Rating the compensation

In case you’ve wondered how pay scales for Internet companies stack up against traditional bricks-and-mortar operations, the answer, not surprisingly, is quite well.

As Web firms become more mature — and survive the current Internet shakeout — they are rewarding top executives with greater total cash (base and bonus) compensation packages than they did in 1999.

According to a survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers, the top three positions — CEO, COO and CFO — were paid, on average, a total cash compensation package worth more than 13 percent more last year.

“These results evidence a continuing maturation process by Internet companies that has them acting and feeling more like traditional bricks-and-mortar firms,” explains Edward J. Speidel, a director in Unifi’s Executive Compensation practice, which teamed up with PricewaterhouseCoopers for the survey.

One thing the survey didn’t show, however, was just how quickly these companies have been able to make the transition from money bleeder to money maker. And that may very well hold the key to how this industry will play itself out.