August 2026 data
API startup salary data
As of August 2026, the median API salary at startups is $120k across 10 verified Hacker News “Who is Hiring” listings.
Based on 10 verified API listings from Hacker News “Who is Hiring”. Sample size is shown so you know how much weight to give the number.
Market Signal (August 2026)
Top Hirers: Kombo leads hiring for API roles with 3 active posts, followed by Lithic.
🌍 Location & Remote Dynamics
Remote Premium: Remote API roles currently fetch a 41% salary premium (median $169,000) compared to onsite positions.
💡 Tech Stack Context
Common Stack: 30% of API jobs also require Artificial Intelligence, and 30% mention Hr Systems.
💰 Compensation Analysis
The median base salary for API developers is $120,000, with top-tier roles (P75) reaching $150,000.
API jobs
| COMPANY | ROLE | SALARY | VIBE | STACK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lithic | Engineering Manager | USD 169,000 - USD 265,000 |
[F] stable
|
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| Synapto | Payments | EUR 160,000 - EUR 240,000 ≈ $173k |
[E] grind
|
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| Hike Medical | Senior Software Engineer | USD 150,000 - USD 225,000 |
[F] grind
|
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| Channel3 | Founding Engineer | USD 120,000 - USD 200,000 |
[F] CRUNCH
|
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| Kombo | Engineer | USD 120,000 - USD 200,000 |
[E] CRUNCH
|
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| Kombo | Product-minded Engineers & SREs | USD 120,000 - USD 200,000 |
[E] CRUNCH
|
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| Kombo | Product-minded Engineers | USD 120,000 - USD 200,000 |
[E] CRUNCH
|
||
| V7 | AI Solutions Engineer / Forward Deployed Engineer | GBP 105,000 - GBP 125,000 ≈ $133k |
[E] CRUNCH
|
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| Tessellate | Full Stack Engineer | USD 100,000 - USD 130,000 |
[F] grind
|
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| Modash | Multiple roles | EUR 60,000 - EUR 100,000 ≈ $65k |
@HR stable
|