Customer success leadership is on the rise, and roles like Director of Customer Success are pivotal in shaping company retention strategies, expansion efforts, and customer-centric growth. With demand climbing globally, so too are the compensation packages for this highly strategic position.

In 2024, before tax and excluding bonuses or stock, the global median baseline salary for a Director of Customer Success is $143,500.

This figure, while impressive, doesn’t tell the whole story. Salaries for Directors of Customer Success roles vary significantly depending on where you live, your experience, your company’s size and maturity, and even your gender.

Let’s unearth the key factors influencing a Director of Customer Success's salary. We’ll examine how it’s shaped by:

  • Geography
  • Gender
  • Experience
  • Regional and company context

How much does a Director of Customer Success earn in the United States?

The United States is home to a large concentration of Director-level CS roles. From coast to coast, salary variations tell a deeper story about local industries, cost of living, and hiring competition.

In the U.S., the median baseline salary for a Director of Customer Success is $143,500, matching the global median exactly. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll find some key regional differences.

US regional salary breakdown

The South and West tend to offer the most competitive salaries, while the Midwest lags behind the national median. These gaps may be driven by local company size, cost-of-living adjustments, or talent market saturation.

Director of Customer Success US regional salary breakdown
Source: Customer Success Salary Report 2024
US Region Median Director salary % Difference from global median Δ % Difference from US median Δ
Midwest $120,000 -16.4% -18.6%
Northeast $185,000 +28.9% +25.4%
South $145,000 +1.0% -1.7%
West $197,500 +37.6% +33.9%

Regional insights:

  • The West leads with the highest median salary at $197,500, 37.6% above the global median and 33.9% above the U.S. average. This aligns with the tech-heavy concentration in states like California and Utah.
  • The Northeast follows at $185,000 (+28.9% globally), likely reflecting established SaaS and enterprise markets in Boston and New York.
  • The South comes in near the U.S. median at $145,000, a modest 1% premium.
  • The Midwest lags behind at $120,000, suggesting lower budget thresholds or fewer high-scale CS orgs in that region.

These differences highlight how market maturity, talent competition, and cost-of-living dynamics influence director compensation across the U.S.

Is there a gender pay gap among Directors of Customer Success?

Yes – and it’s substantial. In 2024, the gender pay gap at the Director of CS level stands at 26.4%.

Despite growing advocacy for pay equity, gaps remain, especially at leadership levels.

Gender Median Director salary
Man$178,000
Woman$131,000

This discrepancy underscores persistent inequities in leadership compensation. The causes may include:

  • Underrepresentation of women in higher-paying industries or companies
  • Disparities in access to promotions
  • Differences in negotiation outcomes

This gap is larger than what’s typically reported for Customer Success Managers, which suggests the gap widens at senior levels.

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NB: Due to low sample sizes, we haven’t included data for non-binary, transgender, or “prefer not to say” respondents.

What is the pay progression like for Directors of Customer Success?

Interestingly, the progression isn’t strictly linear. While one might expect experience to correlate with higher pay, the data reveals a more nuanced story:

Experience level Median Director salary
1–3 years$141,000
4–5 years$115,412
5–9 years$167,500
10+ years$141,000

Key observations:

  • Early-career Directors (1–3 years) are already earning near the median, suggesting accelerated promotion from high-growth companies or previous leadership roles in adjacent departments.
  • 4–5 year Directors surprisingly report a dip in median pay, potentially due to role inflation in smaller companies where titles are granted earlier.
  • 5–9 years marks the peak at $167,500, often correlating with directors who lead scaled teams and own P&L responsibilities.
  • 10+ years see a dip to $141,000. This could reflect career progression beyond the Director title (e.g., into VP or CCO roles), or seasoned professionals taking on director titles in less competitive markets or smaller companies.

In short, pay peaks around the 5–9 year mark for most directors, then either plateaus or shifts into different compensation structures.

Levels of experience between customer success job titles
Source: Customer Success Salary Report 2024

Why Director-level customer success salaries matter

Director-level roles are a keystone in the customer success hierarchy. These leaders not only manage teams but also set the strategic tone for customer engagement and retention across the company. Their salaries reflect the scale and impact of their responsibilities.

For professionals seeking to ascend into these roles or for companies benchmarking their compensation practices, understanding these dynamics is critical to making informed career and recruitment decisions.

Continue your financial investigation

The insights provided here are just the tip of the iceberg. If you want to explore how salaries differ for VPs, Heads of Customer Success, or other related roles, or if you’re considering international moves or benchmarking your own compensation, be sure to download the complete Customer Success Salary Report 2024 for even deeper insights into this rapidly evolving field.