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Updated through 2024NTEE W · Public & Societal Benefit

Public & Societal Benefit nonprofitCFO salaries

Based on 365 organizations from 2021 – 2024. Each org counted once at its most recent filing. Sourced directly from IRS Form 990, Schedule J.

Median total compensation
$129,835
The median public & societal benefit cfo earns $129,835 in total reported compensation.
Median across all 365 public & societal benefit nonprofits filing a Form 990, from the smallest to the largest
25th pct
$38k
75th pct
$237k
90th pct
$396k
365 organizations · 2021 – 2024
Percentile distribution

Where the middle 50% lands.

Half earn between $38k and $237k. That band is the interquartile range. The 90th percentile sits at $396k, roughly 3.1 times the median. That upper tail is where the largest organizations cluster.

PercentileTotal compMeans
90th$396,272Top 10% of earners
75th$236,78525% earn more than this
50th · median$129,835The typical executive
25th$38,44825% earn less than this
10th$9,08510% of executives earn less than this
How pay is structured

How the package is built.

The typical pay structure across 155 organizations with full Schedule J reporting (43% of the 365 orgs in this slice). Each share is the average across orgs of the fraction of total comp that goes to this component, so the bar fills 100%.

$255,060
typical total · 2024
Median total compensation in the subset. The dollar amounts below show what each share works out to on a package this size.
77%
Base salary
77.2% of total
$196,906
Bonus & incentive
6.8% of total
$17,344
Retirement & deferred
5.8% of total
$14,793
Benefits
6.5% of total
$16,579
Other reportable
1.8% of total
$4,591
Shares are averaged across organizations, so they sum to ~100%. Dollar amounts are illustrative (share% of typical total) and don't reflect any specific org.
How this compares

The number in context.

Every row links to its own dedicated benchmark page.

All figures are median total reported compensation · IRS Form 990, Schedule J

Geography

Pay varies by state.

District of Columbia pays $17,589 more than the median CFO compensation in public & societal benefit nationally.

Top 10 states · Public & Societal Benefit CFO median
01
District of Columbia
40 orgs
$147,424
02
California
49 orgs
$145,359
Top-paying organizations

The ten highest-paid public & societal benefit CFOs by filing.

#OrganizationLocationTotal compensationFiling year
01Potlach No 1 Financial Credit UnionLewiston, ID$1,349,8392023
02Midcontinent Independent System Operator IncCarmel, IN$1,288,6472024
03Electric Power Research Institute IncPalo Alto, CA$1,232,9112023
04California Independent System Operator CorporationFolsom, CA$929,0472023
05Ulse IncEvanston, IL$789,6752023
06Veridian Credit UnionWaterloo, IA$724,1312024
07Alliant Credit UnionChicago, IL$704,0772023
08Cis Conference IncSherman, TX$670,8732023
09American National Standards InstituteNew York, NY$666,5272024
10National Association Of Corporate DirectorsArlington, VA$661,9502024

Total includes base, bonus, other reportable, and deferred/retirement compensation per Schedule J.

Compare your organization

What does a $X org pay?

Adjust the slider to your organization's revenue. The median CFO compensation for public & societal benefit nonprofits in that revenue band updates live.

Your organization's revenue
~$6M
annual revenue
$0$10M$100M$1B+
Median CFO comp · $1M – $10M
$119,358
128 organizations in this band
Percentile range for your band
25th percentile$69,228
50th percentile$119,358
75th percentile$176,650
Questions

{sector} {role} pay, answered

How much does a Public & Societal Benefit nonprofit CFO make?
The median total compensation for a CFO at a public & societal benefit nonprofit is $129,835, based on 365 organizations in IRS Form 990 filings. The middle 50% fall between $38,448 and $236,785.
What is the salary range for a CFO in Public & Societal Benefit nonprofits?
Pay ranges from $38,448 at the 25th percentile to $236,785 at the 75th and $396,272 at the 90th. The spread reflects differences in organization size, budget, and region within the sector.
Is this Public & Societal Benefit compensation data reliable?
Yes. It comes from IRS Form 990 filings, legal documents filed under penalty of perjury, not self-reported surveys. Figures cover 365 public & societal benefit nonprofits reporting a CFO.
Why does Public & Societal Benefit nonprofit CFO pay differ from other sectors?
Compensation reflects the typical organization size, revenue, and operating complexity of each sector. Larger, better-funded public & societal benefit organizations pull the upper percentiles higher, while smaller ones anchor the lower end.