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Founding Engineer salary at tech startups (October 2026)
The median posted salary for a Founding Engineer at tech startups in United States is $185k a year (middle half $175k to $200k), based on 21 job postings from 16 companies that publish a pay range. 5% of these postings are remote.
$185kmedian, United States
$175k–$200kmiddle half (P25–P75)
21postings from 16 companies
5%remote postings
Ranks #168 of 454 startup roles by US median pay in this sample. That is 12% below the Software Engineer median ($210k). Company-balanced median (each company counted once): $192k. Average posted range: $154k to $245k.
Founding Engineer pay by country
| Country | Median | P25 to P75 | Postings | Companies | Remote |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $185k | $175k to $200k | 21 | 16 | 5% |
Yearly pay in local currency, from postings that publish a range (hourly x 2080, monthly x 12). Groups need at least 5 postings from 3 companies. Sales roles exclude on-target earnings, so these are base-pay figures.
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