How much do founders, CEOs, CTOs, VPs, engineers, and PMs actually get paid? Pick a role and a funding stage to see directional base-pay ranges and typical equity — and how comp scales as a startup raises.
US, 2026 · base salary in USD. These are directional benchmarks for orientation, synthesized from public startup-comp data — not a guarantee. Pay varies by location and sector; always verify against current live salary surveys.
Note: Founder equity differs — founders hold a large ownership stake set at incorporation, not a hired-role option grant. Cash pay is usually below these medians early.
Selected stage highlighted in cyan.
Directional benchmark · US 2026 · ±15% band not shown
Median base salary across funding stages.
Directional benchmark · US 2026 · roles enter the chart at the stage they typically appear
Startup compensation follows a simple arc: founders underpay themselves early, and cash comp rises as the company raises capital and grows headcount. A bootstrapped founder might take little or nothing; once a seed round closes, a modest salary becomes possible; and by Series B or C, pay approaches what an established company would offer.
Early employees make the same trade: below-market cash in exchange for a larger equity grant. As the company matures, base salaries climb toward market rate while equity percentages shrink — the option pool is divided among more people round after round.
Location matters a lot. San Francisco and New York pay roughly 10–20% above these medians, while smaller markets and remote-first companies often sit below them. Sector, stage maturity, and the candidate's seniority all move the number further.
Every figure on this page is a directional benchmark for orientation only — synthesized from public startup-comp data, not a guarantee. Compensation varies widely by location, sector, and company. Verify against live surveys before negotiating or setting pay.
Directionally, a venture-backed startup CEO's base salary scales with funding: roughly $90k bootstrapped, ~$130k at seed, ~$175k at Series A, ~$235k at Series B, and ~$300k at Series C and beyond (US, 2026). Founder-CEOs typically pay themselves less than these medians early on. These are orientation ranges that vary heavily by location and sector — verify against current comp surveys.
Most founders underpay themselves until they raise. A bootstrapped founder often takes $0–$90k; after a seed round, $100k–$150k is common; by Series A it rises toward $150k–$200k. Founder equity is the real compensation — founders hold a large ownership stake rather than a market-rate grant, so equity benchmarks for hired roles don't apply to them.
An early-stage software engineer typically earns $130k–$190k base depending on stage (seed to Series C+), often with 0.1%–0.5% equity. Product managers run roughly $150k–$200k base with 0.1%–0.4% equity. SF and NYC pay roughly 10–20% above these medians. Cash is usually below big-tech levels, offset by larger equity grants.
Cash compensation rises steadily as a company raises more capital and grows headcount. Founders and early hires accept below-market cash early in exchange for equity, then comp climbs with each round as the company can afford it and competes harder for senior talent. Equity percentages move the opposite way — they shrink at later stages as the option pool is divided among more people.
Most founders take little or no salary while bootstrapping, then pay themselves a modest 'ramen' salary once they raise — commonly $100k–$150k at seed, rising with later rounds. Many investors actually prefer founders take a livable salary so financial stress doesn't derail the company. Founder pay is still typically below what they could earn at an established company.
Benchmarks compiled and maintained by Trace Cohen · @Trace_Cohen · t@nyvp.com. Directional ranges for orientation only — not financial or compensation advice. Verify against live salary surveys before relying on any figure.