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Anonymously Rate Your Experience & Make Work BetterFirstLight employees are 50% more likely to recommend FirstLight as a great place to work
| 75% | Promoters |
|---|---|
| 0% | Passives |
| 25% | Detractors |
Working at FirstLight is rated highly by 4 employees, across various culture dimensions. FirstLight employees are most satisfied about Compensation, Happiness, and Outlook categories, putting FirstLight’s culture in the Top 5% compared to similar sized companies on Comparably and in the Top 5% compared to other companies in Albany, NY. See below in detail how working at FirstLight was rated by employees.
Overall Company Culture at FirstLight is rated A+
Last updated months ago
FirstLight ranks in the Top 5% of other companies on Comparably with 51-200 Employees for Overall Company Culture Score
Share Your Opinion
Anonymously Rate Your Experience & Make Work BetterOut of 13 FirstLight employee reviews, 100% were positive.
| Positive Reviews | 100% |
|---|---|
| Constructive Feedback | 0% |
What did you like most about the interview process?I was able to get a sense of the culture and what the position would entail.
What makes you most happy at work?I love working with the team and making an impact every day. The flexible work environment is phenomenal.
What is most positive about the culture and environment at your company?The growth is wonderful to be part of.
FirstLight delivers a service that is fast and reliable.
| Headquarter | 41 State Street Floor 10 Albany, NY 12207 United States of America |
|---|---|
| Website | www.firstlight.net/ |
| Founding Date | 1999 |
| Company Status | Private |
FirstLight competitors include FairPoint Communications, Coresite, and CyrusOne. FirstLight ranks 1st in Overall Culture Score on Comparably vs its competitors. See below how FirstLight compares to its competitors with CEO Rankings, Product & Services, NPS, Pricing, Customer Services, Overall Culture Score, eNPS, Gender and Diversity Scores.
4 employees at FirstLight have reviewed FirstLight across various culture dimensions, providing their opinions on items ranging from executive ratings to the pace at work. The latest review was months ago.
Overall, the 4 FirstLight employees give their leadership a grade of B+, or Top 20% of similar size companies on Comparably. This includes specific ratings of their executive team, CEO, and manager.
Employees at FirstLight are extremely happy with their total compensation at FirstLight, which includes a combination of pay, stock and equity, and benefits.
Overall, employees at FirstLight are extremely happy with their team. 4 Participants grade the quality of their coworkers an A-. The majority believe the meetings at FirstLight are effective, and the majority look forward to interacting with their coworkers.
The majority of employees at FirstLight believe the environment at FirstLight is positive. Most Participants believe the pace of work at FirstLight is comfortably fast. About 100% of the employees at FirstLight work 8 hours or less.
Overall, the employees at FirstLight are extremely happy, based on their aggregated ratings of future outlook, customer perception, and their excitement going to work.

The prevailing opinion from Comparably users in Albany, NY about their company is that it was prepared on their first day. Albany, NY employees concluded that their overall onboarding experience was positive. 77% said their direct manager was helpful with their acclimation during the first 90 days. First impressions are important, and how prepared a company is on your first day leaves a lasting impression.
At this moment no FirstLight employees have provided insight into whether or not they clearly understand FirstLight's KPIs and OKRs.
Kurt Van’s approval rate is in the Top 10% of all CEOs of similar-sized companies on Comparably, and in the Top 5% compared to the CEOs of all other companies in Albany, NY. Compared to FirstLight’s competitors, Kurt Van Wagenen ranks right above Coresite CEO Paul Szurek. Under Wagenen’s leadership, FirstLight employee respondents are most happy about their Compensation and the company’s Happiness. eNPS and Manager are two areas, according to respondents, where FirstLight could stand to see real improvement.
The FirstLight Executive Team is rated a “B+” and led by CEO Kurt Van Wagenen, Former COO James Capuano, and CFO Andrew Ragogna
Kurt Van Wagenen CEO / President
Kurt Van Wagenen serves as the CEO / President of FirstLight.
James Capuano Former COO
James Capuano serves as the Former COO of FirstLight Fiber. James started at FirstLight Fiber in October of 2018. James... read more
Andrew Ragogna CFO
Andrew Ragogna serves as the CFO of FirstLight.
Brian Kurkowski CTO
Brian Kurkowski serves as the CTO of FirstLight Fiber. Brian started at FirstLight Fiber in May of 1997. Brian currently... read more
David Gibson Senior Vice President - Carrier & Wholesale Sales
David Gibson serves as the Senior Vice President - Carrier & Wholesale Sales of FirstLight Fiber. David started at... read more
Jill Sandford Senior Vice President and General Counsel
Jill Sandford serves as the Senior Vice President and General Counsel of FirstLight Fiber. Jill started at FirstLight... read more
Brandon Peyton VP Engineering
Brandon Peyton serves as the VP Engineering of FirstLight Fiber. Brandon started at FirstLight Fiber in March of 2017.... read more
Paul Nikitas VP Sales Advance Technologies
Paul Nikitas serves as the VP Sales Advance Technologies of FirstLight Fiber. Paul started at FirstLight Fiber in... read more
How much do people at FirstLight get paid? See the latest salaries by department and job title. The average estimated annual salary, including base and bonus, at FirstLight is $98,695, or $47 per hour, while the estimated median salary is $103,597, or $49 per hour.
At FirstLight, the highest paid job is a Director of Engineering at $168,920 annually and the lowest is an Admin Assistant at $45,370 annually. Average FirstLight salaries by department include: Sales at $208,559, Business Development at $95,411, HR at $91,509, and Marketing at $147,969. Half of FirstLight salaries are above $103,597.
3 employees at FirstLight rank their Compensation in the Top 5% of similar sized companies in the US (based on 9 ratings) while 3 employees at FirstLight rank their Perks And Benefits in the Top 20% of similar sized companies in the US (based on 3 ratings).
Last updated months ago.
| Summary | Salary Range | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
1st Percentile $64k | $64k | 1st Percentile |
20th Percentile $84k | $84k | 20th Percentile |
40th Percentile $101k | $101k | 40th Percentile |
60th Percentile $171k | $171k | 60th Percentile |
80th Percentile $230k | $230k | 80th Percentile |
100th Percentile $320k | $320k | 100th Percentile |
* Estimated salaries Estimated salaries are based on data provided anonymously by employees and/or estimated by other statistical methods.
The Diversity score provides insights into how diverse employees feel and rate their work experience at FirstLight across various culture dimensions.
FirstLight PTO policy is a critical component of the benefits package offered to employees.

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Candidates By Department
N/A | 33% | |
|---|---|---|
IT | 33% | |
Operations | 33% |
Candidates By Location
Albany | 33% | |
|---|---|---|
Akron | 33% | |
West Palm Beach | 33% |
What is FirstLight address?
FirstLight location is at 41 State Street Floor 10
Who is the CEO of FirstLight?
FirstLight CEO is Kurt Van Wagenen, their score by employees is 83
What is FirstLight eNPS?
The eNPS for FirstLight is 50
What is the salary for Director of Engineering in FirstLight?
Director of Engineering average salary in the US is 169k
What are the salaries in the Customer Support in FirstLight?
The average salaries for Customer Support in FirstLight is 59k