New York Tech Salary Guide 2026

These are wide ranges for a reason: the right number depends on your funding stage, how the business is doing and how urgently you’re hiring. We place strong people across the whole band, not just at the top.

New York tech salaries in 2026

New York is the highest-paying market of the four we serve. Compensation is quoted in US dollars, and total comp, base plus bonus plus equity, runs well above European levels. The figures below are indicative base salaries; at funded companies, equity and bonus frequently add a substantial amount on top. For specialist and leadership mandates, AI, payments, security, staff-plus and executive searches, we regularly place above these ranges: treat them as the market’s centre of gravity, not its ceiling.

What moves a New York offer

Total comp, not just base. Equity is often the deciding factor, especially against the city’s largest tech employers. Strong candidates compare offers on total comp and refresh grants.
Domain. Fintech and AI pay at the very top of the range; media and B2B SaaS sit a little below.
Competition. The best engineers routinely hold multiple offers, so speed and a compelling story matter as much as the number.

Building a US team from Europe

For European scale-ups making their first New York hires, the gap between UK/EU and US compensation is the single biggest surprise. We help you set realistic budgets, structure equity sensibly and avoid losing candidates late in the process.

How we benchmark these figures

These ranges come from the New York roles we work on and the offers we see candidates weigh up. They reflect base salary for permanent roles at funded startups and scale-ups; at this end of the market, equity and bonus frequently add a substantial amount on top, so always compare offers on total compensation. The right number for a specific role depends on scope, funding stage and how many competing offers a candidate is holding. We’re happy to benchmark a live role against the market for you at no cost.

Hiring or job-hunting in New York?

We can benchmark a role against the live New York market and meet you at our WeWork space in the city. Explore tech recruitment in New York or talk to us.