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Filing year 2023

ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITIES FOR RESEARCH IN ASTRONOMY INC

Washington, District of Columbia·EIN 86-0138043·NTEE U31C · Science & Technology·501(c)(3)
Total revenue
$450.4M
Total assets
$125.9M
Total expenses
$447.3M
Reported officers
45
Mission

AURA PROVIDES INNOVATIVE, OPEN RESOURCES TO ENABLE DISCOVERY AND EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH, TO UNIFY THE ASTROPHYSICS COMMUNITIES, AND TO PROMOTE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF OUR UNIVERSE AND THE BENEFITS OF SCIENTIFIC EXPLORATION.

Executive compensation, broken down

Form 990 · Part VII & Schedule J · 23 reported individuals · Filing year 2023

Percentile bands compare each position's total pay with the same role at Science & Technology organizations nationwide.

President
75th to 90th percentilevs Science & Technology peers in District of Columbia
$634k
$695k
Base
$541k
Bonus
Other
$26k
Benefits
$34k
Interim Director, Stsci
Key Employee
75th to 90th percentile
$450k
$493k
Base
$369k
Bonus
Other
$24k
Benefits
$25k
Astronomer
Highest Compensated Employee
Above 90th percentile
$445k
$488k
Base
$386k
Bonus
Other
$1k
Benefits
$25k
VP for Science
Board Vice President
75th to 90th percentile
$407k
$446k
Base
$330k
Bonus
$10k
Other
$612
Benefits
$33k
Director, Nso (thru 7/24)
Key Employee
75th to 90th percentile
$395k
$433k
Base
$266k
Bonus
$64k
Other
$1k
Benefits
$35k
Noirlab Director
Key Employee
75th to 90th percentile
$394k
$432k
Base
$358k
Bonus
Other
$2k
Benefits
$2k
VP of Operations/cfo
Vice President
75th to 90th percentile
$375k
$411k
Base
$303k
Bonus
$10k
Other
$174
Benefits
$32k
VP Programs
Board Vice President
Median to 75th percentile
$355k
$389k
Base
$281k
Bonus
$7k
Other
$23
Benefits
$38k
Acting Dep. Dir. - Stsci (thru 2/24)
Key Employee
75th to 90th percentile
$354k
$388k
Base
$293k
Bonus
Other
$3k
Benefits
$28k
Vr Construction - Project
Highest Compensated Employee
75th to 90th percentile
$348k
$382k
Base
$276k
Bonus
Other
$2k
Benefits
$42k
VP for Special Projects
Board Vice President
Median to 75th percentile
$333k
$365k
Base
$288k
Bonus
$7k
Other
$682
Benefits
$9k
Associate Director - Science
Key Employee
Median to 75th percentile
$331k
$362k
Base
$267k
Bonus
Other
$2k
Benefits
$34k
Norilab Deputy Director
Key Employee
Median to 75th percentile
$329k
$361k
Base
$272k
Bonus
Other
$6k
Benefits
$23k
VP for Corporate Strategy
Board Vice President
Median to 75th percentile
$329k
$360k
Base
$296k
Bonus
Other
$552
Benefits
$3k
Nso - Assoc. Director - Dk
Highest Compensated Employee
75th to 90th percentile
$328k
$359k
Base
$264k
Bonus
$2k
Other
$9k
Benefits
$25k
Rubin Ops Construction Director
Highest Compensated Employee
75th to 90th percentile
$322k
$353k
Base
$291k
Bonus
Other
$1k
Benefits
$689
Noirlab - Gemini/stsci Director
Key Employee
Median to 75th percentile
$320k
$351k
Base
$277k
Bonus
Other
$360
Benefits
$14k
Assoicate Dir. Eng. & IT (thru 9/24)
Key Employee
Median to 75th percentile
$308k
$338k
Base
$244k
Bonus
Other
$24k
Benefits
$14k
Operations Director
Median to 75th percentile
$296k
$325k
Base
$255k
Bonus
Other
$2k
Benefits
$14k
Associate Director - Admin
Key Employee
25th percentile to median
$240k
$263k
Base
$195k
Bonus
Other
$181
Benefits
$25k
CSO (thru 8/24)
Key Employee
25th percentile to median
$210k
$230k
Base
$184k
Bonus
Other
$1k
Benefits
$7k
Director - Corp Governance
Director (Operational)
Median to 75th percentile
$200k
$219k
Base
$144k
Bonus
$10k
Other
$508
Benefits
$31k
Chief of Staff
Key Employee
25th percentile to median
$191k
$209k
Base
$151k
Bonus
Other
$111
Benefits
$24k

Teal figures restate each filed amount in 2026 dollars.

