What a Forward Deployed Engineering (level IC2, Mid-level) is paid in 2026 in the highest-paying US markets.
Modeled estimate · Updated October 2026Median base salary, San Francisco Bay Area, New York, Seattle
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The shaded middle, the 25th to 75th percentile, is where most companies aim. Anything inside it is normal pay for this level and market.
Every market, the 10th to 90th percentiles, bonus, equity, and new hire grants, adjusted for your industry and company size.
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Check my payMedian base salary, top-tier markets.
| Title | Median base |
|---|---|
| Associate Forward Deployed EngineeringIC1 Associate / Entry | $119k |
| Forward Deployed EngineeringIC2 Mid-level | $164k |
| Senior Forward Deployed EngineeringIC3 Senior | $215k |
| Staff Forward Deployed EngineeringIC4 Staff | $263k |
| Senior Staff Forward Deployed EngineeringIC5 Senior Staff | $306k |
| Principal Forward Deployed EngineeringIC6 Principal | $355k |
| Distinguished Forward Deployed EngineeringIC7 Distinguished | $409k |
In the San Francisco Bay Area, New York, and Seattle, the modeled median base salary for a Forward Deployed Engineering is $163,500. The range most companies pay is free with an account, and pay in other cities, bonus, and equity are in the full range on Benchmarked.
Pay below the 25th percentile for your level and market is below what most companies target. Check your salary against this range to see your percentile, then use that number in a conversation with your manager.
They are modeled estimates built by compensation practitioners from publicly discussed pay and from how companies typically structure salary ranges by level and location. They are not survey results and not any company's actual ranges. Use them to get oriented before a pay conversation, not as an exact offer number.