What does a senior engineer make at a seed-stage startup?

A senior engineer at a seed-stage SF Bay Area startup typically earns $135–$200K cash plus 0.25–0.5% equity (fully diluted). Remote US roles run 12% lower; Series A increases base 20% but cuts equity by ~15%.

How much equity do founders typically keep?

Solo founders typically start with 90% of common stock (10% option pool). After seed + Series A + Series B, two-founder teams typically each hold 12–22% of fully diluted shares. Heavy option pool top-ups in late-stage rounds further dilute.

How is equity granted at early-stage startups?

Most startups grant ISOs (incentive stock options) with a 4-year vesting schedule and 1-year cliff. Strike price is set at fair market value per the latest 409A valuation. Some later-stage companies grant RSUs (restricted stock units) instead.

Should I prioritize cash or equity?

Depends on personal runway and conviction. Equity is a long-call option — high upside, often zero. Early employees who join 1–3 years before exit often hit the optimal risk/reward. For early-stage joiners, ensure base covers 12+ months of personal runway before optimizing for equity.

How often should salaries be benchmarked?

At least once per year and at every fundraise. Comp bands evolve quickly in tight talent markets, and Series A/B raises typically warrant level-by-level rebenchmarking. We help portfolio companies build comp bands tied to runway and dilution targets.

How do remote vs. SF salaries compare?

SF Bay Area sets the top. NYC runs ~5% below. US Remote roles run ~12% below SF. International remote roles run ~38% below SF (with wide variance — top engineers in low-COL markets command US-equivalent comp).

Free Tool

Startup Salary Benchmark

Cash and equity benchmarks for common startup roles. Filter by stage, role, and location to see realistic comp ranges.

Based on the StartupCFO 2026 Founder Salary Report and aggregated Carta, AngelList, and Pave data.

Pick a role, stage, and location to see the benchmark band

Role

Stage

Location

Your salary ($K) (optional)

Enter in thousands ($K). “150”, “$150”, and “150K” all parse as $150,000.

25th percentile

$118K

Median (50th)

$144K

75th percentile

$176K

Equity grant range (% fully diluted)

P25

0.27%

P50

0.40%

P75

0.56%

Benchmarks derived from StartupCFO's 2026 Founder Salary Report and Carta, AngelList, and Pave data. Cash compensation only — equity in percentage of fully diluted shares.

Building your hiring plan?

Our CFOs build compensation bands tied to your funding plan, runway, and dilution targets.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a senior engineer make at a seed-stage startup?: Typically $135–$200K cash plus 0.25–0.5% equity (fully diluted) in SF Bay Area. Remote US roles run ~12% lower; Series A raises base by ~20% but cuts equity by ~15%.
How much equity do founders typically keep?: Solo founders start with ~90% of common (10% pool). After seed + Series A + Series B, two-founder teams typically each hold 12–22% of fully diluted shares.
Should I prioritize cash or equity?: Depends on runway and conviction. Equity is a long-call option — high upside, often zero. Ensure base covers 12+ months of personal runway before optimizing for equity.
How do remote vs. SF salaries compare?: SF tops the market. NYC ~5% below. US Remote ~12% below SF. International Remote ~38% below SF, with wide variance.

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