2026 Founder Salaries by Stage

Updated November 2026. Source: Kruze Consulting payroll data.

The 2026 average is up from $161,000 in 2025 and well above the low-$140,000s plateau of 2023 and 2024, but this is not a return to the 2021 grow-at-any-cost market. Series B pay is still below its 2022 peak of $262,000, and most founders continue to set their salary against runway and burn. This page draws on Kruze’s 2026 Startup CEO Salary Report, Startup C-Suite Salary Guide and Startup Compensation Guide.

2026 founder salary benchmarks at a glance

• Average (all stages): $165,000. Median: $159,000.
• Seed: $153,000 (up from $147,000 in 2025). Series A: $203,000 (flat). Series B: $216,000 (up from $214,000).
• Technical and operating founders: CTOs and COOs each average $167,000. CTOs lead at Seed ($155,000); COOs lead at Series A ($227,000) and Series B ($246,000).
• Total cost to the company: budget about 25% to 35% above base salary.

How much do startup founders pay themselves in 2026?

Founder pay rises with each funding stage. Here are Kruze’s average annual cash salaries for founder-CEOs in 2026, compared with 2025:

Source: Kruze Consulting anonymized payroll data; 2026 Startup CEO Salary Report. Figures are cash salary and exclude equity.

Seed and Series A have rebounded the most. Seed pay rose from $147,000 to $153,000 as valuations for fundable seed companies keep improving and boards grow more comfortable with a sustainable founder salary instead of an indefinite discount. Series A held at $203,000, in a market where strong companies can still raise sizable rounds but boards watch burn multiples and efficiency more closely than they did in 2021. Series B edged up to $216,000; cash compensation at later stages has not fully snapped back to 2021 levels as investors focus on capital efficiency and realistic exit multiples.

How much salary should a founder take after raising funding?

It is normal for founders to draw a salary once they raise venture funding. Where you land inside the range depends on your stage, valuation, runway and traction:

• Seed ($130,000 – $170,000): Founders at a company with a priced round at a solid valuation and 18+ months of runway increasingly pay themselves somewhere around the mid-$100,000s. Smaller or bridge-like rounds point to the lower end of the range to preserve runway.
• Series A ($180,000 – $230,000): Pay at or near the $203,000 average usually goes with clear product-market fit, meaningful revenue or usage, a healthy valuation and a CEO managing a real team. Boards look harder at growth, retention and the path to Series B for salaries at the top of the range.
• Series B ($200,000 – $260,000): Many Series B CEOs sit in the low-to-mid $200,000s. The higher end is typically reserved for top-quartile performers.

How much do co-founders make by role: CEO, CTO and COO?

No single role is the highest paid at every stage. Depending on stage, technical and operating co-founders can out-earn the CEO:

Source: Kruze Consulting anonymized payroll data; 2026 Startup C-Suite Salary Guide. Overall figures reflect the mix of companies in the data and are not simple averages of the stage rows.

CTOs lead at Seed. Experienced technical leaders are scarce, and startups compete with Big Tech pay to hire them; demand from AI and data-heavy startups keeps senior technical pay firm. See our guide to startup CTO salaries.

COOs lead at Series A and Series B. Many seed-stage companies have no dedicated COO, so the role is folded into the CEO’s job or handled part-time, which keeps Seed COO pay lowest. As operational complexity grows, boards pay a premium for an experienced operator, and COO pay overtakes both CEO and CTO pay by Series A.

CTO pay is the steadiest benchmark. The CTO average ($167,000) and median ($166,000) are nearly identical. COO pay is the most stage-dependent: its average sits well above its $150,000 median because a small group of highly paid, later-stage COOs pulls it up.

How can you tell if your founder salary is in the right range?

Kruze’s CEO report offers a simple self-check: compare your salary with the benchmark for your stage. A salary within about 20% of the benchmark is typical. More than 20% above it, expect your board to want valuation, traction and fundraising to justify the level. More than 20% below it, you may be taking on unnecessary personal risk, especially if the company has already raised meaningful capital.

Illustration of the ±20% rule applied to the 2026 stage averages. It is a starting point for discussion with your board, not an approved compensation decision.

Also weigh your last round’s size and valuation, how much a $25,000 raise would change your runway, and your performance against plan. Use the founder salary calculator on this page to estimate pay by stage and industry.

