Director of Finance

💰 $80K–$143K salary range

Median: $90K  ·  Based on 90 public job postings  ·  Updated August 30, 2026

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This pivotal role orchestrates financial strategy and operational execution, uniquely tailored to navigate the complex cost structures, revenue recognition, and rapid scaling inherent in AI model development and deployment. Professionals in this capacity are vital for translating technological innovation into sustainable financial growth, managing critical capital allocation for compute, data, and specialized talent. Data indicates compensation for this position falls within a range of $94K–$192K, with a median salary of $140K, based on analysis of 24 recent job postings. Top remuneration is typically commanded by candidates demonstrating robust financial modeling for R&D-intensive environments, proficiency in sophisticated SaaS/usage-based revenue recognition, and expert cost accounting for large-scale compute infrastructure.

📊 Salary breakdown

Director of Finance salary by location

• All locations: $90K median ($80K–$143K typical range)
• New York: $98K median, $86K–$174K range (+8% vs. national)
• San Francisco: $173K median, $100K–$206K range (+92% vs. national)
• Chicago: $98K median, $98K–$99K range (+9% vs. national)
• Los Angeles: $90K median, $81K–$103K range (+0% vs. national)
• Boston: $105K median, $90K–$151K range (+17% vs. national)

What's typically included

• Health insurance: 67% of postings
• Equity (RSU/options): 43% of postings
• Flexible PTO: 61% of postings
• Parental leave: 34% of postings
• Learning/education budget: 17% of postings
• Visa sponsorship: 4% of postings

Typical experience required: 4–5 years.

Finance salaries by seniority

• Director of Finance: $90K
• Financial Analyst: $114K
• Senior Financial Analyst: $118K
• FP&A Manager: $135K
• Finance Manager: $139K
• Finance Lead: $172K
• VP Finance / CFO: $205K

What does a Director of Finance do?

Director of Finances are finance and accounting professionals who own planning, reporting, and controls. This benchmark reflects Staff-level base compensation at high-growth and AI-native companies.

Government wage data

For corroboration, U.S. Department of Labor certified wage filings (FY2025) show a median of $155K for Director of Finance roles, ranging $147K–$175K, across 15 filings. This is reported separately from — never blended with — the job-posting median above.

Common questions

What is the average Director of Finance salary at an AI startup?
The median pay is $90K, with a typical range of $80K–$143K, based on 90 public job postings collected in 2025–2026.

Where does this salary data come from?
It is aggregated from public job postings on company career pages — no private placement or client data. We require a minimum of 15 postings per role.

Methodology

Figures are the midpoint of each posting's advertised USD salary range, aggregated from 90 public job postings (2025–2026). The range shown is the 25th–75th percentile; the median is the 50th percentile. Equity is separate and not included; where a posting's range reflects on-target earnings (OTE) for commission roles, that is included in the midpoint. Roles require at least 15 postings to be published. Last refreshed August 30, 2026.

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