Discover Salaries

Business Development
Select location
Select skill
Select industry

Business Development Salary and Equity in 2026

How much do Business Developments expect to make at US-based startups? The average expected salary for Business Developments in a startup is 85k per year, with a range from 50k to 207k. The salary range for Business Developments varies depending on factors such as location, industry, experience, skills, and startup stage.

85.0k

Average Salary

2 years

Average years of experience

Hiring data hero image

Salary

By quarter
The average Business Development salary is $85,042, which is 24.6% lower than the average startup salary of $112,833. Business Development salaries are based on exclusive Wellfound data. All data is updated on a weekly basis. Factors that may influence salary include: location, years of experience, title, size of company, skill-set, and industry.

Top of market

$174,708/yr

Range $140k - $207k

Average

$85,042/yr

Range $67k - $100k

Below Average

$57,667/yr

Range $50k - $68k


Top Locations

The highest average salary a Business Development can get in San Diego, that is $100,000. This pay is 17.6% higher than the average Business Development salary in startups, which is $85,042. Salaries will vary based on your location. The top-paying markets in the US, on average, are currently: San Diego (avg $100,000 per year), Los Angeles (avg $95,000 per year), San Francisco Bay Area (avg $90,000 per year). Remote jobs often pay based on the location you reside in.

Industries

The highest average salary a Business Development can get in Clinical Trials, that is $280,000. This pay is 17.0% higher than the average Business Development salary, which is $239,250. The highest-paying industries in 2023 are: Clinical Trials (avg $280,000 per year), Science (avg $280,000 per year), Social (avg $250,500 per year).

Years of experience

Below Average

Average

Top of Market

The highest average salary a Business Development can get with 10+ years of experience, that is $75,000. This pay is 11.8% lower than the average Business Development salary, which is $85,042. The salary range varies with years of experience and depends on other factors such as skill set, size of company, and industry.
Explore More Salaries