VP Data

💰 $200K–$292K salary range

Median: $240K  ·  Based on 60 public job postings  ·  Updated June 10, 2026

This VP Data 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

VP Data salary by location

• All locations: $240K median
• San Francisco: $250K median (+4% vs. national)

Data salaries by seniority

• Data Analyst: $135K
• Data Engineer: $170K
• Data Engineering Manager: $179K
• Data Team Lead: $185K
• Senior Data Engineer: $200K
• Staff Data Engineer: $230K
• VP Data: $240K
• Platform Engineer: $250K

What does a VP Data do?

VP Datas are data professionals who build the pipelines, models, and analytics the business runs 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 $235K for VP Data roles, ranging $195K–$261K, across 29 filings. This is reported separately from — never blended with — the job-posting median above.

Common questions

What is the average VP Data salary at an AI startup?
The median base salary is $240K, with a typical range of $200K–$292K, based on 60 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 USD base salary aggregated from 60 public job postings (2025–2026). The range shown is the 25th–75th percentile; the median is the 50th percentile. Roles require at least 15 postings to be published. Last refreshed June 10, 2026.

Hiring VP Datas? RFS recruiters specialize in Data placements at AI-native and high-growth startups. Talk to an RFS recruiter →

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