Updated September 2026
A European startup can hire in the US by employing people through its own US entity or through an employer of record service, which employs the person on your behalf. Most start with one or two senior hires close to customers, usually in sales or customer success, and plan working hours, pay and interviews around a US audience. Take local legal advice before making any offer.
Be specific about the job US hires will do. The most common reasons are:
The reason shapes the first hire. If the goal is revenue, a first account executive or US sales lead usually comes first. Our guide on how to hire a VP of Sales covers the leadership version of that decision.
You have three broad routes, and the right one depends on your plans, budget and the states you hire in:
Employment, tax and benefits rules vary, so take local legal advice before you choose a route or send an offer. Sort this out before you start interviewing, so you are not holding a candidate while the paperwork catches up.
A job description written for Berlin or Amsterdam may not land in Boston or Austin. A few things to review:
Depending on the coast, there can be six to nine hours between a European head office and a US hire. Agree a window of overlap each day for meetings, put decisions in writing so the US team is not waiting overnight, and schedule leadership visits in both directions. Interview in the candidate's daytime, and involve the person the new hire will work with most, even if that means an early or late call for your team.
Give the first US hire a clear owner at headquarters and a direct line to the founders. Early hires in a new country often feel isolated, and that is a common reason they leave.
Funded.club is a fixed-fee recruiting partner for funded startups and fast-growing teams across North America, Europe and APAC, with a fully remote team of recruiters. It has helped 500+ startups from Seed to Series D since 2019, which makes it a practical partner for a company hiring across the Atlantic.
One dedicated recruiter runs each US search end to end, from sourcing and headhunting to screening and support through offer. You see first screened candidates within 7 days, and the average time from kick-off to hire is 33 days.
Fees are fixed and agreed upfront in dollars: $4,900 for salaries up to $70,000, $7,500 up to $110,000, $11,500 up to $150,000 and $15,900 to $21,900 above that. For a $140,000 US sales hire, a 20 to 25% contingency fee would be $28,000 to $35,000, while Funded.club's fee is $11,500. See pricing for details. The employment itself runs through your own entity or an employer of record, so line that up alongside the search.
Not always. Many start with an employer of record service, which employs the person on the startup's behalf, and set up their own entity later. The right route depends on your plans, so take local legal advice first.
Usually someone close to customers, such as a senior account executive or US sales lead, because the first goal is often revenue. Choose someone comfortable building without a large local team around them.
It depends on the role and how quickly your team can interview across time zones. With Funded.club, first screened candidates arrive within 7 days and the average from kick-off to hire is 33 days.
Most startups set pay based on the role and local market rather than converting a European salary. Research the specific role and location before you set the range.
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