How much does a nonprofit COO make?
Whether you searched for COO nonprofit salary, chief operating officer salary nonprofit, or chief operating officer non profit salary, this is the same underlying data. The COO role is less standardized than the CFO or executive director role, so pay depends heavily on how much of the operation the position actually owns, on top of the organization's size.
These figures come from each organization's most recent Form 990, the annual return tax-exempt organizations file under penalty of perjury, covering fiscal years 2019 through 2024. Nothing here is modeled, estimated, or projected.
Why nonprofit COO pay varies so widely
Organization size is the largest driver, and scope is a close second. At some nonprofits the COO is the second in command running every program; at others the title sits closer to a senior manager. Budget size captures most of the difference you see in the percentiles. In this data, the median COO at a nonprofit with revenue under $1m earns $35k, while at organizations with revenue over $100m the median rises to $337k.
Sector and location shift pay further. A common question is how the COO compares with the CFO; the role comparison above puts both medians side by side so you can see which sits higher in a given organization type. Filter by size, state, and sector to benchmark a specific role. Among states with enough filings to compare, District of Columbia reports the highest median nonprofit COO compensation at $186,608.
How does COO pay scale with org size?
Median total compensation by nonprofit annual revenue for four executive roles. The shaded area shows the 25th to 75th percentile range for COOs. Hover for details.
How does COO pay compare to other roles?
Median total compensation for common nonprofit leadership roles, from IRS Form 990 data.
Nonprofit COO pay compared with the corporate sector
Average COO salary searches often return corporate operating chiefs, who earn well above the nonprofit median and receive equity that tax-exempt organizations cannot offer. This page draws only from 990 filings, so it benchmarks nonprofit operations leaders against each other rather than against industry.
Where are nonprofit COOs positions concentrated?
Cities with the most COO positions reporting compensation data.
COO Compensation by State
States with the highest median compensation for nonprofit COOs.
COO Salary by Organization Size
Median COO compensation at nonprofits grouped by annual revenue.
COO Salary by Sector
Median COO compensation across nonprofit sectors with enough filings to benchmark.
Compare COO compensation
Enter a COO compensation package to see how it ranks against other nonprofit COOs nationally. We will also email you a detailed breakdown and set up a free account.
Sample records
Actual compensation from IRS Form 990 filings.
Frequently asked questions
- What does a nonprofit COO typically earn?
- Compensation varies widely depending on the organization. At small nonprofits with revenue under $1M, COOs may earn under $34,558. At large organizations with budgets over $100M, median compensation can exceed $337,077. The national median across all nonprofit sizes is $141,080.
- Why does organization budget matter so much for COO pay?
- Larger nonprofits handle more complex finances, larger teams, and greater regulatory requirements. A COO overseeing a $200M budget has a fundamentally different job than one managing $500K. The IRS Form 990 data reflects this: compensation scales with organizational complexity, not just revenue. Geographic cost of living and sector also play significant roles.
- Which states pay nonprofit COOs the most?
- District of Columbia leads with a median of $186,608, followed by Virginia at $169,893 and Vermont at $158,718. Higher-paying states generally have higher costs of living and larger concentrations of well-funded nonprofits. Use the search tool above to filter by any state or city.
- How is this data different from salary surveys?
- Most salary data online comes from self-reported surveys or job posting estimates. This data comes from IRS Form 990 filings, which are legal documents filed under penalty of perjury. Every tax-exempt organization with gross receipts over $200,000 must report compensation for officers, directors, and highest-paid employees. The result is a more complete and reliable dataset than voluntary survey responses.
- How does COO pay compare to other nonprofit executive roles?
- The median nonprofit COO earns $141,080. Other common roles: Executive Director at $89,394, CFO at $87,663, Development Director at $141,732. 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 COO?
- Compare your total compensation to the percentile spread. The median nonprofit COO earns $141,080, with the middle half between $73,605 and $214,864. If your pay sits below $73,605, you are in the bottom quarter for the role nationally and may be underpaid; if it is above $214,864, 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.