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CMO Salary and Equity in 2026
How much do CMOs expect to make at US-based startups? The average expected salary for CMOs in a startup is 171k per year, with a range from 60k to 427k. The salary range for CMOs varies depending on factors such as location, industry, experience, skills, and startup stage.
170.6k
Average Salary
5 years
Average years of experience
Salary
The average CMO salary is $170,625, which is 32.3% higher than the average startup salary of $129,000. CMO 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
$285,583/yr
Range $175k - $427k
Average
$170,625/yr
Range $100k - $275k
Below Average
$107,958/yr
Range $60k - $175k
Top Locations
The highest average salary a CMO can get in Vancouver, that is $400,000. This pay is 134.4% higher than the average CMO salary in startups, which is $170,625. Salaries will vary based on your location. The top-paying markets in the US, on average, are currently: Vancouver (avg $400,000 per year), New York (avg $285,000 per year), Seattle (avg $180,000 per year). Remote jobs often pay based on the location you reside in.
Vancouver
$400k
New York
$285k
Seattle
$180k
Los Angeles
$160k
Santa Monica
$132.5k
Minneapolis
$125k
Chicago
View SalariesAustin
View SalariesToronto
View SalariesBoston
View SalariesSan Diego
View SalariesDenver
View SalariesIndustries
The highest average salary a CMO can get in Marketplace, that is $400,000. This pay is 32.7% higher than the average CMO salary, which is $301,350. The highest-paying industries in 2023 are: Marketplace (avg $400,000 per year), Hardware (avg $320,000 per year), Telecommunications (avg $302,000 per year).
Years of experience
Below Average
Average
Top of Market
The highest average salary a CMO can get with 10+ years of experience, that is $100,000. This pay is 41.4% lower than the average CMO salary, which is $170,625. 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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