Ask what determines the bonus
Clarify the target amount, payout timing and how much depends on delivery, reliability, security or company performance.
THE COMPENSATION RESEARCH DESK
Updated
CTO Salary by Startup Stage and Company Size
A startup CTO may still build the product while an enterprise CTO sets technology direction across multiple teams. Start with the company and the mandate, then compare salary, bonus and ownership separately.
Updated monthly. This is the November 2026 edition.
$166,000
Chief Technology Officer · Median base salary · USD per year · 2026 venture-backed startup payroll
CTO salary by startup funding stage
2026 venture-backed startup payroll
| Comparison group | Base salary | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Technology Officer | $166,000 | Median base salary USD annual base |
| Seed | $155,000 | Average base salary USD annual base |
| Series A | $196,000 | Average base salary USD annual base |
| Series B | $238,000 | Average base salary USD annual base |
The guide does not disclose the CTO sample size or exact pay observation dates. The payroll clients are customers of the external data provider.
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Choose the right salary comparison.
Use the startup payroll figures for a venture-backed role, the company-size figures for a broader U.S. comparison, and the starting-pay projection for new-hire context.
Then look at the whole package.
Separate recurring base salary, conditional bonus, stock awards and benefits. Examples are labeled; general guidance is not a measured pay range.
CTO salary by company size
2026 U.S. salary guide
| Comparison group | Base salary | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Technology Officer | $343,500 | National average base salary USD annual base |
| Small: 1 to 100 employees | $265,300 | Reported base salary for this size group USD annual base |
| Medium: 100 to 500 employees | $317,700 | Reported base salary for this size group USD annual base |
| Large: 500 to 15,000 employees | $362,400 | Reported base salary for this size group USD annual base |
| Enterprise: 15,000+ employees | $402,400 | Reported base salary for this size group USD annual base |
The guide combines labor-market data and recruiting evidence. Exact role sample counts and pay observation dates are undisclosed. The categories use full-time employee counts. The published boundaries overlap at 100, 500 and 15,000 employees. The size-specific figures are reference points with no identified average or median.
CTO starting salary projection for 2027
2027 U.S. starting pay
| Comparison group | Base salary | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Technology Officer | $223,250 | Projected starting-salary midpoint USD annual base |
The projection covers base pay for new hires. Bonus and stock are separate.
Advertised CTO pay examples
Locations in this sample
Columbia, MD, hybrid (1) · Texas, remote (1) · Camas, WA (1)
| Role and location | Advertised pay | Date and offer terms |
|---|---|---|
Chief Technology Officer, defense and national securityColumbia, MD, hybrid | $224,000 to $320,000 Advertised annual salary | Posted Federal technology, delivery and growth leadership. The original lists a hybrid schedule. |
Chief Technology Officer, pharmacy technologyTexas, remote | $375,000 to $400,000 Advertised salary range | Posted The posting lists incentive bonus and equity eligibility. Individual amounts and grant terms are undisclosed. |
Chief Technology Officer, defense simulation softwareCamas, WA | $300,000 to $330,000 per year Advertised salary | Checked The recruiting firm describes an employee stock ownership plan. The posting gives no individual award size. Originally posted October 23, 2026. |
CTO bonus and total compensation
GENERAL GUIDANCE · NOT A MEASURED PAY BENCHMARK
CTO equity, stock awards and options
| Role and context | Figure or term | Meaning and limitations |
|---|---|---|
Role-specific example Public technology company CTO share-unit awardRole: Chief Technology Officer Industry: Technology Data period: November 2026 grant | 75,000 restricted share units | A public technology company granted its CTO 75,000 restricted share units on November 5, 2026. The units vest in equal monthly installments over 36 months starting December 1, 2026. One disclosed executive grant. The filing does not establish a grant value, ownership percentage or typical CTO equity. |
GENERAL GUIDANCE · NOT A MEASURED PAY BENCHMARK
Read the equity terms with the salary
Ask how many shares or options you would receive, which existing and potential shares count in the ownership percentage, and when you earn the award through service or performance. Check the cost of buying shares using options and what happens if the company is sold or you leave. Issuing more shares can reduce your ownership percentage.
Hired CTO employee award
An employee offer may pair salary and a target bonus with stock units or options. Ask how many units or options you receive, what percentage that represents after accounting for all shares and potential shares, and when vested units are delivered. The 75,000-unit filing example gives the grant count and schedule but leaves the ownership percentage and award value unknown.
