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CEO Salary and Equity in Chicago 2026
How much does a CEO expect to make at Chicago-based startups? The average expected salary for CEOs in Chicago-based startups is 78k per year, with a range from 61k to 100k. These amounts were gathered from Wellfound self-reported data and represent the median salary range. The salary range for CEOs in Chicago startups varies depending on factors such as industry, experience, skills, and startup stage.
78.3k
Average Salary
5 years
Average years of experience
Salary
The average salary for a CEO in Chicago is $78,250, which is 30.7% lower than the average Chicago startup salary of$112,875. CEO salaries in Chicago are based on exclusive Wellfound data. All data is updated on a weekly basis. Factors that may influence salary include: years of experience, title, size of company, skill-set, and industry.
Top of market
$94,500/yr
Range $78k - $100k
Average
$78,250/yr
Range $68k - $100k
Below Average
$69,000/yr
Range $61k - $75k
Industries
The highest average salary a CEO in Chicago can get in Education, that is $75,000. This pay is 0.0% lower than the average CEO salary in Chicago, which is $75,000. The highest-paying industries in 2023 are: Education (avg $75,000 per year), Music (avg $75,000 per year), Creative Industries (avg $75,000 per year).
Years of experience
Below Average
Average
Top of Market
The highest average salary a CEO in Chicago can get with 4-6 years of experience, that is $75,000. This pay is 33.6% lower than the average salary in Chicago startups, which is $112,875. The salary range varies with years of experience and depends on other factors such as skill set, size of company, and industry.
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