What do investors think about founder pay?

Investors generally want founders paid enough that rent and groceries are not a distraction, and paid in line with comparable companies rather than wildly more or less. Raise founder pay with your investors before the round closes and show it in your financial model so there are no surprises after funding. Kruze offers free CPA-reviewed financial models and financial modeling services to help.

Market context matters too. The Q3 2026 PitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor reports that AI accounted for 82.7% of venture deal value and describes a more constrained market for fundraising and exits. With capital this concentrated, a strong headline market does not mean every startup can raise at a premium, which is why many founders still calibrate salary against runway and burn.

What does a founder salary really cost your startup?

Base salary is only part of the cost. Kruze recommends budgeting total employer cost about 25% to 35% above base salary for payroll taxes, insurance and benefits. At a 30% load, a $165,000 salary costs about $214,500 a year, or roughly $17,875 a month, before one-time costs such as equipment.

Model each salary in your forecast and check its effect on your cash runway. Our guides to payroll taxes for startups and startup payroll costs break the costs down, and our startup budget template is a good starting point. The IRS’s Publication 15 (Employer’s Tax Guide) explains federal employer tax responsibilities. Founders who spend time on qualified research may also be able to count part of their wages toward the R&D tax credit; estimate the savings with our R&D tax credit calculator and confirm the details with your CPA.

What about founder equity and other compensation?

Salary is only the cash piece. Equity, variable pay and benefits are separate parts of startup compensation, and cash and equity trade off against each other. For employee pay benchmarks, equity grant data and hiring costs, see Kruze’s Startup Compensation Guide. To set up equity correctly, read our guides to setting up a stock option plan and modeling your option pool, and keep your 409A valuation current before granting options.

Where does this founder salary data come from?

These benchmarks come from the payroll systems of Kruze Consulting’s VC-backed clients, all US-based. The data is anonymized and aggregated before analysis. Because it is real payroll rather than self-reported survey responses, it does not lag the market or over-represent the best-funded outliers. It covers venture-backed US companies; if you run an LLC, talk to a tax CPA about S-corp elections and owner salaries (see our startup tax services).

Founder Salary Calculator

Use this calculator to estimate the range in pay that founders can expect, in the US, based on the amount of venture capital raised, stage of the company and industry.

Frequently Asked Questions About Founder Salaries

• What is the average startup founder salary in 2026?
• How much do seed-stage founders pay themselves in 2026?
• How much do Series A and Series B founders make in 2026?
• Do founders pay themselves a salary after raising venture capital?
• Who earns more at a startup, the CEO or the CTO?
• How much should a startup budget for a founder’s total cost?
• Where does Kruze’s founder salary data come from?
• How can I tell whether my founder salary is reasonable?

What is the average startup founder salary in 2026?

The average salary for a startup founder serving as CEO is $165,000 in 2026, with a median of $159,000, up from $161,000 in 2025. By stage, the averages are $153,000 at Seed, $203,000 at Series A and $216,000 at Series B. See Kruze’s 2026 Startup CEO Salary Report for the full data.

How much do seed-stage founders pay themselves in 2026?

Seed-stage founder-CEOs average $153,000 in 2026, up from $147,000 in 2025. The typical range is $130,000 to $170,000. Founders with a priced round at a solid valuation and 18+ months of runway increasingly pay themselves in the mid-$100,000s, while smaller or bridge-like rounds point to the lower end of the range.

How much do Series A and Series B founders make in 2026?

Series A founder-CEOs average $203,000 (typical range $180,000 to $230,000), flat versus 2025. Series B founder-CEOs average $216,000 (typical range $200,000 to $260,000), up slightly from $214,000 in 2025 but still below the 2022 peak of $262,000.

Do founders pay themselves a salary after raising venture capital?

Yes. Taking a salary after raising venture funding is standard, and investors generally want founders paid enough that personal finances are not a distraction. Aim for pay in line with comparable companies at your stage, and discuss it with your investors before the round closes.

Who earns more at a startup, the CEO or the CTO?

It depends on stage. At Seed, CTOs average $155,000 versus $153,000 for CEOs. At Series A, CEOs lead CTOs $203,000 to $196,000, and at Series B CTOs lead $238,000 to $216,000. COOs average the most at Series A ($227,000) and Series B ($246,000). See the 2026 Startup C-Suite Salary Guide.

