Head of IT

💰 $165K–$222K salary range

Median: $200K  ·  Based on 48 public job postings  ·  Updated July 1, 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: $200K median ($165K–$222K typical range)
• New York: $171K median, $148K–$192K range (-14% vs. national)
• San Francisco: $194K median, $165K–$257K range (-3% vs. national)

Highest paying companies

New York

• Cohen & Steers Inc.: $135K median
• City of New York: $119K median

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

What's typically included

• Health insurance: 63% of postings
• Equity (RSU/options): 38% of postings
• Flexible PTO: 44% of postings
• Parental leave: 8% of postings
• Learning/education budget: 19% of postings

Typical experience required: 9–10 years.

IT salaries by seniority

• IT Engineer: $119K
• IT Manager: $144K
• Senior IT Engineer: $153K
• IT Lead: $165K
• Head of IT: $200K
• Staff IT Professional: $213K

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.

Common questions

What is the average Head of IT salary at an AI startup?
The median pay is $200K, with a typical range of $165K–$222K, based on 48 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 48 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 July 1, 2026.

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