VP Finance / CFO

💰 $175K–$235K salary range

Median: $205K  ·  Based on 403 public job postings  ·  Updated July 1, 2026

📊 Salary breakdown

VP Finance / CFO salary by location

• All locations: $205K median ($175K–$235K typical range)
• New York: $209K median, $175K–$236K range (+2% vs. national)
• San Francisco: $237K median, $222K–$276K range (+16% vs. national)
• Remote: $210K median, $175K–$225K range (+2% vs. national)
• Boston: $215K median, $175K–$249K range (+5% vs. national)
• Chicago: $203K median, $170K–$205K range (-1% vs. national)
• Dallas: $193K median, $188K–$193K range (-6% vs. national)
• Los Angeles: $190K median, $183K–$210K range (-7% vs. national)
• Atlanta: $188K median, $165K–$188K range (-8% vs. national)

Highest paying companies

San Francisco

• Anthropic: $304K median
• OpenAI: $281K median
• Airwallex: $220K median

New York

• Legora (formerly Leya): $252K median
• NBCUniversal: $235K median
• Fireblocks: $212K median
• Aon: $195K median
• Kroll Bond Rating Agency: $140K median
• City of New York: $117K 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): 69% of postings
• Flexible PTO: 52% of postings
• Parental leave: 26% of postings
• Learning/education budget: 22% of postings
• Visa sponsorship: 2% of postings

Typical experience required: 9–11 years.

Finance salaries by seniority

• Director of Finance: $100K
• Financial Analyst: $120K
• Senior Financial Analyst: $123K
• Finance Manager: $130K
• FP&A Manager: $131K
• Finance Lead: $175K
• VP Finance / CFO: $205K

What does a VP Finance / CFO do?

VP Finance / CFOs are finance and accounting professionals who own planning, reporting, and controls. This benchmark reflects Director-level base compensation at high-growth and AI-native companies.

Common questions

What is the average VP Finance / CFO salary at an AI startup?
The median pay is $205K, with a typical range of $175K–$235K, based on 403 public job postings collected in 2025–2026.

How does VP Finance / CFO pay compare in San Francisco vs. remote?
San Francisco roles pay a median of $237K, while fully-remote roles pay $210K.

What is the VP Finance / CFO salary in New York?
New York VP Finance / CFOs at AI-native startups earn a median of $209K, with a typical range of $175K–$236K (25th–75th percentile). That's 2% above the $205K US national median. 12% below San Francisco's $237K. Based on 75 qualifying postings, 2025–2026.

What is the VP Finance / CFO salary in San Francisco?
San Francisco VP Finance / CFOs at AI-native startups earn a median of $237K, with a typical range of $222K–$276K (25th–75th percentile). That's 16% above the $205K US national median. Based on 52 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 403 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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