How much should a startup budget for a founder’s total cost?

Budget about 25% to 35% above base salary to cover payroll taxes, insurance and benefits. At a 30% load, a $165,000 salary costs about $214,500 a year, or roughly $17,875 a month, before one-time costs such as equipment. See Kruze’s guide to startup payroll costs.

Where does Kruze’s founder salary data come from?

It comes from anonymized payroll records of Kruze Consulting’s US-based, VC-backed startup clients, not from surveys or recruiter estimates. The data is aggregated before analysis so no company or individual can be identified.

How can I tell whether my founder salary is reasonable?

Compare it with the benchmark for your stage. A salary within about 20% of the stage average is typical; more than 20% above it needs to be justified by valuation, traction and fundraising, and far below it may mean taking on unnecessary personal risk. Use the founder salary calculator on this page, or contact Kruze for a benchmark against real payroll data.

Prior-year founder salary data (2025 and earlier)

The sections below preserve earlier founder salary data for reference. For current benchmarks, use the 2026 figures above.

2025 Founder salaries by Stage

The average startup founder salary in 2025 was $165,000. Pay rises with each funding stage, from seed through Series B.

These figures come from anonymized payroll data across 450+ funded startups that Kruze Consulting runs payroll and accounting for.

Startup CEOs experienced a notable rise in average salaries for 2025, reversing the downward trend of the previous two years. The average salary increased by over 14%, climbing from $141,000 in 2024 to $161,000 in 2025. This positive development aligns with an improved fundraising environment, as PitchBook projected U.S. venture fundraising to grow to $90–110 billion in 2025, up from $71 billion in 2024.

Kruze Consulting, which has published its annual Startup CEO Salary Report for seven years, bases its findings on anonymized payroll data from over 450 startups across industries like SaaS, biotech, fintech, and AI. Unlike survey-based reports, Kruze’s analysis provides an unbiased view of executive compensation in venture-backed startups.

The report aims to help fundraising founders understand appropriate compensation levels for themselves and incorporate these figures into financial models. Discussing salaries with venture capitalists (VCs) can be challenging for founders, but VCs generally recognize that reasonable compensation is essential for founders to focus on building their companies without financial distractions.

Typical founder compensation by stage

As startups progress and reach later stages, founders typically receive higher cash compensation. This trend is logical, as more mature companies generally have greater access to capital, enabling them to allocate larger budgets for compensating their team. See the figure above for a breakdown of the average founder salary by stage for 2025.

The average salary for a startup founder in 2024

The average salary for a startup founder in 2024 is approximately $143,000, down from $145,000 in 2023. This is slightly higher than the average startup CEO salary of $141,000 in 2024, driven by technical and product founders who tend to earn more than their CEO counterparts. The average founder salary varies by the founder’s role, experience, the amount and stage of the startup’s funding and the startup’s industry - among other factors.

Every year, Kruze Consulting analyzes founder salaries in order to help our clients understand how much compensation they should take as the founders of their startups. There isn’t a lot of transparency in early-stage compensation, and many founders are worried that if they ask for reasonable pay that they will turn off possible venture investors.

The truth is that VCs expect and want the executives at the startups they back to make reasonable amounts of money in salaries. Experienced investors know that monetary stress can cause founder burn out, can take away focus from running the startup and that the best executives are able to completely focus on their business. Being worried about making rent or having to drive for Lyft on the weekends to make ends meet is a huge distraction from making an early-stage company successful.

But the trick is that it’s not easy for a founder to know how much that they should make, so we hope that this data is helpful. Our data comes straight from anonymized payroll data from over 450 funded startups. It’s the best source of accurate information, and is much more accurate than surveys or gut checks from recruiters.

Typical founder compensation by stage

As startups mature, founders tend to take home more in cash compensation; this makes sense, given that the later-stage a company becomes, the more capital it likely has to pay the team. Here is average founder pay by stage for 2024:

• Seed: $133,000
• Series A: $183,000
• Series B: $218,000

2024 founder salaries by role

In about half of startups with multiple co-founders, the founders are not paid the same amount. We analyzed the salary differences by role and found, not surprisingly, that technical and product founders tend to be the highest paid founders at startups. Here is the average seed stage founder salary by role:

• CEO: $132,000
• CTO: $134,000
• COO / Operations: $135,000
• President: $92,000
• CPO / Product: $149,000

We’ve been publishing this data for years, and have the best and longest-running founder salary compensation data for companies in the United States (note that all of our clients are US-based Delaware C-Corporations that have raised between $250,000 and $500 million in funding - a big range of stages and financing levels!).

