In 12 deals Origin helped place where headcount is known, companies were paid a median of about $20,458 per employee for licensing their records, with a range from $12,778 to $52,857 per employee. The highest was a 35-person medical imaging company at $52,857 per employee; the lowest a 45-person accounting and tax firm at $12,778. Headcount is a rough guide only: the records, their history and the rights you hold set the price.
- Median: about $20,458 paid per employee across 12 deals.
- Range: $12,778 to $52,857 per employee.
- Small companies were not penalized: a 10-person field service contractor was paid $23,500 per employee.
- Expert-labeled, regulated records sat at the top: medical imaging, then mortgage lending.
How much is company data worth per employee?
About $20,458 per employee at the median, in the deals Origin helped place. Dividing each payment by the company's headcount gives a figure owners can compare with their own size. The table lists every deal with a known headcount, highest first.
| Company, anonymized | Employees | Payment received | Per employee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical imaging company | 35 | $1,850,000 | $52,857 |
| Mortgage lender | 38 | $1,150,000 | $30,263 |
| Field service contractor | 10 | $235,000 | $23,500 |
| Insurance firm | 57 | $1,300,000 | $22,807 |
| Aviation company | 25 | $537,000 | $21,480 |
| Construction contractor | 15 | $320,000 | $21,333 |
| Accounting and tax firm | 12 | $235,000 | $19,583 |
| Call center | 50 | $905,000 | $18,100 |
| Trucking and logistics company | 75 | $1,230,000 | $16,400 |
| Manufacturer | 47 | $730,000 | $15,532 |
| Trucking and logistics company | 23 | $355,000 | $15,435 |
| Accounting and tax firm | 45 | $575,000 | $12,778 |
Which industries were paid the most per employee?
The medical imaging company led at $52,857 per employee. Its records were de-identified imaging studies paired with signed reports, a scarce, expert-labeled data type. The mortgage lender followed at $30,263 per employee, with years of underwriting conditions and QC reviews tied to loan outcomes.
Field service, insurance, aviation and construction companies clustered between $21,000 and $24,000 per employee: their work orders, claim files, maintenance records and change orders tie a problem to its resolution. The call center, the trucking companies, the manufacturer and the larger accounting firm sat between about $12,800 and $18,100 per employee, though each still received a six- or seven-figure payment.
This is a small sample. Treat the industry pattern as a signal, not a price list.
Do small companies get paid less for their data?
Not per employee. The 10-person field service contractor was paid $235,000, or $23,500 per employee, more per head than the 75-person trucking company. What moved the number was the type of record, the years it covered and how well records link a task to its outcome, not headcount.
How to use these numbers to estimate your own company
Multiply your headcount by the range for a first, rough bracket: a 30-person company would land between about $383,340 and $1,585,710 on these figures. Then adjust for what actually drives price: years of continuous records, linkage between systems, rights and personal information, and exclusivity. See what drives the value of company data.
For a range based on your own records rather than headcount, the free six-question estimate needs no files or system access.
Method and limits
Data: deals Origin helped place, published as anonymized case studies, limited to the 12 where the company's headcount is known. Per-employee value is the payment received divided by headcount at the time of the deal. Company and buyer names are private.
Limits: a small sample from one data partner, so not representative of the whole market; one payment per company; no adjustment for years of history or exclusivity. Public reference points sit on both sides: about $25,000 was reported for one closed startup's code base, and a $10 million winning bid for a bankrupt airline's emails and chats is awaiting court approval (see the AI data licensing deals tracker).
Download the rows as a CSV (CC BY 4.0). To cite: Origin Data Partners, "What is company data worth per employee?", origindatapartners.com, November 2026.
Common questions
How much is company data worth per employee?
In 12 deals Origin helped place, the median was about $20,458 per employee, with a range from $12,778 to $52,857. The type of records and how many years they cover matter more than headcount.
How much can a small business get for its data?
Small companies were paid six figures in these deals: a 10-person field service contractor and a 12-person accounting firm were each paid $235,000, and a 15-person construction contractor $320,000.
Which industries get paid the most for their data?
In this sample, a medical imaging company and a mortgage lender were paid the most per employee, followed by a field service contractor and an insurance firm. Their records pair expert decisions with outcomes over many years.
Is headcount a good way to value company data?
Only as a first bracket. Two companies of the same size can be paid very different amounts depending on the records, their history, the rights held and the scope of the license.
How was the per-employee figure calculated?
Payment received divided by the company's headcount at the time of the deal, for each deal Origin helped place where headcount is known.
Can I use this data?
Yes. The rows are available as a CSV under CC BY 4.0; cite Origin Data Partners with a link to this page.
Are these numbers a quote for my company?
No. They are individual outcomes, not a forecast. A buyer evaluates your records and proposes its own terms.
How do I find out what my company's data is worth?
Start with the free six-question estimate at origindatapartners.com/check-fit. It needs no files or system access.
Cite this data
Origin Data Partners, “What is company data worth per employee? Benchmarks from 12 deals”, updated November 7, 2026. https://origindatapartners.com/guides/company-data-value-per-employee
Free to cite and reuse with a link to this page (CC BY 4.0). Download: company-data-value-per-employee.csv
Sources and further reading
Origin Data Partners is independent and not affiliated with any buyer named on this page.
- Origin Data Partners: case studies, deals Origin helped place
- Origin Data Partners: anonymized paid outcomes
- Origin Data Partners: AI data licensing deals tracker
- Origin Data Partners: what AI buyers publish for company data (2026 study)
- Reuters: Google to buy Spirit Airlines business data for $10 million (Aug 2026)
- MIT Technology Review: AI labs buying data from dead startups (Oct 2026)