COO - Consumer, Retail & E-commerce /US
September 2, 2025
At A Glance
A Salary Report conducted by Raw Selection Highlighting key takeaways of current compensation of COO's in The Consumer & Retail sector
COO COMPENSATION IN PE-BACKED CONSUMER & RETAIL FIRMS
We analysed data from 71 COOs operating in the Consumer & Retail sector across Private Equity-backed firms in North America. The responses were segmented by revenue size to provide clarity on market trends.
RESPONDENT BREAKDOWN
- 30% from firms under $50M revenue
- 34% from firms with $50M–$150M revenue
- 36% from firms over $150M revenue
BASE SALARY
Firms < $50M Revenue
- Median: $306,000
- Range: $150,000 – $350,000
Firms $50M–$150M Revenue
- Median: $280,000
- Range: $175,000 – $375,000
Firms > $150M Revenue
- Median: $340,000
- Range: $200,000 – $500,000
BONUS
- 80% of COOs at firms <$50M receive a bonus of 50% or less
- 100% at firms $50M–$150M receive a bonus of 50% or less
- 89% at firms >$150M receive a bonus of 50% or less
EQUITY
- 100% of COOs at firms <$50M hold equity
- 100% at firms $50M–$150M hold equity
- 100% at firms >$150M hold equity
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
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Base scales up at the top end. Large-firm COOs hit a $340K median, while sub-$50M companies sit just over $300K.
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Mid-market lags. The $50M–$150M band is lower at $280K median, showing tighter cost control in that tier.
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Bonus structures remain cautious. Even at the high end, nearly 9 in 10 COOs sit at ≤50% bonus targets.
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Equity is universal. Every bracket shows COOs participating in equity — rare consistency compared to CEOs/CFOs.
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Outliers exist. Top COO bases stretch up to $500K, with smaller firms still paying up to $350K.
Bottom line: COO compensation in Consumer & Retail reflects scale at the very top but is flat in mid-market firms. Equity is a given, but bonus upside remains muted across the board.
Looking to benchmark your compensation or hire an exceptional CFO for your portfolio company?
Reach out at Matthew.Parry@raw-selection.com
Principal, Consumer & Retail
All the insights in this salary report are provided from our proprietary data
Raw Selection | De-Risking Executive Search for Private Equity firms across Europe and North America
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