Answering some common questions we get on this topic:

How Much Salary Should a Founder Take After Raising Funding?

It’s very typical for founders to draw a salary after they raise funding. Startup founder salaries vary based on the amount of funding raised, the stage of development, the founder’s role and experience. Kruze’s data shows that seed stage founders average $133,000 in salary, where as Series A founders average $183,000. CTOs, CPOs often earn more than CEOs at the earliest stage, since their skills are in high demand. See our table above by seed stage founder comp by role.

We’ve kept our earlier founder compensation write-ups below, so if you want to read prior years’ reports, keep scrolling down!

2023 Founder Salary Data

The average startup founder’s salary in 2023 was down to approximately $145,000 from $150,000 in 2022. This is slightly higher than the average startup CEO salary of $142,000 in 2023, driven by technical founders who earn more than their CEO counterparts. 

Startup founders reduced their pay in 2023 to extend their companies’ runways because: 1) A diminished funding landscape leading to fewer late-stage investment rounds, which traditionally result in increased founder compensation; 2) A desire to maintain their companies’ viability and extend the timeframe before they run out of cash or grow into a higher valuation; 3) More modest initial seed-funding rounds, which in turn leaves less available money to boost compensation.

Use our calculator below to estimate comp at an early-stage startup based on the company’s industry, funding raised etc. Note that companies that our data, and the calculator below, show that companies that have raised capital in the past 6 months tend to pay higher this year. Our assumption is that this is because recently raised startups have overcome the hurdle of the difficult funding environment, whereas a startup that hasn’t raised recently is more likely to be in runway extension mode.

About our founder’s compensation data

This isn’t a survey - it’s a study conducted on payroll data from over 400 VC/seed backed startups, all based in the United States. These companies have collectively raised over $5.5 billion in financing from leading VCs and early-stage investors. They range from seed/pre-seed companies to Series C. 

2023 CEO vs Founder salaries

Non-CEO founders tend to make a higher salary vs. CEO founders: ~$155,000 for non-CEO founders vs. $142,000 for CEOs. About 75% of the founders included in this compensation study are CEOs. The rest are a variety of roles, from technical positions like CTO, to head of product, to COO. Technical positions, especially CTOs or PhDs or doctors, account for this higher average. Other than sales roles, it’s not uncommon for the highest paid positions at a startup to be the CTO/head of medical research. We also publish a startup CEO salary guide that has been updated for 2023.

Startup Founders’ Salaries by Stage

It’s typical for startup founders to earn higher salaries as they secure funding in the later stages. This trend is pretty logical. As the startup matures and moves to the later stages, it becomes less risky, thereby justifying enhanced compensation for the founders. Basically, moving them closer to what market comp would be at a large company. Additionally, with growth, the company should have more assets, including not only cash from investors but ideally, a steady stream of revenue as well.

• Seed: $130,000 to $135,000
• Series A: $150,000 to $170,000
• Series B: $220,000 to $240,000

2022 Startup Founder Salary Guide

In the US tech startups that have raised money tend to pay their founder CEOs about **

$130,000

$150,000 per year (updated for 2022 data). My firm runs payroll, accounting, etc. for funded startups (seed and venture stages), and we annually conduct a study of startup CEO salaries. Our most recent study looked at CEO and founder pay at over 250 funded startups.

In addition, for 2022 we also analyzed the data for chief technology officers (CTOs), to determine startup CTO salaries in early-stage companies.

Average Startup Founder Salary in 2022

In 2022, the average startup founder at a funded startup makes about $150,000, while the median founder makes closer to $140,000 per year. However, founder compensation varies by the amount of capital that a startup has raised. Below is a breakdown of founder salary by funding raised:

• <$2 million raised: $106,000 avg. founder salary
• $2 million to $5 million: $135,000 avg. founder salary
• $5 million to $10 million: $171,000 avg. founder salary

Our data shows that founder CEOs tend to make about the same as non-CEO founders at VC backed startups, although this may start to diverge after a company has raised tens of millions in funding. At that point, the CEO often makes more money than most other founders (except sales founders!). Additionally, later-stage companies are more likely to replace their founder-CEO with a “hired gun” CEO, and these outsiders tend to make quite a bit more than a founder would.

