What does a nonprofit CIO do?
A chief information officer is the senior leader for an organization's technology: its systems, data, security and the staff who support them. The title is most common at larger nonprofits such as hospitals, universities and national groups, where technology is a major operation. This page also covers closely related titles such as IT Director and Director of Information Technology.
These figures come from the pay each organization most recently reported to the IRS on its annual return, which tax-exempt organizations sign under penalty of perjury. Each organization counts once, using its latest reported pay. Nothing here is modeled, estimated, or projected.
Why nonprofit CIO pay varies
Organization size explains most of the difference. A CIO at a small community nonprofit and one at a large health system or university do very different jobs, and their pay differs accordingly. In this data, the median CIO at a nonprofit with revenue under $1M earns $30k, while at nonprofits with revenue over $1B the median rises to $537k.
Sector and location come next. Hospitals, universities, and national foundations tend to pay more than community nonprofits of similar headcount, and high cost-of-living metros pay more than rural areas. The state, size, and sector breakdowns on this page show the numbers for each. Among states with enough organizations to compare, Kansas reports the highest median nonprofit CIO pay at $229,500.
How does CIO pay scale with org size?
Median pay by nonprofit annual revenue. The shaded area shows the 25th to 75th percentile for CIOs, and the dashed lines show the other roles charted for comparison. Hover for details.
How does CIO pay compare to other roles?
Median pay for related nonprofit roles.
Where are nonprofit CIO positions concentrated?
Cities with the most nonprofits that pay a CIO.
CIO Pay by State
States with the highest median pay for nonprofit CIOs.
CIO Pay by Organization Size
Median CIO pay at nonprofits grouped by annual revenue.
CIO Pay by Sector
Median CIO pay across nonprofit sectors with enough organizations to compare.
Compare CIO pay
Enter a CIO pay package to see how it ranks against other nonprofit CIOs nationally. We will also email you a detailed breakdown and set up a free account.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a nonprofit CIO make?
- The median pay for a nonprofit CIO is $176,634, based on 3,402 organizations nationwide. The middle half earn between $127,679 and $271,108, and the best-paid one in ten make $454,732 or more. Every number here is total pay: salary plus bonus and other reportable pay, not base salary alone.
- How does nonprofit CIO pay change with organization size?
- Pay rises with the size of the organization. At nonprofits with revenue under $1M, the median is $30,000. At nonprofits with revenue over $1B, it is $536,720.
- Why does organization budget matter so much for CIO pay?
- Larger nonprofits handle more complex finances, larger teams, and greater regulatory requirements, so the same role is a bigger job at a large organization. A CIO at a large health system or university has a fundamentally different job than one at a small community nonprofit. Reported pay reflects this: it scales with organizational complexity, not just revenue. Geographic cost of living and sector also play significant roles.
- Which states pay nonprofit CIOs the most?
- Kansas leads with a median of $229,500, followed by Georgia at $223,019 and Alabama at $218,217. Higher-paying states generally have higher costs of living and larger concentrations of well-funded nonprofits.
- How is this data different from pay surveys?
- Most pay data online comes from self-reported surveys or job posting estimates. This data comes from the pay nonprofits report to the IRS on annual returns, which are legal documents filed under penalty of perjury. Every tax-exempt organization that files a full annual return must report pay for its officers, directors, trustees, and key employees, and for its highest-paid employees above a threshold. The result is a more complete and reliable dataset than voluntary survey responses.
- How does CIO pay compare to other nonprofit roles?
- The median nonprofit CIO earns $176,634. Related roles: IT Manager at $84,950, COO at $141,083, CFO at $87,592. Differences reflect scope of responsibility, market demand, and typical organization size for each role.
- How do I know if I'm underpaid as a nonprofit CIO?
- Compare your total pay to the range. The median nonprofit CIO earns $176,634, with the middle half between $127,679 and $271,108. If your pay sits below $127,679, you are in the bottom quarter for the role nationally and may be underpaid; if it is above $271,108, you are in the top quarter. Organization size and location move these numbers a lot, so benchmark against nonprofits of similar budget and region before drawing conclusions.