November 2026
COO
Compare startup funding stages and company-size salary references, then examine the whole package.
$150,000
Median annual base salary in USD · 2026 U.S. venture-backed startup payroll observations
Updated
Executive career resources by role
Salary, bonus and equity research, interview preparation, and coaching for the seat you want.
Choose your role. Each figure shows which jobs and locations it covers, what kind of pay it measures, and when the data was collected, when known.
Explore resources by role.
November 2026
IT Director
Compare internal IT leadership salary references and the responsibilities behind the title.
$211,700
U.S. average annual base salary in USD · 2026 compensation guide
November 2026
VP of Engineering
Prepare for a VP of Engineering interview, compare advertised software leadership pay and ask about team scope and delivery expectations.
$345,000 to $355,000 per year
Advertised base salary · VP of Engineering · San Francisco, CA · Checked November 11, 2026
November 2026
CTO
Prepare for a CTO interview or work through the technology and leadership responsibilities of the role.
$166,000
Chief Technology Officer · Median base salary · USD per year · 2026 venture-backed startup payroll
November 2026
Director of Engineering
Compare Director of Engineering pay by company size and prepare for interviews about managing multiple teams, budgets and delivery commitments.
$235,300
Engineering Director · National average base salary · USD per year · 2026 U.S. salary guide
November 2026
Chief Product Officer
Prepare for a Chief Product Officer interview and compare product authority, base pay by employer size, fractional fees and equity terms.
$319,100
Chief Product Officer · National average base salary · USD per year · 2026 U.S. salary guide
November 2026
Startup CEO
Prepare for a Startup CEO interview, compare founder-CEO base pay by funding stage and ask how the board defines success and ownership.
$159,000
Founder & CEO · Median base salary · USD per year · 2026 U.S. venture-backed payroll. Stage averages are Seed $153,000, Series A $203,000, Series B $216,000.
November 2026
Founder
Compare founder pay, ownership and dilution. Prepare to discuss runway, decision rights and how you would work with a cofounder or investor.
Founder ownership
Separate shares already owned and dilution from salary, distributions and company runway.
November 2026
General Manager
Prepare for a General Manager interview and compare advertised pay across business units, bonus terms and profit-and-loss responsibilities.
$200,000 to $250,000
Advertised base salary · General Manager, New Ventures and Growth · San Francisco Bay Area, CA · Checked November 11, 2026
November 2026
Engineering Manager
Prepare for an Engineering Manager interview on team delivery and feedback, then compare base salary and advertised pay across engineering roles.
$192,800
Engineering Manager · National average base salary · USD per year · 2026 U.S. salary guide
November 2026
Senior Software Engineer
Prepare to explain system design trade-offs in a Senior Software Engineer interview, then compare employee salary, bonus examples and contract rates.
$193,400 to $290,000
Advertised compensation range · Senior Software Engineer, AI Platform · New York, NY · Checked November 11, 2026
November 2026
Chief Human Resources Officer / Chief People Officer
Prepare for a CHRO or Chief People Officer interview and compare salary references by company size, executive stock awards and board responsibilities.
$393,900
U.S. Chief Human Resources Officer average annual base salary in USD · 2026 compensation guide
November 2026
VP of Human Resources / VP of People
Prepare for VP of HR or VP of People interviews about implementing people strategy, then compare base salary references by employer size.
$270,500
U.S. Vice President of Human Resources average annual base salary in USD · 2026 compensation guide
November 2026
HR Director / Director of People
Prepare for an HR Director or Director of People interview and compare pay by employer size, advertised salaries and broader HR management wages by city.
$197,000
U.S. Human Resources Director average annual base salary in USD · 2026 compensation guide
November 2026
VP of Sales
Prepare for a VP of Sales interview and compare base pay, pay at quota and commission terms before accepting an offer.
$400,000 to $500,000 per year
Advertised annual pay at quota · VP of Sales · United States · Checked November 11, 2026
November 2026
Chief Growth Officer / Chief Revenue Officer
Prepare for Chief Growth Officer and Chief Revenue Officer interviews. Compare advertised pay and ask how revenue goals affect bonus terms.
$255,000 to $295,000
Advertised salary · Chief Growth Officer · United States, remote · Checked November 11, 2026
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