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Startup Salaries and Equities in Chicago 2026
What is the average startup salary in Chicago? The average expected salary for Chicago-based startups is 111 per year, with a range from 60k to 213k. These amounts were gathered from Wellfound self-reported data and represent the median salary range. The startup salary range in Chicago varies depending on factors such as industry, experience, skills, and startup stage.
111.5k
Average Salary
3 years
Average years of experience
Salary
The average startup salary in Chicago is $111,458, which is 1.2% lower than the average startup salary of $112,833. Salaries in Chicago are based on exclusive Wellfound data. All data is updated on a weekly basis. Factors that may influence salary include: role, years of experience, title, size of company, skill-set, and industry.
Top of market
$193,667/yr
Range $160k - $213k
Average
$111,458/yr
Range $75k - $128k
Below Average
$78,667/yr
Range $60k - $105k
Industries
The highest average salary in Chicago employee can get in Guides, that is $238,500. This pay is 9.0% higher than the average Chicago salary in startups, which is $218,750. The highest-paying industries in 2023 are: Guides (avg $238,500 per year), Design (avg $238,500 per year), Mobile Analytics (avg $236,500 per year).
Tech Stack
The highest average salary in Chicago employees can get with Docker, that is $205,000. This pay is 81.7% higher than the average salary in startups, which is $112,833. Salary range for specific skills will vary based on the supply and demand in the current market.
Top Tech Stacks
The top-paying developer skills in Chicago of 2026 are:
1. Docker
$205k
2. openAI
$200k
3. Heroku
$190k
4. Python
$175k
5. PostgreSQL
$170k
6. C
$162.5k
7. Django
$160k
8. Ruby on Rails
$157k
9. Deep Learning
$147.5k
10. Prometheus
$140k
Years of experience
Below Average
Average
Top of Market
The highest average salary in Chicago employee can get with 10+ years of experience, that is $155,000. This pay is 37.4% higher than the average salary in Chicago startups, which is $112,833. The salary range varies with years of experience and depends on other factors such as skill set, size of company, and industry.
Popular roles in Chicago
Software EngineerMobile DeveloperAndroid DeveloperiOS DeveloperFrontend EngineerBackend EngineerFull-Stack EngineerSoftware ArchitectMachine Learning EngineerEmbedded EngineerData EngineerDevOpsEngineering ManagerQA EngineerData ScientistDesignerUI/UX DesignerUser ResearcherVisual DesignerCreative DirectorGraphic Designer Product DesignerProduct ManagerOperationsFinance/AccountingH.R.Office ManagerRecruiterCustomer ServiceOperations ManagerSalesBusiness DevelopmentSales Development RepresentativeAccount ExecutiveBD ManagerAccount ManagerSales ManagerCustomer Success ManagerMarketingGrowth HackerMarketing ManagerContent CreatorCopywriterSocial Media ManagerManagementCEOCFOCMOCOOCTOOther EngineeringHardware EngineerMechanical EngineerSystems EngineerOtherBusiness AnalystProject ManagerAttorneyData AnalystInvestorLimited PartnerStrategic InvestorInstitutional InvestorVenture DebtVCSeed FundIndividual InvestorAngelFounder
Popular skills in Chicago
Tech Hubs
Industries in Chicago
Web DesignBlockchain / CryptocurrencySocial Media MarketingFin TechBig DataRetailManufacturingMarketplacesSmall and Medium BusinessesReal EstateDigital MarketingHealth and WellnessAdvertisingMobile ApplicationArtificial IntelligenceSales and MarketingFinancial ServicesDigital MediaWeb DevelopmentSoftwareEducationTechnologySocial MediaB2BSaaSE-CommerceHealthcareEnterprise SoftwareMobile