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CFO Salary and Equity in Chicago 2026
How much does a CFO expect to make at Chicago-based startups? The average expected salary for CFOs in Chicago-based startups is 185k per year, with a range from 157k to 300k. These amounts were gathered from Wellfound self-reported data and represent the median salary range. The salary range for CFOs in Chicago startups varies depending on factors such as industry, experience, skills, and startup stage.
185.0k
Average Salary
9 years
Average years of experience
Salary
The average salary for a CFO in Chicago is $185,000, which is 47.3% higher than the average Chicago startup salary of$125,625. CFO 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
$290,000/yr
Range $283k - $300k
Average
$185,000/yr
Range $175k - $200k
Below Average
$163,000/yr
Range $157k - $170k
Industries
The highest average salary a CFO in Chicago can get in Manufacturing, that is $275,500. This pay is 43.9% higher than the average CFO salary in Chicago, which is $191,500. The highest-paying industries in 2023 are: Manufacturing (avg $275,500 per year), SaaS (avg $262,500 per year), Real Estate (avg $231,000 per year).
Years of experience
Below Average
Average
Top of Market
The highest average salary a CFO in Chicago can get with 10+ years of experience, that is $202,500. This pay is 61.2% higher than the average salary in Chicago startups, which is $125,625. 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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