Chief Technology Officer Salary.
Across 81 U.S. cities.
$290,000
estimated national base salary
$215,000 to $380,000. Last updated September 2026.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $213,990 for Chief Executives (SOC 11-1011) across the United States, based on 204,350 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$75,700
25th percentile
$129,540
Median
$213,990
75th percentile
$356,200
90th percentile
$507,730
Workers surveyed
204,350
What BLS published in each release
May 2024 release
$206,420
May 2025 release
$213,990
These are two separate published estimates, not a time series. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not encourage the use of OEWS data for time-series analysis. Differences between releases reflect changes in occupational classification, survey methodology, and the three-year pooled sample as well as any change in pay, so the two figures should not be read as a rate of wage growth.
Why this differs from the estimate above. The Orbyt estimate of $290,000 is 36% higher than this published figure. That is usually not an error in either number: BLS reports by occupation code, and Chief Executives covers a different population than the Chief Technology Officer title as it is typically advertised. Both are shown, unreconciled, so you can judge which one describes the job you mean.
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 Chief Technology Officer specifically. The national 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 11-1011Highest Paying
$412,000
San Jose, CA
Best Purchasing Power
$302,000
New York, NY
Lowest Paying
$231,000
Jackson, MS
The salary figures on this page are computed estimates, not observed wages. Each one is a national role baseline scaled by a Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parity cost-of-living multiplier (2025 index) and rounded to the nearest $1,000. No published wage percentile is consulted and no wage survey response enters the calculation, so an Orbyt estimate must not be cited as a Bureau of Labor Statistics figure or as measured pay. The published wage data Orbyt holds is Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, and Department of Labor H-1B Labor Condition Application filings, which record a filed minimum visa base wage rather than market pay. Where BLS publishes a wage for the occupation a role maps to, it is shown on that role's page as a separate benchmark, labelled with its occupation code, metro area and the number of employed workers it covers. Last updated September 2026. This role maps to BLS occupation code 11-1011. Full methodology.
Orbyt estimates the average Chief Technology Officer salary in the United States at $290,000 in 2026, within a range of $215,000 to $380,000. 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. San Jose is the highest of the 81 cities at $412,000, while New York offers the best purchasing power after cost-of-living adjustments. Technical domain expertise, company stage, and engineering team size are the primary drivers.
Chief Technology Officer salary by city.
Skills that increase Chief Technology Officer pay.
The premiums below are Orbyt's modelled scenarios for Chief Technology Officers, not effects measured from job postings: each is a fixed percentage applied to the estimated base. At the top premium that works out to $40,600 a year.
≈ +$40,600 per year
≈ +$37,700 per year
≈ +$34,800 per year
≈ +$31,900 per year
≈ +$31,900 per year
≈ +$29,000 per year
≈ +$29,000 per year
≈ +$26,100 per year
What you should know.
Technical domain expertise, company stage, and engineering team size are the primary drivers. CTOs managing teams of 100 or more engineers earn substantially more than those at smaller organizations. Specialization in AI, cloud infrastructure, or cybersecurity commands above-market premiums in the current talent landscape.
Directors of engineering earn $170,000 to $230,000. VPs of engineering advance to $220,000 to $300,000. CTOs at Series B to C startups make $250,000 to $330,000. CTOs at public tech companies or large enterprises reach $350,000 to $450,000 in base with total comp exceeding $1.5 million.
Equity compensation is typically the largest component, with CTOs at pre-IPO companies receiving grants worth $300,000 to $2 million annually. Cash bonuses of 25 to 40% of base and retention packages of $100,000 to $300,000 over two to three years are common.
Total compensation breakdown.
Salary by company size
Remote salary adjustment
Remote Chief Technology Officers typically earn $276,000 (5% less than on-site). This reflects location-adjusted pay policies at companies using geographic salary bands. Some companies pay flat national rates regardless of location.
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Common questions about Chief Technology Officer pay.
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