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CMO Salary and Equity in Chicago 2026

How much does a CMO expect to make at Chicago-based startups? The average expected salary for CMOs in Chicago-based startups is 152k per year, with a range from 107k to 245k. These amounts were gathered from Wellfound self-reported data and represent the median salary range. The salary range for CMOs in Chicago startups varies depending on factors such as industry, experience, skills, and startup stage.

151.5k

Average Salary

6 years

Average years of experience

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Salary

By quarter
The average salary for a CMO in Chicago is $151,500, which is 20.6% higher than the average Chicago startup salary of$125,625. CMO 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

$206,667/yr

Range $158k - $245k

Average

$151,500/yr

Range $115k - $180k

Below Average

$119,000/yr

Range $107k - $140k


Industries

The highest average salary a CMO in Chicago can get in Marketing, that is $184,000. This pay is 1.4% higher than the average CMO salary in Chicago, which is $181,500. The highest-paying industries in 2023 are: Marketing (avg $184,000 per year), Manufacturing (avg $183,500 per year), Digital Media (avg $180,000 per year).

Years of experience

Below Average

Average

Top of Market

The highest average salary a CMO in Chicago can get with 10+ years of experience, that is $180,000. This pay is 43.3% 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.