Startup Founder Salaries by Startup Stage

Startup founders tend to make higher salary as the startup raises later stages of funding. This makes sense. As a company becomes later stage, it is not only de-risked (and can therefore afford higher founder compensation), but also should have more resources, both cash from investors and hopefully revenue.

• Seed: ~$130,000
• Series A: $180,000 to $190,000
• Series B: $250,000 to $260,000

HOW MUCH SHOULD FOUNDERS PAY THEMSELVES AFTER RAISING SEED FUNDING?

We used to recommend seed stage founders pay themselves about $119,000, but over the past few years that has increased to about $130,000.

CEO pay varies by a number of factors, including the executive’s previous experience, the amount the company has raised, the startup’s traction and the industry the startup is in. As we looked across different industries, our data showed that CEOs in different industries have higher average salaries than others. For example, salaries in Biotech tend to average more than those in other industries. Founders in biotech tend to come with academic credentials and previous experience that founders in other industries don’t always have (M.D., PHD), and thus warrant a higher annual salary.

So to answer the most obvious question:

How much do startup founders pay themselves?

Founders of VC-backed startups pay is influenced by the amount of funding that the company has raised, the founder’s role in the company and the company’s industry. Pay ranges from $0 (zero!) to over $300,000, with the average founders pay in 2022 being $150,000. Note that the owners of LLCs should consult a tax CPA. There are particular tax strategies about when to take an S-Corp election and begin drawing owner’s salaries that are unique to LLCs. Our information is for Delaware C-Corporations that are raising outside capital only!

Founder pay by role

Compensation varies by role, although not by as much as you’d expect. At the earliest stages, technical founders (in the CTO role) tend to be paid more than their CEO founder counterparts. This is likely because experienced engineers are difficult to hire, whereas anyone can be the chief executive officer of a startup that they found. At revenue-generating startups, it’s the sales leader who is often the highest paid. See our video below about this, and why it’s totally normal.

CTO founder vs CEO founder

So a CEO founder makes about $150,000. 

Who is the highest-paid person at a startup?

It’s often the sales leader! Many times these professionals have some of the lowest base salaries in the whole company, or at least on the low end of the spectrum. BUT, there is a method to the madness, they should earn more in commission than they get in salary. And so a true, sales founder will ask for a low salary with high upside on the sales commissions. And this often makes them the highest paid person at the company.

What investors think about founder pay

In my experience, investors in seed-funded startups tend to want the founders to take enough salary to not have to stress too much about making rent payments or buying food. The goal is to be able to completely devote your time to growing the company. Experienced investors also know what is typical for your type of startup, and expect you to have pay in line with similar companies.

Founder pay is something that you can and should discuss with your investors prior to the investment so that there is no discord post-funding. One way to show your investors what you expect to earn as a founder/CEO is through a detailed financial model that outlines the various ways that you will use the investor’s capital. If you disclose your expected pay in a model, and if it is a reasonable amount, then you shouldn’t have any problems.

Do founders pay themselves a salary?

In Silicon Valley, it is normal for startup founders to pay themselves a salary after they’ve raised funding. Seed-funded founders usually pay themselves a modest amount; our data says $153,000 per year. Later-stage founders may pay themselves more than that. The amount of pay will vary by the stage of the company, the amount of venture or seed funding raised, the founder’s experience and title and the startup’s industry.

How much does a founder make?

Use our pay calculator to get an estimate based on your industry, funding raised, etc. However, roughly, founders make:

• Seed: $153,000
• Series A: $203,000
• Series B: $216,000

We work with a lot of investors, and many of them share a similar founder pay philosophy:

1) take enough salary to not have to worry about meeting rent, don’t get distracted growing the business because you can’t afford to live! 2) take a “normal” amount of cash compensation, as in, an amount that isn’t wildly more or less than what similar companies pay their founder executives.

To help you understand more about what’s “normal” pay, here is another dataset from my company’s analysis. We’ve got more info on our blog as well, in case you are interested.