Base Salary

Our 2026 data shows that base salaries for members - primarily based in the UK, US, Germany, and other high-income nations - now average £111k per year. This represents a 3% increase from our 2025 result and a significant 33% rise since our inaugural survey in 2022. Different from our 2025 survey, the most common salary reported is now over £125k. As expected, company maturity plays a leading role in these figures: Chiefs of Staff at later-stage firms (Private Equity or Public) earn the highest average at £154k (£121k in 2025) (see figure 1).

BONUSES

Variable pay has also seen a shift since we first did the survey in 2022. Bonuses are no longer an "added extra" but a core component of the total reward, with 57% of members now receiving an annual bonus - up from just 27% four years ago. These are most common at the Head of Ops and VP/C-suite levels, with the average payout sitting at 16% of base salary.

EQUITY STAKES

The most striking evolution in 2026 is the surge in equity participation amongst Chiefs of Staff. A record 77% of Chiefs of Staff now hold equity stakes, a sharp increase from the c. 55% reported in 2024 and 2025. While typical stakes range from 0.3% to 1.2%, we have seen individual holdings reach as high as 5%, with some early-stage outliers at 25%. The complexity of these packages is also increasing; members report a sophisticated mix of EMI schemes, RSUs, and growth shares, with valuations often benchmarked at 1.5x to 3x base salary.

ABOUT Our members

Our members are composed primarily of experienced professionals, with 55% identifying as Senior Chiefs of Staff (VP/C-level) and 39% as Mid-level (Head of Ops/Chief of Staff). Only 5% represent more junior roles, such as Founders Associates. We see a strong lean toward established environments, with 30% of our members working in later-stage companies (PE, Public) and 29% in Series A firms.

ABOUT THIS SURVEY

The 2026 CoSC Salary Survey was conducted from January 12 to February 12, 2026. This anonymous online study achieved a 6% response rate from 56 members, providing a focused look at current compensation trends.

Since our launch in 2022, we have been committed to answering our members' demand for greater salary transparency. We now conduct this benchmarking annually to ensure that our community of 900+ Chiefs of Staff has access to the most up-to-date and accurate data for their career negotiations.

If you are a Chief of Staff but not yet a part of CoSC, please join for more insights and to connect with other CoS!