CTO Salary by Stage: Seed to Series B (2026 Data)

Startup CTOs were paid an average salary of $146,000 at seed, $223,000 at Series A and $245,000 at Series B in 2024, according to Kruze Consulting's payroll data from more than 250 VC-backed US startups. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics gives a broader baseline: a median of $175,140 a year for computer and information systems managers, the group that includes CTOs.

This guide uses only two kinds of compensation data we could open and read: payroll-system figures from Kruze, and occupational statistics from the BLS. Where no primary public dataset exists, mainly for equity and for pay beyond Series B, we say so instead of repeating recruiter ranges. Figures were checked in October 2026 and describe US companies unless stated.

How much does a CTO make at each funding stage?

At VC-backed startups, average CTO salary rises with each funding stage in the 2024 Kruze data: $146,000 at seed, $223,000 at Series A and $245,000 at Series B. These are cash salaries from payroll systems, so they exclude equity, bonuses and benefits. The table puts the two Kruze snapshots side by side, with the CEO average for reference.

Source for every cell: Kruze Consulting, Startup CTO Salary (updated 1 August 2024). The 2022 column comes from an older section of the same page, which describes a sample of over 200 seed and venture-funded startups and does not state that those figures came from payroll systems. Treat the 2022 column as context, not as a like-for-like trend.

Three things stand out when you read the table carefully:

• Series A is where pay moves most. The 2024 average is $49,000 above the 2022 average, while seed moved by $4,000 and Series B actually fell by $5,000. Kruze does not explain these shifts, and different samples can produce changes like this on their own, so we would not read it as a market trend.
• At every stage, the CTO average is above the CEO average. In the same 2024 dataset, the CEO average was $132,000 at seed, $179,000 at Series A and $227,000 at Series B.
• There is no data beyond Series B on that page. Kruze lists no figures for Series C or later, and neither does this guide.

Do founder CTOs and hired CTOs get paid the same?

No. Kruze's 2024 data shows founding CTOs take lower salaries than non-founding CTOs. Overall, founders averaged $139,000 against $213,000 for non-founders. At seed the split was $133,000 against $190,000, and at Series A it was $177,000 against $293,000. Kruze gives no founder split for Series B.

Source: Kruze Consulting. The reason is usually structural rather than a pay-grade effect: founders hold large equity stakes and often keep salaries low to extend runway, while a hired CTO is compensated mostly in cash and a smaller equity grant. Kruze's page reports the gap; it does not publish equity data to test that explanation, so treat it as our reading, not their finding.

If you are weighing a hired CTO role against founding something, remember that the two columns are not comparable on salary alone. See CTO vs VP of Engineering for how the title changes by company stage, and how to become a CTO for the paths into each seat.

What does the BLS say about CTO pay?

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $175,140 (May 2025) for computer and information systems managers, with the lowest 10 percent earning less than $107,550 and the highest 10 percent earning more than $297,510. The BLS lists CTO as an alternative title but publishes no separate CTO figure.

Source: US BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Computer and Information Systems Managers. The occupation spans IT managers at banks, hospitals and manufacturers as well as startup CTOs, so the BLS median is a floor for context, not a prediction for any one role. The BLS also notes that CTOs and other senior managers usually need many years of IT experience before being considered for a job.

What can you not find in public data?

Four gaps matter for anyone negotiating, and we would rather name them than fill them with numbers:

1. Equity by stage. We found no primary public dataset giving CTO equity grants by funding stage. Cap-table providers such as Carta publish data on founder ownership and option pools, but the role-level CTO pages we tried to open returned access errors, and the CTO equity figures that circulate on recruiter and consultancy blogs do not cite their data. We do not repeat them.
2. Pay at Series C and beyond. The Kruze page stops at Series B.
3. Non-US markets. Both sources are US data. For London, Berlin or Bangalore you need local payroll or recruiter data.
4. Total compensation. Bonuses, benefits and refreshers are absent from both sources.

