CFO.
Philadelphia.
$278,000
median salary, 7% above the national average
$208,000 to $369,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
A CFO in Philadelphia earns a median of $278,000 in 2026. That is 7% above the national average. The range runs from $208,000 to $369,000, and where you land depends on your experience, your skills, and how well you negotiate. Company size measured by revenue and market capitalization drives the widest pay variation among CFOs. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for CFO in Philadelphia, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $292,770 for Chief Executives (SOC 11-1011) in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metropolitan area, based on 4,120 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$124,800
25th percentile
$181,280
Median
$292,770
75th percentile
$450,160
90th percentile
$546,180
Workers surveyed
4,120
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Chief Executives (SOC 11-1011) rather than CFO specifically. The Philadelphia range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 11-1011Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $250,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$181,000
to $222,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$236,000
to $292,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$306,000
to $361,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$348,000
to $431,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $74,000 to the total package.
Base
$278,000
Equity
$42,000
Bonus
$26,000
Signing
$6,000
Estimated total: $352,000
How Philadelphia compares.
Philadelphia, PA
$278,000
Cost of living: 9% above average
National Average
$260,000
Philadelphia is $18,000 above
CFO salary by city.
Salary by role in Philadelphia.
What you should know.
The CFO landscape in Philadelphia is not what most salary sites will tell you. Philadelphia combines a robust healthcare and life sciences sector with established finance and higher education institutions. The city's pharmaceutical corridor is among the strongest in the country. Tech growth has accelerated, particularly in health tech and enterprise software, offering salaries that stretch further than in nearby New York. Company size measured by revenue and market capitalization drives the widest pay variation among CFOs. Fortune 500 CFOs earn three to five times more than mid-market counterparts. Industry also matters, with technology, financial services, and pharmaceutical CFOs commanding the highest packages. IPO and M&A transaction experience adds further premium.
VP of Finance roles pay $180,000 to $260,000 in base salary. CFOs at small companies ($10 million to $50 million revenue) earn $175,000 to $250,000. Mid-market CFOs ($50 million to $500 million) earn $250,000 to $400,000. Enterprise CFOs at $1 billion or more revenue companies command $400,000 to $800,000 base. In Philadelphia, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
Base salary is not the full picture. CFO total compensation far exceeds base salary. Annual bonuses of 40 to 75% of base, equity grants worth $200,000 to $2 million or more at public companies, and long-term incentive plans are standard. Total compensation at large companies commonly reaches $800,000 to $5 million. And on the tax side: pennsylvania has a flat 3.07% state income tax, but Philadelphia adds a 3.75% city wage tax for residents. This combined local burden is worth factoring into salary negotiations. When someone quotes you $278,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Account for the Philadelphia wage tax in your ask. Request a 5 to 8% premium over suburban offers to offset the city's local tax on all earned income. The range for CFOs in Philadelphia runs from $208,000 to $369,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- An IC6 Engineer in Philadelphia earns $275,000 (1% less)
- The highest-paying role in Philadelphia is CTO at $314,000
Common questions.
CFO salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Philadelphia.
Related salary pages
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"CFO Salary in Philadelphia, PA." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/cfo/philadelphia
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