CTO Compensation Benchmark
Research-backed salary and total compensation benchmarks for CTOs and tech executives by company stage, size, and geography
How to use this tool
- Select the executive role you want to benchmark
- Choose the company stage, headcount, and geography that match your situation
- Review percentile-based salary bands with equity and bonus breakdowns
- Compare how compensation changes across company stages
- Export to Excel for your board deck or compensation planning
Data aggregated from Levels.fyi, Glassdoor, Hired, Kruze Consulting, Carta, and Option Impact surveys. Equity values represent estimated annualized value assuming standard 4-year vesting.
Configuration
All benchmarks are in USD, converted at approximate rates
Key Insights
- ▸Equity is 2.3x base salary at this stage, reflecting high growth potential and risk.
- ▸CTOs at Series B-C earn 1.3x more equity than at Series A.
- ▸The P25-P75 base salary range spans $85,000 (33% of median), reflecting variation by individual experience and company performance.
Total Compensation
CTO · Series B-C · US (SF Bay Area / NYC)
P50 Breakdown
Comparison by Stage
P50 total compensation for CTO across company stages
| Stage | Base | Bonus | Equity | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seed / Pre-revenue | $160K | $8K | $360K | $528K |
| Series A | $200K | $20K | $480K | $700K |
| Series B-C | $260K | $39K | $600K | $899K |
| Series D+ / Late Stage | $315K | $63K | $720K | $1.1M |
| Public Company | $360K | $90K | $960K | $1.4M |
Methodology
Benchmarks are aggregated from multiple publicly available compensation data sources including Levels.fyi, Glassdoor, Hired State of Tech Salaries, Kruze Consulting CTO compensation research, Carta equity benchmarking, and Option Impact surveys. Data reflects 2024-2025 compensation trends.
Base salary reflects annual cash compensation before bonuses. Bonus represents target annual bonus as a percentage of base. Equity represents estimated annualized value of stock options or RSUs assuming standard 4-year vesting with a 1-year cliff.
Geography adjustments use cost-of-labor indices (not cost-of-living) that reflect actual market rates for executive talent in each region. Company headcount adjustments reflect the tendency for larger companies to offer higher base salaries but lower equity percentages.