The next time some venture capital-backed startup executive complains to you about having to live off the $1 items in the fast-food menus, fork over a dollar, smile, and suggest he or she leave that as a tip. A new salary survey about the state of compensation for executives at southeast-based venture capital-backed companies is out. And you will see green – lots of it. The myth of the downtrodden entrepreneur trying to make his business a go is just that – a myth.

The Hutchison law firm in Raleigh and executive search firm Carlyle Conlan has just published their 2013 annual compensation survey, which includes data from 26 technology and 28 life science firms that are backed  by venture capital. Brace yourselves.

  • CEO pay: The range is from $0 to $350,000

(But even the $0 CEO gets a bonus ranging from $17,990 to $125,000. And don’t forget the equity stake plus whatever he/she negotiates in cash from VCs in a term sheet.)

  • CFO pay: $50,000 to $312,900
  • COO pay: $120,000 to $320,000
  • CTO pay: $20,000 to $257,500

Get the idea?

Yes, a few are on the low-end of the scale.

But other factors such as equity and bonuses mean the “starving” executive is rare – at least when firms reach the venture stage.

  • CSO pay: $0 to $304,600 (Bonus: $18,900 to $54,160)
  • CMO: $190,000 to $328,398)
  • VP of Engineering: $100,000 to $220,000)
  • VP of Business Development: $125,000 to $225,000
  • VP of Sales: $60,000 to $300,000
  • VP of Marketing: $140,000 to $180,000
  • VP of Human Resources: $110,000 to $239,300
  • Controller: $69,000 to $169,000

Granted, not every VC-backed startup has people in all of these positions. But the bottom line is clear: VC startups are not houses for the poor.

Whether they succeed or fail, these companies are paying well in order to land what they believe is top-drawer talent.

Plus, one shouldn’t forget that even founders who have risked their life savings to start a venture and grow to the VC stage are likely to negotiate a piece of investments as compensation for their contributions to the cause.

Don’t get me wrong, now.

Entrepreneurs and startup executives deserve whatever the market will bear – and what VC backers are willing to risk.

But as for the sob stories …. please.