Estimated with Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro-area CPI-U, restating filed pay into May 2026 dollars. A restatement of past pay, not current or projected pay.

Plus 22 unpaid individuals.

Browse compensation in Science & Technology

Pay in context

Top pay as a share of expenses

In 2023, the highest total compensation at ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITIES FOR RESEARCH IN ASTRONOMY INC equaled 0.1% of the organization's total expenses. The median for science & technology organizations is 9%.

This organization (2023)
0.1%
Sector median
9%
Middle half of sector
4% to 21%

Based on 1,078 science & technology organizations, each measured at its most recent filing year with reported expenses and compensation.

Up 4%
from 2022

From $610k in 2022 to $634k in 2023.

$610k
2022
$634k
2023
In today's dollarsEst.
Up 1% in real terms$690k to $695k

Estimated with Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro-area CPI-U, restating filed pay into May 2026 dollars. A restatement of past pay, not current or projected pay.

Pay for the position

Chief Executive Officer pay rose 4% from 2022 to 2023, while revenue rose 7%.

$610k in 2022 to $634k in 2023.
  • Key Employee pay rose 2% from 2022 to 2023.
  • Highest Compensated Employee pay rose 34% from 2022 to 2023.

Pay for the position itself, not any one person. The officeholder may have changed between 2022 and 2023.

Highest reported compensation in each year. Volunteer board members and partial-year payouts are filtered out.
Financial trend

Revenue and expenses over time

ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITIES FOR RESEARCH IN ASTRONOMY INC reported revenue and expenses across 2 filing years.

RevenueExpenses
$420.9M
$419.4M
2022
$450.4M
$447.3M
2023
Total revenue and total expenses from IRS Form 990 filings.
Sector benchmark

What Science & Technology executives earn in District of Columbia

Comparable science & technology organizations in District of Columbia pay their highest-earning executive a median of $262,316.

25th percentile
$161k
Median
$262,316
75th percentile
$449k
90th percentile
$901k

These are science & technology sector-wide figures, not this organization's reported pay. Based on 62 organizations across 62 filings (2023 – 2024).

See full Science & Technology pay data for District of Columbia
FAQ

Common questions about ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITIES FOR RESEARCH IN ASTRONOMY INC

What does the Chief Executive Officer of ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITIES FOR RESEARCH IN ASTRONOMY INC earn?

In 2023, the Chief Executive Officer of ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITIES FOR RESEARCH IN ASTRONOMY INC received $633,974 in total compensation. This pay is in the top quarter for Chief Executive Officer roles among Science & Technology organizations in District of Columbia, though not the top 10% of comparable filings. Based on IRS Form 990 data.

How does Chief Executive Officer pay at ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITIES FOR RESEARCH IN ASTRONOMY INC compare with similar nonprofits?

Compared with the same role at Science & Technology organizations in District of Columbia, the 2023 pay of the Chief Executive Officer at ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITIES FOR RESEARCH IN ASTRONOMY INC falls between the 75th and 90th percentiles. In 2023, the highest total compensation at ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITIES FOR RESEARCH IN ASTRONOMY INC equaled 0.1% of the organization's total expenses. The median for science & technology organizations is 9%.

What are ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITIES FOR RESEARCH IN ASTRONOMY INC's revenue and expenses?

In 2023, ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITIES FOR RESEARCH IN ASTRONOMY INC reported $450.4M in total revenue and $447.3M in total expenses on its IRS Form 990.

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