How much does a nonprofit executive director make?
Executive director and chief executive officer are the same job at most nonprofits, so this page covers both titles, whether you searched for nonprofit executive director salary, non profit CEO salary, or how much an executive director of a nonprofit makes. Most of the gap between the 25th and 90th percentiles comes down to organization size, so weigh the nonprofit's budget before leaning on any single average.
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 executive director pay varies so widely
Budget size dominates. Leading a $1 million community nonprofit and leading a $300 million health system are different jobs with different pay, and that gap outweighs state, sector, and experience combined. In this data, the median executive director at a nonprofit with revenue under $1m earns $52k, while at organizations with revenue over $100m the median rises to $548k.
Sector and geography come next. Hospitals, universities, and large foundations pay top leaders more than grassroots nonprofits of similar size, and high cost-of-living metros pay more than rural areas. Use the breakdowns above to filter by the size, state, and sector that match the organization you are benchmarking. Among states with enough filings to compare, District of Columbia reports the highest median nonprofit executive director compensation at $189,066.
How does Executive Director 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 executive directors. Hover for details.
How does Executive Director pay compare to other roles?
Median total compensation for common nonprofit leadership roles, from IRS Form 990 data.
Executive director pay vs. corporate CEO pay
Because the role is often titled CEO, searches mix nonprofit and corporate figures, and the two are not comparable. Corporate chief executives earn many times the nonprofit median, much of it in stock that tax-exempt organizations cannot grant. The numbers here come only from 990 filings, so they reflect what nonprofits actually pay, which is the right benchmark for a nonprofit role.
Where are nonprofit executive directors positions concentrated?
Cities with the most Executive Director positions reporting compensation data.
Executive Director Compensation by State
States with the highest median compensation for nonprofit executive directors.
Executive Director Salary by Organization Size
Median Executive Director compensation at nonprofits grouped by annual revenue.
Executive Director Salary by Sector
Median Executive Director compensation across nonprofit sectors with enough filings to benchmark.
Compare Executive Director compensation
Enter a Executive Director compensation package to see how it ranks against other nonprofit executive directors nationally. We will also email you a detailed breakdown and set up a free account.
Frequently asked questions
- What does a nonprofit Executive Director typically earn?
- Compensation varies widely depending on the organization. At small nonprofits with revenue under $1M, executive directors may earn under $51,786. At large organizations with budgets over $100M, median compensation can exceed $547,960. The national median across all nonprofit sizes is $89,394.
- Why does organization budget matter so much for Executive Director pay?
- Larger nonprofits handle more complex finances, larger teams, and greater regulatory requirements. A Executive Director 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 executive directors the most?
- District of Columbia leads with a median of $189,066, followed by Massachusetts at $109,033 and Virginia at $104,000. 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 Executive Director pay compare to other nonprofit executive roles?
- The median nonprofit Executive Director earns $89,394. Other common roles: CFO at $87,663, COO at $141,080, 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 Executive Director?
- Compare your total compensation to the percentile spread. The median nonprofit Executive Director earns $89,394, with the middle half between $41,695 and $167,902. If your pay sits below $41,695, you are in the bottom quarter for the role nationally and may be underpaid; if it is above $167,902, 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.