Startup CEO Salary Benchmark
What should you pay yourself? It's one of the most awkward questions in startups — and one of the most important. This tool benchmarks your CEO salary against market data based on your stage, funding, revenue, location, and equity position.
Tell Us About Your Situation
We'll use these inputs to calculate a personalized salary benchmark. All data stays in your browser — nothing is stored.
How Much Should a Startup CEO Make?
There's no single answer — CEO compensation depends on stage, funding, revenue, location, and equity. A pre-seed founder might take no salary at all, while a Series B CEO in San Francisco might earn $200K+. The key is finding the number that lets you focus on the business without financial stress, while showing investors you're responsible with capital.
Why CEO Compensation Matters
Under-paying yourself seems noble but leads to burnout and resentment. Over-paying yourself burns runway and erodes investor trust. Getting it right means you can focus fully on the business, attract top talent without awkward pay gaps, and have productive conversations with your board about growth and efficiency.
How This Benchmark Works
This tool uses publicly available compensation data from sources like Kruze Consulting, Pilot, and Carta to estimate a salary range based on your specific situation. It factors in company stage, total funding, revenue, location cost-of-living adjustments, team size, and your equity position. The result is a personalized range — not a single number — because context matters.
Need Help With the Comp Conversation?
CEO compensation conversations can be awkward — especially with your board. A coaching session can help you prepare your case and have the conversation with confidence.
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