Head of Talent Acquisition

💰 $150K–$214K salary range

Median: $174K  ·  Based on 65 public job postings  ·  Updated July 1, 2026

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This leadership position spearheads the strategic acquisition of highly specialized AI engineering, research, and product talent critical for developing groundbreaking AI solutions within nascent and scaling high-growth companies. Salaries for this role typically range from $197K to $300K, with a median of $215K, derived from an analysis of 26 recent job postings. Professionals who command top pay demonstrate deep expertise in technical talent mapping for advanced machine learning, natural language processing, or large language models. Furthermore, proficiency in leveraging AI-powered candidate sourcing and analytics platforms, coupled with a proven track record in building high-performing AI teams from scratch, significantly increases earning potential. Strategic understanding of AI market compensation trends is also valued.

📊 Salary breakdown

Head of Talent Acquisition salary by location

• All locations: $174K median ($150K–$214K typical range)
• Seattle: $152K median, $142K–$155K range (-12% vs. national)
• San Francisco: $183K median, $172K–$203K range (+5% vs. national)
• New York: $154K median, $133K–$187K range (-12% vs. national)

Highest paying companies

Seattle

• Amazon: $150K median

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

What's typically included

• Health insurance: 72% of postings
• Equity (RSU/options): 72% of postings
• Flexible PTO: 49% of postings
• Parental leave: 26% of postings
• Learning/education budget: 9% of postings

Typical experience required: 8–8 years.

People salaries by seniority

• Technical Sourcer: $93K
• Technical Recruiter: $115K
• Recruiting Manager: $130K
• Senior Technical Recruiter: $149K
• Talent Lead: $164K
• Head of Talent Acquisition: $174K
• VP People / Head of HR: $201K

What does a Head of Talent Acquisition do?

Head of Talent Acquisitions are HR, recruiting, and people operations professionals who hire and grow teams. This benchmark reflects Staff-level base compensation at high-growth and AI-native companies.

Common questions

What is the average Head of Talent Acquisition salary at an AI startup?
The median pay is $174K, with a typical range of $150K–$214K, based on 65 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 65 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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