CRO salary benchmark: what will your next sales leader cost?
Choose the role, the market and your company. See the published 2026 pay range, and what the leaders worth hiring are actually paid.
A 15-minute call with an Executive Partner on your role, your market and what a winning offer looks like. No charge.
How much does a CRO earn in the UK?
Published 2026 data puts a London Chief Revenue Officer at £101k to £185k base and £180k to £380k in total pay, a median of about £300k. Those averages are dominated by smaller companies. In Selective Search’s recent senior CRO appointments, base salaries ran from £380k to £500k, with up to 50% variable, equity and a company bonus. A seven-figure total package is now the norm at that level.
How much does a CRO earn in the US?
US CRO base salaries typically run from $240k to $370k. On-target earnings rise with company size, from $400k to $550k at smaller companies to $700k and beyond $1m at enterprise scale. A first CRO at a venture-backed company typically receives 0.5% to 1.5% of fully diluted equity.
What does a VP Sales earn in 2026?
A London VP Sales earns £92k to £157k base, with total pay of around £190k and above £350k for VP EMEA roles at global software vendors. In the US, VP Sales base salaries run from $200k to $300k, with median on-target earnings of about $275k.
Why the published numbers mislead
The average CRO now lasts 1.8 years. The leaders who change a company’s trajectory are rarely on the market, and they are paid far above the averages. Setting the package from published data alone is the most common reason a board loses its preferred candidate at the offer stage. Read more in our guides to CRO recruitment and VP Sales recruitment.
Frequently asked questions
Is the benchmark free?
Yes. The tool is free to use, and a confidential benchmark call on a live role with an Executive Partner is free too.
Where does the data come from?
Published 2025 and 2026 pay data from Glassdoor, Henderson Scott, SalesCookie, Talentfoot, Hays, Salary.com and Built In, alongside Selective Search’s own senior appointments.
Does pay differ for private equity-backed companies?
Usually the base sits in the lower half of the range, with more weight on variable pay and equity linked to the investment case.
Indicative ranges only; every package depends on the role, the company and the candidate. Sources: Glassdoor London and Dubai (2025–26), Henderson Scott Technology Salary Guide 2026, SalesCookie State of B2B Sales Compensation 2026, Talentfoot 2026, Hays GCC Salary Guide 2025, Salary.com and Built In via Kore1 (2026), Pave via SaaStr (2025).