Government | 3% |
Co-founder jobs by industry
The most common industries for co-founders are education, technology and professional.
Co-founder industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 16% |
| Technology | 11% |
| Professional | 10% |
| Media | 9% |
| Start-up | 7% |
| Non Profits | 7% |
| Manufacturing | 5% |
| Hospitality | 5% |
| Finance | 4% |
| Fortune 500 | 4% |
| Internet | 3% |
| Retail | 3% |
| Real Estate | 3% |
| Government | 2% |
| Health Care | 2% |
| Energy | 2% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
Co-founder turnover and employment statistics
Co-founder unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for co-founders between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Co-founder unemployment rate by year
| Year | Co-founder unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 4.37% |
| 2011 | 3.53% |
| 2012 | 3.04% |
| 2013 | 2.67% |
| 2014 | 2.12% |
| 2015 | 1.80% |
| 2016 | 1.98% |
| 2017 | 1.88% |
| 2018 | 1.65% |
| 2019 | 1.72% |
| 2020 | 2.10% |
| 2021 | 2.06% |
Average co-founder tenure
The average co-founder stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 30,333 co-founders resumes in Zippia's database.
Co-founder tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 11% |
| 1-2 years | 29% |
| 3-4 years | 14% |
| 5-7 years | 21% |
| 8-10 years | 11% |
| 11+ years | 14% |
Co-founder LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of co-founders that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Administrative Manager | 7.93% | 42,602 |
| Managing Member | 8.41% | 26,657 |
| Market Sales Manager | 9.38% | 128,368 |
| Loss Prevention Operations Manager | 9.63% | 218,795 |
| Co-Founder | 11.54% | - |
| Director Of Human Resources | 13.02% | 46,924 |
| Advertising Director | 14.95% | 16,270 |
Similar co-founder jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Administrative Manager | 7.93% | 42,602 |
| Managing Member | 8.41% | 26,657 |
| Market Sales Manager | 9.38% | 128,368 |
| Loss Prevention Operations Manager | 9.63% | 218,795 |
| Director Of Human Resources | 13.02% | 46,924 |
| Advertising Director | 14.95% | 16,270 |
Foreign languages spoken by co-founders
The most common foreign language among co-founders is Spanish at 35.9%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 13.2% and Chinese is the third-most popular at 9.3%.
- Spanish, 35.9%
- French, 13.2%
- Chinese, 9.3%
- Mandarin, 9.1%
- German, 4.4%
- Other, 28.1%
Co-founder languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 35.9% |
| French | 13.2% |
| Chinese | 9.3% |
| Mandarin | 9.1% |
| German | 4.4% |
| Other | 28.1% |
