Head of IT

💰 $165K–$209K salary range

Median: $191K  ·  Based on 54 public job postings  ·  Updated September 8, 2026

This Head of IT salary benchmark is built from public job postings at high-growth and AI-native companies — no private placement data. Figures reflect base salary and are refreshed as new postings are collected.

📊 Salary breakdown

Head of IT salary by location

• All locations: $191K median ($165K–$209K typical range)
• New York: $175K median, $143K–$193K range (-9% vs. national)
• Chicago: $191K median, $187K–$196K range (+0% vs. national)
• San Francisco: $346K median, $265K–$363K range (+81% vs. national)

Highest paying companies

New York

• Cohen & Steers Inc.: $164K median

Based on companies with 3+ active postings. Median of publicly advertised salary range.

What's typically included

• Health insurance: 67% of postings
• Equity (RSU/options): 43% of postings
• Flexible PTO: 46% of postings
• Parental leave: 20% of postings
• Learning/education budget: 33% of postings
• Visa sponsorship: 2% of postings

Typical experience required: 10–8 years.

IT salaries by seniority

• IT Engineer: $115K
• IT Manager: $150K
• Senior IT Engineer: $154K
• IT Lead: $163K
• Head of IT: $191K
• Staff IT Professional: $217K

What does a Head of IT do?

Head of ITs are IT professionals who run the systems, devices, and security the company depends on. This benchmark reflects Director-level base compensation at high-growth and AI-native companies.

Government wage data

For corroboration, U.S. Department of Labor certified wage filings (FY2026) show a median of $207K for Head of IT roles, ranging $191K–$213K, across 8 filings. This is reported separately from — never blended with — the job-posting median above.

Common questions

What is the average Head of IT salary at an AI startup?
The median pay is $191K, with a typical range of $165K–$209K, based on 54 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 54 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 September 8, 2026.

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