Founder / Entrepreneur Salary.
Across 81 U.S. cities.
$115,000
estimated national base salary
$55,000 to $245,000. 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 $115,000 is 46% lower 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 Founder / Entrepreneur 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 Founder / Entrepreneur 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
$155,000
San Francisco, CA
Best Purchasing Power
$120,000
Pittsburgh, PA
Lowest Paying
$90,000
Charleston, WV
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 Founder / Entrepreneur salary in the United States at $115,000 in 2026, within a range of $55,000 to $245,000. 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 Francisco is the highest of the 81 cities at $155,000, while Pittsburgh offers the best purchasing power after cost-of-living adjustments. Funding stage, company revenue, and investor expectations create extreme variance in founder salaries.
Founder / Entrepreneur salary by city.
Skills that increase Founder / Entrepreneur pay.
The premiums below are Orbyt's modelled scenarios for Founder / Entrepreneurs, not effects measured from job postings: each is a fixed percentage applied to the estimated base. At the top premium that works out to $16,100 a year.
≈ +$16,100 per year
≈ +$14,950 per year
≈ +$13,800 per year
≈ +$12,650 per year
≈ +$12,650 per year
≈ +$11,500 per year
≈ +$11,500 per year
≈ +$10,350 per year
What you should know.
Funding stage, company revenue, and investor expectations create extreme variance in founder salaries. Pre-seed founders often take minimal salary or none at all, while Series B and later founders pay themselves competitive market rates. Revenue-generating bootstrapped founders set salaries based on profitability and personal financial needs.
Pre-seed founders take $0 to $60,000 in salary while building initial product. Seed-stage founders with institutional funding earn $75,000 to $120,000. Series A founders pay themselves $120,000 to $175,000. Series B and beyond allows $175,000 to $250,000, approaching market CEO rates.
Equity is the primary compensation vehicle, with founders holding 10 to 100% ownership depending on stage and co-founders. Salary is secondary until profitability or institutional funding allows market-rate pay. Health insurance and minimal benefits are often the only non-equity compensation in early stages.
Total compensation breakdown.
Salary by company size
Remote salary adjustment
Remote Founder / Entrepreneurs typically earn $104,000 (10% 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 Founder / Entrepreneur pay.
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