Fractional CTO fee or fee plus options
A fractional engagement can be paid entirely in cash or trade part of the monthly fee for options. One provider illustrates reducing a $7,000 monthly fee to $4,500 in exchange for 0.50% in options. That example reduces cash spending by $2,500 a month. It is a planning example from one provider. Ask what shares count in the percentage, when options vest and what happens when the engagement ends.
Technical cofounder ownership
A technical cofounder joins as a long-term owner and may also receive salary. Agree on how shares are earned, who decides architecture and hiring, who owns the code and what happens if a cofounder leaves. Budget for development, testing and deployment separately if the cofounder will lead the work but will need a team to build it.
Fractional CTO rates and engagement terms
| Role and context | Figure or term | Meaning and limitations |
|---|---|---|
Role-specific example Hourly rates for fractional CTO workRole: Fractional CTO Data period: 90 days before November 2026 | $150 to $250 Currency unspecified · Per hour | The middle half of rates in one compilation of fractional CTO job posts and candidate profiles was $150 to $250 an hour. This secondhand compilation combines 18 job posts and 1,282 candidate profiles. It describes listed service rates. The currency, geography and actual contracted rates are unspecified. |
Compare the CTO responsibilities.
GENERAL GUIDANCE · NOT A MEASURED PAY BENCHMARK
Define the technology mandate
Compare ownership of architecture, engineering delivery, security, technical diligence and the budget. Check which responsibilities sit with a VP of Engineering or a CIO.
NOVEMBER 2026 / THE EDITION BRIEF
How to compare the package
Use the startup payroll figures for a venture-backed role, the company-size figures for a broader U.S. comparison, and the starting-pay projection for new-hire context.
What changes the CTO package
A funding round, an employee count and a starting-pay projection describe different comparisons.
For an offer, match the technology scope and the kind of company first, then ask how the employer arrived at its range.
Confirm what a fractional fee covers
Ask which work the monthly fee covers, which projects carry separate fees, and what happens to any unvested equity when the engagement ends.
City wage reference for Computer and Information Systems Managers
The table covers the broader Computer and Information Systems Managers occupation. Match the responsibilities and pay terms when comparing an individual offer.
| Metro area | Median annual wage | Middle 50% | Difference from U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $175,140 | $138,060 to $220,730 | National reference |
| San Francisco | $232,890 | $203,840 to $313,220 | +$57,750 +33.0% |
| New York City | $215,300 | $171,950 to $285,570 | +$40,160 +22.9% |
| Boston | $214,960 | $174,270 to $269,520 | +$39,820 +22.7% |
| Washington, DC | $195,190 | $171,120 to $228,800 | +$20,050 +11.4% |
| Atlanta / Alpharetta | $177,970 | $153,870 to $219,270 | +$2,830 +1.6% |
| Austin | $176,990 | $142,850 to $220,450 | +$1,850 +1.1% |
| Charlotte | $176,840 | $145,120 to $223,040 | +$1,700 +1.0% |
| Dallas | $173,810 | $143,080 to $215,260 | -$1,330 -0.8% |
| Chicago | $173,760 | $138,190 to $214,880 | -$1,380 -0.8% |
| Miami | $169,600 | $128,390 to $210,860 | -$5,540 -3.2% |
| Nashville | $165,970 | $133,190 to $206,720 | -$9,170 -5.2% |
Wage data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. Retrieved . BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov.
CTO salary, bonus and equity: common questions.
How do wages for Computer and Information Systems Managers vary by city?
Among the metros shown, San Francisco ($232,890), New York City ($215,300) and Boston ($214,960) had the highest published median annual wages for Computer and Information Systems Managers in May 2025. The U.S. median for the same occupation was $175,140.
How much does a CTO make at a venture-backed startup?
In the 2026 U.S. venture-backed startup payroll reference, CTOs averaged $155,000 at Seed, $196,000 at Series A and $238,000 at Series B in annual base salary. The overall median annual base salary in the same payroll sample was $166,000.
How do I compare a fractional CTO fee with a full-time salary?
Compare the expected hours, decisions owned and availability first. An hourly or monthly service fee and an employee’s annual base salary cover different commitments.
What should I compare in a CTO equity offer?
Review the ownership percentage and which shares count in it, when you earn the award, the option purchase price and the terms if you leave. Ask how issuing more shares could reduce your percentage and how the initial grant and any later awards are approved.
Put the research to work.
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VP of Engineering coaching ↗About this edition.
Updated monthly. This is the November 2026 edition. This edition combines salary reference figures, selected observations and labeled practical guidance. Figures keep their own pay periods and comparison groups. The update does not establish a rise or fall in market pay.
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