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COO Salary and Equity in 2026
How much do COOs expect to make at US-based startups? The average expected salary for COOs in a startup is 135k per year, with a range from 55k to 450k. The salary range for COOs varies depending on factors such as location, industry, experience, skills, and startup stage.
134.8k
Average Salary
9422 years
Average years of experience
Salary
The average COO salary is $134,750, which is 4.5% higher than the average startup salary of $129,000. COO 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
$284,167/yr
Range $195k - $450k
Average
$134,750/yr
Range $90k - $184k
Below Average
$97,625/yr
Range $55k - $125k
Top Locations
The highest average salary a COO can get in Boston, that is $230,000. This pay is 70.7% higher than the average COO salary in startups, which is $134,750. Salaries will vary based on your location. The top-paying markets in the US, on average, are currently: Boston (avg $230,000 per year), Seattle (avg $222,500 per year), Denver (avg $152,500 per year). Remote jobs often pay based on the location you reside in.
Boston
$230k
Seattle
$222.5k
Denver
$152.5k
Toronto
$150k
London
$135k
Chicago
$125k
San Francisco Bay Area
View SalariesMinneapolis
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View SalariesAustin
View SalariesIndustries
The highest average salary a COO can get in Hardware, that is $315,000. This pay is 15.0% higher than the average COO salary, which is $273,900. The highest-paying industries in 2023 are: Hardware (avg $315,000 per year), Machine Learning (avg $300,000 per year), Storage (avg $298,500 per year).
Years of experience
Below Average
Average
Top of Market
The highest average salary a COO can get with 10+ years of experience, that is $150,000. This pay is 11.3% higher than the average COO salary, which is $134,750. 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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