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COO Salary and Equity in Chicago 2026

How much does a COO expect to make at Chicago-based startups? The average expected salary for COOs in Chicago-based startups is 184k per year, with a range from 125k to 350k. These amounts were gathered from Wellfound self-reported data and represent the median salary range. The salary range for COOs in Chicago startups varies depending on factors such as industry, experience, skills, and startup stage.

183.8k

Average Salary

7 years

Average years of experience

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Salary

By quarter
The average salary for a COO in Chicago is $183,833, which is 46.3% higher than the average Chicago startup salary of$125,625. COO 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

$264,333/yr

Range $195k - $350k

Average

$183,833/yr

Range $168k - $195k

Below Average

$147,167/yr

Range $125k - $189k

Industries

The highest average salary a COO in Chicago can get in Software, that is $208,000. This pay is 40.8% higher than the average COO salary in Chicago, which is $147,750. The highest-paying industries in 2023 are: Software (avg $208,000 per year), B2B (avg $87,500 per year).

Years of experience

Below Average

Average

Top of Market

The highest average salary a COO in Chicago can get with 10+ years of experience, that is $225,000. This pay is 79.1% 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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