Sales · Level L4 · Salary
Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) salary
Typical total compensation (US national)
$680,000–$780,000
Base
$245,000
Variable @ target
$160,000
Equity (annual)
$300,000
Company revenue target; variable ~40-50% of base (50/50 or 60/40). Equity heavy, esp. at startups (0.25-1%+). Total comp $600k-$1M+ with equity at funded Series C.
Indicative, sourced — not a guarantee. PayScale/Comparably/CRO Report 2026: base ~$239k avg (enterprise $285-310k), total comp avg ~$417k, OTE $324-453k
Pay by metro — nominal vs cost-adjusted
“Real” adjusts for cost of living, so a high headline number in an expensive metro can be worth less in practice. Ranked by real pay.
| Metro | Nominal | Real (cost-adjusted) |
|---|---|---|
| Remote (US national) | $715,000 | $715,000 |
| Atlanta | $700,700 | $715,000 |
| Austin | $715,000 | $700,980 |
| Chicago | $715,000 | $662,037 |
| Seattle | $772,200 | $643,500 |
| Denver | $700,700 | $637,000 |
| Boston | $715,000 | $529,630 |
| Los Angeles | $715,000 | $493,103 |
| New York City | $750,750 | $484,355 |
| San Francisco Bay Area | $750,750 | $417,083 |