Inside Startup Hiring 2025: What Job Data Says About Hiring Trends
For job seekers looking to break into the startup world, knowing where the hiring action is can make all the difference. Startup hiring patterns are more than just numbers. They can let you in on which jobs are most in demand and where new opportunities are.
In this article, you will see the latest data on hiring trends across funding stages, from Angel rounds to IPOs. We’ll also look at which roles are in high demand, how hiring needs change as startups grow, and which early-stage companies are scaling fast and need talent.
Whether you’re a software engineer, a product manager, or exploring sales roles, this article will help you out. Let’s begin.
From Angel to IPO: How Hiring Scales with Funding
In the above table, you can see the volume of job postings from Feb to Apr 2025 by funding stage. It’s clear that as startups mature and raise capital, their hiring needs grow accordingly.
IPO-stage startups lead with 435,943 postings in the last three months. Series A follows with 153,412 postings, and Series B at 125,023. Series C and D show a gradual tapering, while Angel-stage companies have the smallest hiring volume, with just under 14,000 job postings.
This trend reflects a natural growth trajectory. Early-stage startups tend to hire lean. As they grow, so do their teams. By the time a company nears IPO, hiring spans across all departments to support scale.
But, which roles see the most demand in each stage? Let’s look at that in the next section.
In-Demand Roles by Series
While every startup needs talent, the type of talent they prioritize depends on their funding stage. By analyzing the top job roles at different phases, job seekers can better target their applications.
Angel
Angel‑stage teams run lean and channel every dollar into proving product‑market fit. No surprise, then, that 7 of their top 10 openings are hands-on engineering roles. Machine Learning Engineers (349 postings), Backend Engineers (347), and Technical Project Managers (310) top the list.
Angel startups are often pre-revenue and move fast. Working here means wearing multiple hats, dealing with uncertainty, and being comfortable with constant change. But for those who want to be in at the ground level, the upside—professionally and financially—can be significant.
Series A
In Series A, the technical foundation of the startup is set and early teams begin to scale. The top roles here point strongly toward product development and technical leadership.
The most in-demand role is Full Stack Engineer (2,049 postings), followed closely by Backend Engineer (1,775) and Machine Learning Engineer (1,658). There’s also a notable demand for Project Managers, Product Managers, and Technical Product Managers.
Business-facing roles like Corporate Finance Analyst, Enterprise Sales, and Customer Success start to appear in Series A as well, showing that they are beginning to shape go-to-market strategies.
If you’re a technically strong candidate who likes building from scratch, this is your ideal stage.
Series B
By Series B, startups are actively scaling. Hiring increases in both tech and business functions to support growth.
The lead of Backend Engineers (4,493 postings) and Enterprise Sales (4,333) shows this perfectly. Product Managers, Full Stack Engineers, and Machine Learning Engineers remain in demand. Leadership roles like Engineering Managers and Sales Directors/VPs make an entrance.
At this stage, companies look for specialists who can own areas end-to-end and drive measurable outcomes. If you want a role where you can grow with the company, Series B is a solid sweet spot.
Startups to Watch (and Apply To)
If you’re targeting startups with strong growth potential, it helps to know who’s not just raising capital, but hiring aggressively. The above data highlights a group of Angel and Series A startups that are punching above their weight in job creation.
Autodesk is hiring for nearly 300 roles with strong headcount growth, while McKinstry and Torch Technologies are also scaling rapidly. Among Series A companies, Etched.ai and Place show impressive momentum, each with over 100 active job openings.
Other promising names include Sully.ai, Savvy Wealth, and Turion Space, each showing strong signals of growth and hiring intent.
As a job seeker, consider having these companies on your radar. They are actively investing in talent, and so are ideal for candidates who want to grow with the business.
How do you boost your chances of getting noticed by them? Visit their careers pages, follow their leadership on LinkedIn, and tailor your resume to the roles they’re hiring for.
If you need assistance with your resume, feel free to use the Jobright Resume AI tool!
Conclusion
Startup hiring in 2025 is quite diverse. From technical roles in Angel-stage companies to expansive hiring in IPO-bound giants, there’s a place for every kind of job seeker.
Understanding where the demand lies—and how it evolves with funding—can help you plan smartly.
Whether you’re looking to join a five-person team or a scaling Series B rocket, we hope this article helped you!