Tech Lead

💰 $165K–$225K salary range

Median: $193K  ·  Based on 533 public job postings  ·  Updated August 30, 2026

---

Leading engineering teams at high-growth companies, this individual bridges deep technical expertise with strategic execution, ensuring the robust development and deployment of machine learning models and AI-powered products. Analysis of 107 recent job postings reveals a typical salary range of $170,000 to $253,000, with a median compensation of $210,000. Candidates who command top-tier compensation often demonstrate advanced proficiency in MLOps, distributed systems architecture for AI, and deep learning framework optimization (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow). Their leadership is critical for scaling AI solutions from research to production, driving innovation and product maturity within rapidly evolving environments.

📊 Salary breakdown

Tech Lead salary by location

• All locations: $193K median ($165K–$225K typical range)
• San Francisco: $225K median, $200K–$263K range (+17% vs. national)
• New York: $214K median, $190K–$249K range (+11% vs. national)
• Los Angeles: $180K median, $170K–$207K range (-7% vs. national)
• Seattle: $221K median, $140K–$226K range (+15% vs. national)
• Boston: $191K median, $161K–$248K range (-1% vs. national)
• San Diego: $220K median, $171K–$233K range (+14% vs. national)
• Austin: $208K median, $174K–$224K range (+8% vs. national)
• Denver: $233K median, $203K–$233K range (+20% vs. national)

Highest paying companies

San Francisco

• Sabi: $350K median
• HP IQ: $225K median
• Clera: $125K median

New York

• Celonis: $179K median

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

What's typically included

• Health insurance: 74% of postings
• Equity (RSU/options): 67% of postings
• Flexible PTO: 53% of postings
• Parental leave: 25% of postings
• Learning/education budget: 10% of postings
• Visa sponsorship: 5% of postings

Typical experience required: 7–10 years.

Engineering salaries by seniority

• Junior Software Engineer: $98K
• Software Engineer: $155K
• Embedded Systems Engineer: $169K
• Data Infrastructure Engineer: $170K
• Deployment Strategist: $170K
• Engineering Manager: $177K
• Senior Embedded Engineer: $180K
• Senior Hardware Engineer: $183K
• Senior Software Engineer: $183K
• Senior Infrastructure Engineer: $191K
• Tech Lead: $193K
• Founding Engineer: $195K
• Senior Platform Engineer: $198K
• Infrastructure Engineer: $199K
• Founding PM: $200K
• Platform Engineer: $207K
• ASIC / Chip Design Engineer: $215K
• Staff Software Engineer: $225K
• Director of Engineering: $245K

What does a Tech Lead do?

Tech Leads are engineers who design, build, and operate the core software systems. This benchmark reflects Lead-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 $159K for Tech Lead roles, ranging $139K–$185K, across 1,607 filings. This is reported separately from — never blended with — the job-posting median above.

Common questions

What is the average Tech Lead salary at an AI startup?
The median pay is $193K, with a typical range of $165K–$225K, based on 533 public job postings collected in 2025–2026.

What is the Tech Lead salary in San Francisco?
San Francisco Tech Leads at AI-native startups earn a median of $225K, with a typical range of $200K–$263K (25th–75th percentile). That's 17% above the $193K US national median. Based on 72 qualifying postings, 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 533 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.

Hiring Tech Leads? RFS recruiters specialize in Engineering placements at AI-native and high-growth startups. Talk to an RFS recruiter →

Are you a Tech Lead? See open Tech Lead roles →