This is why we advise treating any single number, including ours, as an anchor for a conversation rather than a target. Our engineering leadership benchmarks page collects the other sourced figures we track for engineering leaders.

How does the CTO role change by stage?

Pay follows scope, and scope changes sharply between seed and Series B. At seed the CTO is usually the most senior builder; by Series B the role is mostly about managing managers, architecture direction and the board. The mapping below is our editorial summary of how responsibilities shift, not a compensation finding.

The Bessemer Venture Partners engineering scaling guide describes the same arc in headcount terms: a hands-on leader up to about 10 engineers, at least one manager beyond that, and a decision around 20 engineers about whether the current CTO can lead the next stage (Bessemer Atlas). That decision point is also where a CTO's pay conversation changes, because the board is choosing between growing the CTO and adding a VP or SVP of engineering. For the transition itself, see engineering manager to CTO.

How should you negotiate a first CTO offer?

Negotiate scope and equity terms in writing before you negotiate salary, because the scope determines which benchmark applies. A CTO who also owns security, IT and product engineering is a different job from one who owns architecture only. Use the checklist below, which is our practical guidance rather than a statistic.

1. Pin down the benchmark. Pick the stage row above that matches the company's last round, and note whether the comparison is founder or non-founder.
2. Ask what the role owns. List the teams, budget and hiring decisions that report to you, and who the CTO reports to.
3. Get equity terms in writing. Ask for the number of shares or options, the percentage of fully diluted shares at grant, the vesting schedule and cliff, the strike price and the exercise window after you leave. The company can tell you these; a recruiter often cannot.
4. Ask about acceleration. Find out what happens to unvested equity on an acquisition or if you are removed without cause.
5. Clarify the success criteria. Agree what the CEO and board expect from you at 6 and 12 months. See board-ready CTO communication for how those expectations are usually set.
6. Take advice on the paperwork. Equity terms are legal documents; a startup lawyer reads them better than a coach does.

Interview preparation belongs in the same plan. Our CTO interview questions guide includes the questions candidates should ask the CEO and board, several of which feed directly into the checklist above.

Full-time versus fractional pay

Fractional CTOs are paid through retainers and day rates rather than salary, so the figures in this guide do not apply to them. The fractional work is covered on our sister site: FractionalChiefs.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average CTO salary at a startup?

Kruze Consulting's 2024 payroll data from over 250 VC-backed US startups shows average CTO salaries of $146,000 at seed, $223,000 at Series A and $245,000 at Series B. These are cash salaries and exclude equity. The BLS median for computer and information systems managers, a wider group, is $175,140.

How much does a Series A CTO make?

In Kruze Consulting's 2024 data the average Series A CTO salary was $223,000. Founding CTOs averaged $177,000 and non-founding CTOs $293,000 at that stage. The figure excludes equity, which varies by company and which we could not verify from a primary public dataset.

Do founding CTOs earn less than hired CTOs?

On salary, yes. Kruze's 2024 averages show founding CTOs at $139,000 and non-founding CTOs at $213,000 across stages. Founders typically hold larger equity stakes, so salary alone understates their compensation. Kruze reports the salary gap but does not publish equity data to explain it.

How much equity should a CTO get?

We could not find a primary public dataset for CTO equity by stage, so we do not quote a percentage. Ask for the share count, fully diluted percentage at grant, vesting, strike price and exercise window in writing, and have a startup lawyer review the terms before signing.

What does the BLS say about CTO pay?

The BLS reports a May 2025 median wage of $175,140 for computer and information systems managers, which includes CTOs as an alternative title. The lowest 10 percent earned under $107,550 and the highest 10 percent over $297,510. The BLS does not publish a separate CTO figure.

Sources

1. Startup CTO salary (2024 payroll data, updated 2024-08-01) Kruze Consulting, 2024
2. Computer and Information Systems Managers, Occupational Outlook Handbook US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025
3. Scaling your engineering team from one to 50 and beyond Bessemer Venture Partners (Atlas), 2026

How we source and check figures: Methodology.