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Engineering Manager Salary and Equity in 2026
How much do Engineering Managers expect to make at US-based startups? The average expected salary for Engineering Managers in a startup is 190k per year, with a range from 112k to 311k. The salary range for Engineering Managers varies depending on factors such as location, industry, experience, skills, and startup stage.
190.4k
Average Salary
6 years
Average years of experience
Salary
The average Engineering Manager salary is $190,417, which is 68.8% higher than the average startup salary of $112,833. Engineering Manager 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
$263,708/yr
Range $195k - $311k
Average
$190,417/yr
Range $160k - $212k
Below Average
$148,042/yr
Range $112k - $169k
Top Locations
The highest average salary a Engineering Manager can get in Cambridge, that is $200,000. This pay is 5.0% higher than the average Engineering Manager salary in startups, which is $190,417. Salaries will vary based on your location. The top-paying markets in the US, on average, are currently: Cambridge (avg $200,000 per year), New York (avg $195,000 per year), Toronto (avg $184,000 per year). Remote jobs often pay based on the location you reside in.
Cambridge
$200k
New York
$195k
Toronto
$184k
Boston
$182k
Seattle
$180k
Los Angeles
$170k
San Francisco Bay Area
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View SalariesIndustries
The highest average salary a Engineering Manager can get in Portals, that is $365,000. This pay is 14.5% higher than the average Engineering Manager salary, which is $318,700. The highest-paying industries in 2023 are: Portals (avg $365,000 per year), Social Games (avg $365,000 per year), Development Platforms (avg $365,000 per year).
Tech Stack
The highest average salary a Engineering Manager can get with Python, that is $190,000. This pay is 0.2% lower than the average Engineering Manager salary in startups, which is $190,417. Salary range for specific skills will vary based on the supply and demand in the current market.
Top Tech Stacks
The top-paying Engineering Manager skills of 2026 are:
1. Python
$190k
2. AWS
$190k
3. React Native
$190k
4. Ruby
$190k
5. Airflow
$185k
6. Pyspark
$185k
7. Scala
$185k
8. Django
$180k
9. Kubernetes
$170k
10. Node.js
$170k
Years of experience
Below Average
Average
Top of Market
The highest average salary a Engineering Manager can get with 10+ years of experience, that is $210,000. This pay is 10.3% higher than the average Engineering Manager salary, which is $190,417. 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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