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Founder Salary and Equity in 2026
How much do Founders expect to make at US-based startups? The average expected salary for Founders in a startup is 100k per year, with a range from 43k to 275k. The salary range for Founders varies depending on factors such as location, industry, experience, skills, and startup stage.
99.8k
Average Salary
3 years
Average years of experience
Salary
The average Founder salary is $99,818, which is 22.6% lower than the average startup salary of $129,000. Founder 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
$199,318/yr
Range $120k - $275k
Average
$99,818/yr
Range $55k - $210k
Below Average
$71,818/yr
Range $43k - $200k
Top Locations
The highest average salary a Founder can get in Toronto, that is $125,000. This pay is 25.2% higher than the average Founder salary in startups, which is $99,818. Salaries will vary based on your location. The top-paying markets in the US, on average, are currently: Toronto (avg $125,000 per year), New York (avg $125,000 per year), Boston (avg $87,500 per year). Remote jobs often pay based on the location you reside in.
Toronto
$125k
New York
$125k
Boston
$87.5k
Chicago
$87.5k
Denver
$87.5k
Seattle
$87.5k
Vancouver
View SalariesSan Francisco Bay Area
View SalariesAustin
View SalariesLondon
View SalariesSan Diego
View SalariesLos Angeles
View SalariesIndustries
The highest average salary a Founder can get in Marketplaces, that is $275,000. This pay is 47.3% higher than the average Founder salary, which is $186,750. The highest-paying industries in 2023 are: Marketplaces (avg $275,000 per year), Future Of Work (avg $275,000 per year), E-Commerce (avg $275,000 per year).
Years of experience
Below Average
Average
Top of Market
The highest average salary a Founder can get with 10+ years of experience, that is $60,000. This pay is 39.9% lower than the average Founder salary, which is $99,818. 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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