Forward Deployed Engineer Salary at Startups
What startups pay forward deployed engineers, from the pay their live postings state: base salary as the employer writes it, on roles still taking applications.
59 of 218 live roles state payChecked dailyUpdated
Median base pay
$188Ka year
The median of 53 live forward deployed engineer postings that state pay in US dollars, as of October 2026. Each posting counts at the middle of its range.
- Middle half of postings
- $163K–$215K
- One in ten pays over
- $244K
- A typical posted range
- $170K–$220K
- Under $120K: 3 postings
- $120K–$140K: 3 postings
- $140K–$160K: 6 postings
- $160K–$180K: 7 postings
- $180K–$200K: 10 postings
- $200K–$220K: 12 postings
- $220K–$240K: 5 postings
- $240K–$260K: 4 postings
- $260K–$280K: 1 posting
- $280K and up: 2 postings
By level
As the title states it: "Senior", "Staff" and so on. Mid-level is a title with no level in it.
MedianMiddle half10th to 90th percentile
- Mid-level$188K$162K–$209K · 37 postings
- Senior$209K$188K–$216K · 9 postings
By city
Each in the currency its postings use. Pounds, euros and Canadian dollars aren't converted.
MedianMiddle half10th to 90th percentile
- Remote$205K$188K–$216K · 21 postings
- San Francisco$205K$194K–$248K · 12 postings
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Common questions
How much does a forward deployed engineer make at a startup?
As of October 2026, the median base pay startups advertise for forward deployed engineers is $188K a year, across 53 live postings that state it in US dollars. The middle half of those postings pay between $163K and $215K, and one in ten pays over $244K.
How much does a senior forward deployed engineer make at a startup?
Postings with "senior" in the title have a median of $209K a year, across 9 of them, against $188K for titles that state no level. The middle half pay $188K–$216K.
Where do forward deployed engineers earn the most?
Remote roles, with a median of $205K a year across 21 postings.
Does a forward deployed engineer at a startup get equity?
Often, though few postings say how much: 39% of the 205 forward deployed engineer postings we've read mention equity. The figures on this page are base pay only.
Where do these figures come from?
From the postings themselves: the pay range each employer states, on roles still taking applications, which we check against the company's own careers page every day. Each posting counts once, at the middle of its range. Postings that don't state pay, and pay in other currencies, are left out of the main figures.