Ask HN: Compensation at startups?

Hi all,

I see there are quite a few openings at startups available in the States. I would love to work for a startup (eventually I'd like to roll my own too) but I'm in sort of a financial situation.

I'm currently the sole breadwinner for my family (my dad was laid off and I'm helping out around the house). I'm wondering what's the compensation like for startups and if it's technically feasible for me to move out to the States while still being able to provide for my family. It is sometimes frustrating to only consider big corporations that pay you well off to begin with so I'm looking into making everything all work out.