THELANDER RESEARCH · 2026
Published October 13, 2026 · J. Thelander Consulting
Built on real-time data from 2,000+ participants in the Thelander Private Company Compensation Survey, this inaugural report finds private biotech companies are paying more while getting more selective about who gets paid.
✓ Executive and staff-level benchmarks
✓ Trends by financing level and U.S. region
✓ A closer look at the market from 2024 to 2026
Thelander Research
PDF report · 29 pages
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A first look at the findings
Salary, bonus, and equity trends tell different parts of the story. Here is what changed for executives and staff.
BASE SALARY
Median base salaries increased 9% for executives and 5.6% for staff since 2024.
BONUS AMOUNTS
Median bonus amounts rose 22% for staff and 11% for executives since 2024, among recipients.
BONUS PARTICIPATION
45.4% of executives and 32.9% of staff reported bonuses in 2026, both down from 2025.
EQUITY PARTICIPATION
80.8% of executives and 57.0% of staff reported equity in 2026, up from 69.8% and 42.4% in 2024.
Letter from the CEO
p. 3
Executive Summary and Market Update
p. 4
Base Salary
p. 5
Bonuses
p. 7
Total Cash
p. 13
Founder and Non-Founder Equity
p. 14
Compensation Planning
p. 18
Regional Compensation Data
p. 22
About J. Thelander Consulting
p. 26
A look inside
Six compensation perspectives to help you understand the market, structure offers, and plan for what comes next.
Inside the report / 01
See how executive and staff salaries have shifted from 2024 to 2026, including median and 75th-percentile comparisons.
EXECUTIVES & STAFF · YEAR-OVER-YEAR TRENDS
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KEY FINDINGS
Executives earn a median base salary of $300,000 and staff earn $132,000 in 2026. Median total cash is $325,000 for executives and $136,714 for staff.
Among recipients, the median actual bonus is $75,000 for executives (24.79% of base) and $15,000 for staff. Median target bonuses are $94,500 for executives (30% of base) and $17,503 for staff.
Founders hold a median 10% of fully diluted shares, up from 9% in 2024. Non-founder executives hold a median 1.00%, and staff hold 0.065%.
Median executive total cash ranges from $245,000 at companies with under $15M in total financing to $400,000 at $50–89.9M, and $380,000 at $90M+. Median founder equity declines from 25% under $15M to 3.5% at $90M+.
Boston ($375,000) and the Southwest ($372,330) lead median executive total cash; the Midwest ($265,590) and Mid-Atlantic ($277,500) are lower. For staff, the Southwest ($168,500) and Boston ($161,534) lead.
Before you download
Actual bonus is the most recent bonus an employee received. Target bonus is a projected annual bonus set in advance and is not guaranteed.
The Thelander Private Company Compensation Survey is open year-round and collects data directly from companies. This report covers U.S.-headquartered private biotech companies from 2024 to 2026.
Participate in the no-cost Private Company Compensation Survey to unlock a Thelander Platform trial with data for every title you submit. All data is published in aggregate, with no individual or company names reported.
Yes. This PDF report is complimentary. More detailed compensation data is available through Gold, Platinum, and Diamond platform subscriptions, with access varying by tier. Survey participants receive discounted pricing.
Sign in to the Thelander Platform and open PC Reports. The 2026 U.S. Private Biotech Compensation Report is available there.
Your next compensation decision starts here
Get the complimentary 2026 report, then explore deeper role-level benchmarks through the Thelander Platform.
