Head of Strategy & Operations

💰 $164K–$213K salary range

Median: $187K  ·  Based on 210 public job postings  ·  Updated September 8, 2026

This Head of Strategy & Operations 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 Strategy & Operations salary by location

• All locations: $187K median ($164K–$213K typical range)
• New York: $180K median, $148K–$213K range (-4% vs. national)
• San Francisco: $175K median, $170K–$211K range (-6% vs. national)
• Seattle: $214K median, $184K–$218K range (+14% vs. national)
• Los Angeles: $188K median, $188K–$188K range (+0% vs. national)
• Chicago: $201K median, $193K–$204K range (+8% vs. national)
• Boston: $219K median, $211K–$222K range (+17% vs. national)

Highest paying companies

New York

• EliseAI: $213K median
• Amazon: $198K median
• VIA: $148K median

Seattle

• Coupang: $174K median

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

What's typically included

• Health insurance: 80% of postings
• Equity (RSU/options): 80% of postings
• Flexible PTO: 57% of postings
• Parental leave: 29% of postings
• Learning/education budget: 11% of postings
• Visa sponsorship: 2% of postings

Typical experience required: 7–9 years.

Operations salaries by seniority

• Business Operations Analyst: $100K
• Revenue Operations Manager: $125K
• Business Operations Manager: $125K
• Senior BizOps Manager: $147K
• Operations Lead: $163K
• Head of Strategy & Operations: $187K
• VP Operations: $200K

What does a Head of Strategy & Operations do?

Head of Strategy & Operationss are operators who keep the company running and scaling. 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 (FY2026) show a median of $220K for Head of Strategy & Operations roles, ranging $190K–$253K, across 37 filings. This is reported separately from — never blended with — the job-posting median above.

Common questions

What is the average Head of Strategy & Operations salary at an AI startup?
The median pay is $187K, with a typical range of $164K–$213K, based on 210 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 210 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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