Executive Salary Database
Base salary, bonus, and equity benchmarks for VP and C-suite roles — by company stage and function, compiled from named compensation research rather than a single proprietary survey.
Executive pay splits into two distinct markets that shouldn't be compared directly: at mid-market and public companies, CFO base salaries run $300K–$500K with total packages of $600K–$2M+, and COO base runs $325K–$525K with total packages up to $2.2M. At venture-backed startups, cash is lower and equity carries more of the value — VP-level total compensation (cash + equity) commonly lands in the $350K–$700K range at growth-stage companies, weighted toward equity the earlier the stage.
C-Suite Compensation — Mid-Market & Public Companies
| Role | Base salary | Total compensation |
|---|---|---|
| CEO (revenue $100M–$1B) | $450,000–$650,000 | $1.2M–$4M+ |
| CEO (revenue <$100M) | $250,000–$450,000 | $500K–$1.5M |
| CFO | $300,000–$500,000 | $600K–$2M+ |
| COO | $325,000–$525,000 | $650K–$2.2M |
| CTO / CMO / CHRO / CLO | 60–80% of CEO base | 40–60% of CEO total comp |
Source: Executive Compensation Trends 2026, Executive-Recruiters.com. Figures represent 4–6% increases over 2025 levels per the same report.
VP & C-Suite Compensation — Venture-Backed Startups
This is a materially different population from the table above — smaller cash budgets, larger equity stakes, and figures that shift meaningfully by funding stage.
| Role | Base salary | Total comp (incl. equity value) |
|---|---|---|
| VP Sales | $180,000–$300,000 | $350K–$700K OTE, growth-stage SaaS |
| VP Engineering / CTO | Varies by stage | 0.5%–1.5% equity typical at pre-IPO growth stage |
| Fractional Head of Sales/Marketing/CS | Part-time retainer | Retainer + success-based bonus, common Seed–Series A |
Sources: Betts Recruiting Executive Compensation Guide (VP/C-suite by funding stage, GTM roles) · Tech Executive Compensation 2026 Guide (equity grant ranges) · Carta, State of Startup Compensation H1 2025 (broader compensation trend context).
By Company Stage — AI-Native Companies
AI-native companies show wider variance than the broader startup market, driven by acute competition for AI-experienced leadership. Coverage spans Series A through $1B+ private companies across CEO, CFO, CRO, CMO, CTO, CPO, CISO, CHRO, and specialized VP roles (VP Foundation Models, VP AI Infrastructure, VP Applied AI, among others).
Source: Christian & Timbers, 2026 AI Executive Compensation Study — based on interviews with 50+ CHROs/VPs of Talent and 200+ CEOs, CTOs, GTM leaders, and board members.
How to Read These Two Tables Together
The mid-market/public-company table and the startup table are not directly comparable, and presenting them side by side without that caveat is a common mistake in compensation content. Mid-market and public-company figures assume more predictable cash flow and a smaller equity component; startup figures assume a founder's willingness to trade cash for upside, and shift meaningfully depending on how recently the company raised. Use the mid-market table to benchmark an established company's offer, and the startup table to benchmark a venture-backed one — not both against each other.
Methodology
FAQ
At mid-market companies, CFO base salaries typically run $300,000–$500,000, with total compensation packages of $600,000–$2M+ once bonus and equity are included.
Startup VP compensation leans more heavily on equity relative to base salary and varies significantly by funding stage, while VP compensation at larger mid-market or public companies is more heavily weighted toward cash.
Every six months, aligned with the release cycle of the underlying compensation surveys it draws from.
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