What does a nonprofit Operations Manager do?
An operations manager keeps an organization running behind the scenes: facilities, vendors, systems, scheduling and the processes that let programs and staff do their work. The job is broader and less standardized than most titles, so what it includes varies by organization. This page covers the titles Operations Manager and Manager of Operations.
This is a modeled range, not a list of reported pay. It is built from what organizations pay this role compared with the rest of their staff, using what nonprofits reported to the IRS, and applied to nonprofits nationwide.
Why nonprofit Operations Manager pay varies
Organization size explains most of the difference. An Operations Manager at a small community nonprofit and one at a large health system or university do very different jobs, and their pay differs accordingly. Our estimate for Operations Manager pay at a nonprofit with revenue $1M to $10M is $92k, and at nonprofits with revenue $100M to $500M it is $204k.
Sector and location matter too, but pay at this level is not reported state by state, so this page shows one national range with a breakdown by organization size.
How does Operations Manager pay compare to other roles?
Median pay for related nonprofit roles.
Operations Manager Pay by Organization Size
Typical Operations Manager pay at nonprofits grouped by annual revenue, modeled nationwide.
Some sizes are left out because there is not enough reported pay to model them.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a nonprofit Operations Manager make?
- The typical pay for a nonprofit operations manager is $81,488, and the middle half earn between $55,824 and $127,631. The range is built from what 615 organizations pay this role compared with the rest of their staff, nationwide.
- How does nonprofit Operations Manager pay change with organization size?
- Pay rises with the size of the organization. Our estimate is $91,586 at nonprofits with revenue $1M to $10M and $203,721 at nonprofits with revenue $100M to $500M.
- Why does organization budget matter so much for Operations Manager 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. An Operations Manager 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.
- Why is the pay range for a nonprofit Operations Manager national?
- Pay at this level is not reported state by state, so the range covers nonprofits nationwide.
- How is this data different from pay surveys?
- Most pay data online comes from self-reported surveys or job posting estimates. This range is built from the pay nonprofits report to the IRS, compared with the rest of their staff, so it rests on legal documents filed under penalty of perjury rather than on voluntary survey responses.
- How does Operations Manager pay compare to other nonprofit roles?
- The typical nonprofit Operations Manager earns $81,488. Related roles: COO at $141,083, General Manager at $176,312, Business Manager at $127,730. 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 Operations Manager?
- Compare your total pay to the range. The typical nonprofit Operations Manager earns $81,488, with the middle half between $55,824 and $127,631. If your pay sits below $55,824, you are in the bottom quarter for the role nationally and may be underpaid; if it is above $127,631, 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.