That conversation captures the central tension of startup hiring geography in 2026: the jobs are spreading out, but the money isn't spreading evenly. Where you work — or where your employer thinks you work — still determines your compensation more than almost any other factor.

We mapped all 104,875 open startup jobs in our database by location. Here's what the map looks like.

The top 10 startup cities

1. New York City — 7,213 jobs, $190K median salary

New York has quietly overtaken San Francisco in raw job volume. Not in prestige, not in VC dollars, but in the sheer number of open positions at startups. The city's startup scene has diversified beyond fintech into health tech, media, e-commerce, and enterprise SaaS. The $190K median salary is strong but notably lower than SF — a reflection of the broader industry mix that includes more non-engineering roles.

2. San Francisco — 6,646 jobs, $240K median salary

SF still pays the most. The $240K median is $50K higher than New York and more than double London. But the job count has slipped below NYC's, and anecdotally, more SF-based startups are hiring remote or in satellite offices. SF is increasingly the place where the hardest technical problems live — AI research, infrastructure, developer tools — while the broader business functions migrate elsewhere.

3. London — 4,239 jobs, $115K median salary

London is the undisputed startup capital of Europe, with nearly as many jobs as SF. But the salary gap is stark: $115K median versus SF's $240K. Part of this is currency effects, part is the European market's different compensation norms, and part is the mix of roles (London has a higher proportion of ops and finance roles relative to engineering). For candidates, London offers volume and variety but not American-level pay.

4. Bangalore — 2,516 jobs

India's tech capital has surged into fourth place globally. The salary data is sparse (most Indian startups don't post compensation ranges), but the job volume tells the story: Bangalore alone has more startup jobs than Boston, Austin, or Toronto. The roles skew heavily toward engineering and data, reflecting India's position as a technical talent hub for global startups.

5. Los Angeles — 1,375 jobs, $145K median salary

LA's startup scene is real but niche. It's strong in entertainment tech, creator economy, consumer apps, and aerospace (SpaceX's gravitational pull). The $145K median is lower than other major US cities, partly because LA has more consumer and media startups that tend to pay less than enterprise SaaS.

6. Chicago — 1,244 jobs, $150K median salary

Chicago is the quiet overachiever. It doesn't get the press that SF or NYC does, but it has a solid base of B2B SaaS, fintech, and logistics startups. The $150K median salary is reasonable for the cost of living, and the competition for roles is significantly lower than coastal cities.

7. Austin — 1,217 jobs, $187K median salary

Austin's startup boom is real, and the salaries reflect it. At $187K median, Austin pays nearly as much as New York while costing significantly less to live in. The city has attracted a wave of startups and satellite offices from SF-based companies, particularly in crypto, developer tools, and enterprise software.

8. Toronto — 1,143 jobs, $145K median salary

Canada's largest startup hub benefits from strong universities, favorable immigration policies, and proximity to the US market. The $145K median (in USD) is competitive for Canada, though it's lower than comparable US cities. Toronto's strengths are in AI/ML (thanks to the University of Toronto's research ecosystem), fintech, and health tech.

9. Boston — 1,109 jobs, $175K median salary

Boston's startup scene is anchored by biotech, health tech, and robotics — industries where the proximity to MIT, Harvard, and the hospital ecosystem creates a genuine competitive advantage. The $175K median reflects the technical depth of the roles. If you're in life sciences or deep tech, Boston is arguably a better bet than SF.

10. Paris — 1,054 jobs, $88K median salary

Paris rounds out the top 10 with over a thousand startup jobs, driven by France's growing tech ecosystem and government support for startups. The $88K median salary is the lowest in the top 10, reflecting European compensation norms. But Paris has produced several unicorns in recent years, and the ecosystem is maturing rapidly.

The rising cities

Beyond the top 10, several cities are growing fast:

Singapore (904 jobs) is the gateway to Southeast Asian markets. Salary data is sparse, but the city's role as a regional HQ for global startups makes it a strategic location for business development, partnerships, and ops roles.

Mountain View (902 jobs, $241K median) is technically part of the SF Bay Area but worth calling out separately. The $241K median — the highest of any city — reflects the concentration of deep-tech and AI companies in the area. If you want maximum compensation, Mountain View is where the money is.

Seattle (694 jobs, $200K median) benefits from the Amazon and Microsoft alumni network. Many Seattle startups are founded by ex-FAANG engineers, and the salaries reflect that pedigree.

Berlin (697 jobs, $120K median) is Europe's second startup city, with a strong scene in fintech, mobility, and climate tech. Salaries are higher than Paris but still well below US levels.

São Paulo (728 jobs) is Latin America's startup capital, with a booming fintech and e-commerce ecosystem. Salary data is limited, but the volume signals growing opportunity.

The salary geography

The data reveals a clear hierarchy:

Tier 1 ($200K+ median): Mountain View, San Francisco, Seattle. These are the premium markets where technical talent commands top dollar.

Tier 2 ($175K-$200K median): New York, Austin, Remote (US), Boston, Washington DC. Strong salaries with somewhat lower cost of living (except NYC).

Tier 3 ($140K-$175K median): Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto, Atlanta, Dallas. Solid startup scenes with more moderate compensation.

Tier 4 ($80K-$140K median): London, Berlin, Paris, Sydney. International hubs where the startup ecosystem is strong but compensation follows local norms rather than US benchmarks.

The gap between Tier 1 and Tier 4 is roughly 3x. A senior engineer in Mountain View earns three times what a senior engineer in Paris earns. Whether that gap is justified by cost of living is debatable — but it's the reality of the current market.

If you're optimizing for total compensation, the answer is simple: target US-based companies, preferably in the Bay Area, and negotiate for remote or a high-cost-of-living adjustment.

If you're optimizing for quality of life, the calculus is different. A $150K salary in Chicago or Austin goes further than $240K in San Francisco. A $120K salary in Berlin comes with universal healthcare, 30 days of vacation, and a city where you can rent a two-bedroom apartment for what a parking spot costs in Manhattan.

If you're optimizing for career growth, go where the density is highest. New York and San Francisco have the most startups, which means the most opportunities to move between companies, build a network, and find the right fit. The optionality of being in a dense startup ecosystem compounds over a career.

And if you're outside the US entirely, the data suggests focusing on companies that hire globally at US-competitive rates — they exist, they're growing, and they're often the best employers in any local market because they have to be.

The startup job map in 2026 is more global than ever. But the salary map still has a very clear center of gravity. Know where you stand on it, and plan accordingly.