What $500K to $1M in revenue means for Development Director pay
Nonprofits with $500K to $1M in annual revenue are established organizations with stable programs and a full-time team. A Development Director here answers to an active board and to funders, and the job is usually a full career role.
Across all nonprofit development directors nationally, the median is $141,732. At organizations with $500K to $1M in revenue, development directors earn about $92,652 less than that.
Development Director pay across organization sizes
How median Development Director compensation scales with nonprofit revenue. Each size band is its own benchmark.
| Org revenue | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | Records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under $100K | $4,441 | $15,746 | $24,148 | $47,366 | 65 |
| $100K–$250K | $9,619 | $17,418 | $31,415 | $52,019 | 144 |
| $250K–$500K | $12,239 | $28,384 | $47,850 | $81,869 | 117 |
| $500K–$1M | $15,000 | $49,080 | $102,148 | $129,823 | 177 |
| $1M–$3M | $66,019 | $115,050 | $137,908 | $162,340 | 618 |
| $3M–$10M | $114,976 | $134,779 | $162,280 | $199,365 | 1,547 |
| $10M–$30M | $127,295 | $152,907 | $196,018 | $243,666 | 1,477 |
| $30M–$100M | $150,656 | $194,322 | $247,962 | $324,899 | 835 |
| Over $100M | $200,232 | $275,825 | $407,166 | $588,108 | 341 |
Explore other sizes
Development Director at Under $100K orgsDevelopment Director at $100K–$250K orgsDevelopment Director at $250K–$500K orgsDevelopment Director at $1M–$3M orgsDevelopment Director at $3M–$10M orgsDevelopment Director at $10M–$30M orgsDevelopment Director at $30M–$100M orgsDevelopment Director at Over $100M orgs
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a nonprofit Development Director at $500K–$1M organizations make?
- The median total compensation is $49,080, based on 177 IRS Form 990 filings from nonprofits with $500K to $1M in annual revenue. The middle range runs from $15,000 to $102,148.
- Why does organization size affect Development Director pay so much?
- Larger nonprofits handle bigger budgets, larger teams, and more complex operations, so the Development Director role scales with them. Comparing pay within the same revenue band, rather than across all sizes, gives a far more accurate benchmark.
- What is the full pay range for a Development Director at $500K–$1M organizations?
- The 25th percentile is $15,000, the median is $49,080, the 75th is $102,148, and the 90th percentile reaches $129,823. Where a specific role lands depends on region, tenure, and how complex the organization is.
- How does this compare to the national Development Director median?
- The national median across all nonprofit sizes is $141,732. Filtering to organizations with $500K to $1M in revenue isolates the size effect, which is one of the strongest drivers of nonprofit compensation.