Dataset: Private Company | Financing: Under $90M Raised | Percentiles: Median & 75th

Using Thelander’s interactive regional compensation maps (available on the Thelander Platform), we examined how CEO and Software Engineer cash compensation holds up — or doesn’t — across geographies for private companies with under $90M in total financing. The results challenge one of the most persistent assumptions in comp strategy: that where someone lives should anchor what they’re paid.

Finding 01 — Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

• Boston leads all regions at both the median and 75th percentile in total CEO cash compensation.
• The three West Coast hubs — Northwest, Northern CA, and Southern CA — cluster tightly between $308K and $312.5K at the median, despite significant differences in cost of living across those markets.
• Europe and the UK sit roughly $40K apart at the median but converge at the 75th percentile — suggesting the highest-paid CEOs in both regions are drawing similar packages regardless of geography.

Finding 02 — Software Engineer (SWE)

• The Southwest tops both percentiles for Software Engineer cash compensation, followed closely by the Mid-Atlantic.
• Perhaps the most striking finding: Boston, Northern California, and the Southeast land in a near-identical band at the median — hovering around $135,000 — despite vastly different costs of living.
• The Midwest sits at the bottom of the regional range, with a gap that persists across both percentiles.

What’s the Bottom Line?

Stop anchoring to zip codes. Start anchoring to capital.

Region is not a reliable filter when benchmarking private company compensation. It matters for some roles — but clearly not all. What the data consistently shows is that companies pay for talent regardless of location. Thelander recommends filtering by total financing raised as the primary variable. This single data point gives companies the most consistent signal on the mix of cash and equity relative to real-time market benchmarks. Revenue is also a meaningful filter if available.

See how your current compensation compares to market by completing the Thelander Private Company Compensation Survey. Unlock real-time comp data for every role you submit — at no cost.